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Avanti West Coast Rolling Stock Updates

greatvoyager

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I believe its still at Central Rivers Depot being repaired. It was last on the network in August 2021 when it was moved there as a 3-car unit (the other 2 went by road as they were too damaged to go by rail)
Thank you. A month or so ago I saw pictures on Facebook of it put back together, and having it's Avanti vinyls applied. Hope it will be back soon.
 
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Huntergreed

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Has there been any news on the progress of 390125? Do we know when it’s due out?
Was thinking about this the other day, it’s been there for months! I’m sure it was due out early 2022, but I imagine, being the first set, there’ll be delays.
 

Ben Conlin

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Was thinking about this the other day, it’s been there for months! I’m sure it was due out early 2022, but I imagine, being the first set, there’ll be delays.
Yeah I was thinking that, I thought it was originally December and got pushed back. Hopefully they can sort out any teething problems and the next ones will be quicker.
 

Huntergreed

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The Jan 22 Modern railways mag say's 390125 is due to enter service this month.
I assume this has been delayed? I note that the original “16 weeks” has turned into over 6 months…
390123 is the second unit to go in.
Is it in now? Hopefully a quicker refurbishment!

Can anyone confirm, will the seating layout remain the same in the refurbishment or will it change (and, if it will, is there an online seating plan I can view?)
 

Trackman

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The Jan 22 Modern railways mag say's 390125 is due to enter service this month.
They need to get a wiggle on, it's the 31st tomorrow!
Can anyone confirm, will the seating layout remain the same in the refurbishment or will it change (and, if it will, is there an online seating plan I can view?)
Seat layout: I guess the same apart from 11 cars which will lose a a First.
 

Skie

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The first unit was planned to take a while, given how it's used as a test-bed to ensure the new bits and bobs all fit and to help plan the subsequent works for the rest of the fleet. It's definitely late, but not representative of how long it will take for other units to be done.

I do hope they've taken the opportunity to rejig the seats in standard, given how poor they were positioned. And judging from progress images so far they've really stripped everything back, including the roof being completely removed above the shop, so it's not impossible that they have re-aligned things.
 

43055

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I assume this has been delayed? I note that the original “16 weeks” has turned into over 6 months…

Is it in now? Hopefully a quicker refurbishment!
The first unit will take a while. The first EMR 360 to be painted to about 6 months while the rest so far have taken a lot less time.

390123 went in in November.
 

Trackman

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Avanti have put a teaser video up saying 390125 be will out soon.
Not bothered with a video link as it doesn't really show anything.
I guess the next video will show the interior, judging by the tweets.

I assume this has been delayed? I note that the original “16 weeks” has turned into over 6 months…

Is it in now? Hopefully a quicker refurbishment!

Can anyone confirm, will the seating layout remain the same in the refurbishment or will it change (and, if it will, is there an online seating plan I can view?)
Well, the original deadline for the first unit was December 2020.
From Modern Railways I think, as I've closed the tab:
A £117 MILLION refurbishment of the 56-strong Class 390 Pendolino fleet will include the debut of a new standard class seat designed outside the railway industry. The work is expected to be carried out by Alstom at its Widnes modernisation centre, which has just completed a repaint of the Pendolinos. The first refurbished train is expected to be released towards the end of 2020, with the programme complete by April 2023
 

DanNCL

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We can no doubt expect the remaining 390s to be finished much quicker than the first ones are. The same has happened with other rail fleets, and the same happens with aircraft too.

The closest recent comparison to this refurbishment I can think of is the 2010-2015 refurbishment of the Tyne & Wear Metro fleet, which involved the same level of strip out as the 390 refurbishment (and if anything was actually more intensive work, as it also included corrosion repair). The first unit in that refurbishment took 15 months to complete, as opposed to the scheduled 9 months. The time the work took reduced from 15 months per unit at the start of the project, to just 8 weeks for the majority of subsequent units, and the program was completed 6 months early despite the initial delay. Of course this isn’t by any means an identical comparison, there are many differences between the two projects, but it’s a good example of how the first unit in a major refurbishment program running several months late doesn’t always equate to the remaining units also taking much longer than planned to complete.

Interesting that the Modern Railways article mentions that the new seat design came from outside the rail industry, does this mean these won’t be the same seats as First used for Lumo after all? As those seats were designed by Transcal, who are very much established in the train seat market. Or was this just an error with the article?
 

Triumph

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Has there been any news on the progress of 390125? Do we know when it’s due out?
390125 Will be moving out of Widnes back to Longsight tomorrow.
390123 Will be second one which is being done next. The whole fleet of 56 will be completed by 2024.
Also the last set for external revinyl (390154) will be back in service on Saturday as well.
 

TT-ONR-NRN

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Interesting that the Modern Railways article mentions that the new seat design came from outside the rail industry, does this mean these won’t be the same seats as First used for Lumo after all? As those seats were designed by Transcal, who are very much established in the train seat market. Or was this just an error with the article?
I take most things MR say with a pinch of salt
 

FrodshamJnct

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390125 Will be moving out of Widnes back to Longsight tomorrow.
390123 Will be second one which is being done next. The whole fleet of 56 will be completed by 2024.
Also the last set for external revinyl (390154) will be back in service on Saturday as well.

Just been past on my commute home and can confirm it’s now been shunted out of the main building and is sat outside looking ready to go.
 

Trackman

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I take most things MR say with a pinch of salt
It could well be that it was a seat design not used on the UK rail system before, which as it has a different cushion from Lumo would be accurate. I can't remember the exact wording MR used.
There was a online press conference with some big bosses at Avanti and spoke about the new seats saying it was all their own research and development or whatever that went into the new seats and not bought off the 'peg' so to speak.
Just been past on my commute home and can confirm it’s now been shunted out of the main building and is sat outside looking ready to go.
Must be this:

5T25 1638 Widnes Transport Tech to Longsight Car. M.D.
Departing on 11th February 2022​

operated by
Avanti West Coast
AD
  • UID S40723, identity 5T25
    TSC 22112002
  • STP schedule
    11th February 2022 only
  • Empty Coaching Stock
  • Great Britain (Network Rail, TPS)
  • Pathed as Class 390 EMU
    Planned for 125mph max
 

Trackman

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Why two reversals (at Ditton and Edge Hill) to get to Crewe?
Can't trains go direct from the Alstom site to the Up Fast at Ditton?
I was thinking that, but I'm not au fait with the route.
Thought it might be a test run as well as an ECS move, no doubt people on board looking for issues and listening for squeaks and rattles.
 

M60lad

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31 May 2011
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Considering the refurbished Pendalino is now at Longsight how long will it be before it enters service?
 

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