Living in the Tyne Valley, we definitely need new trains. The latest rumours are that Northern will be getting new trains being built by Vivarail, at Long Marston, near Statford upon Avon. These are rebuilt former District Line underground D78 trains. They have bought 450 vehicles and the first one has already been converted. They will be made into two and three car sets, with different layouts for city, commuter or country layouts. They will be class 230s.
Photos of a mock-up show a destination of Huddersfield and the first trains are to be tested, after their own test track, on the Sheffield-Huddersfield line, run by Northern.
Regarding the Tyne Valley line, it's speed limit is generally 60 or 65 mph. Up to a year ago, the weekday service was mainly 156s on Newcastle-Carlisle services and 142s on Nunthorpe/Middlesbrough-Hexham, plus Metro shuttles. These latter ones work Metro Centre-Morpeth-Metro Centre-Newcastle-Metro Centre diagrams and so on.
During the last year, more 142s have come onto the line so it is difficult to forecast which types will be on which services. Apart from the Scotrail units, the ones guaranteed to be 156s are the two morning trains from Dumfries to Newcastle. These work in multiple from Carlisle-pl 8 to Dumfries (2LO2), then split and form 2N08 and 2N12 to Newcastle.
In the evening, there are two sets work from Newcastle to Whitehaven. The first is 2M34 which works throughout, then 2C33 back to Carlisle. It then works ecs to pl 8. The second is 2N47 Newcastle-Carlisle, where it stables for 40 minutes, before working 2C48 Carlisle-Whitehaven, 2C39 Whitehaven-Workington, then 5C39 ecs to Carlisle, where it continues to pl 8.
On Saturdays, most services on Newcastle to Carlisle services are 142s, whilst Sunday morning services often produce 142/156 combinations, possible because there are no Northern services to Morpeth, nor the stopping trains between Newcastle and Hexham.
A few years ago, 158s were trialled on the line but ceased after a short while, because Northern did not want to train Tyne Valley drivers on these units, as there were not that many to be based at Heaton. These can still be seen at Carlisle, working on the S&C, sometimes in multiple with a 153.
Something certainly has to be done about Northern units. The 142s have to go by 2020 because of disability issues and, with electrification schemes running late, there will be nothing else available. Having tried to take a wheelchair onto the existing units several times, it is a nightmare. Whilst the staff do their best, it is not easy. On a trip from the S&C, changing at Carlisle, the ramp slipped and my wife nearly fell out of the chair onto the platform.
The North is a dumping ground for old trains. A recent trip on the Tyne & Wear Metro with a wheelchair was also a nightmare. Despite them being refurbished, it was hard to get on board. On the first attempt, whilst trying to board, we had to turn the chair round by getting off onto the platform, turn it round, then get on backwards. Whilst we did that, the driver closed the doors and drove off. When the next train came in, we were at the front and the driver did get out to help us. However, it did not encourage us to make another trip.
Another problem in this area is that on New Years Day, we have no Northern Trains in Tyneside, Tees-side nor the Tyne Valley, yet every other passenger TOC outside of Scotland is working after about 10am, and Northern still work into Carlisle from S&C and Cumbria Coast.
We get a raw deal North of the "Northern Powerhouse" so these new trains may be a good idea, despite them being old. Certainly the plans shown on the Vivarail website look very good, so we will have to wait and see.
