Class 345 progress

[samuelmorris]

It's from the Golden Spanner tables in Modern Railways, though to be fair I did misrecord the figure, it's actually 4200 for the current MAA. (3500 would be the average between this year's MAA and last year's, which wouldn't really make sense to use). Still not exactly stellar compared to the 25000 GTR's 387s achieve, never mind the 90k-100k SWR's Desiro UK units attained.

 

[AM9]

It's from the Golden Spanner tables in Modern Railways, though to be fair I did misrecord the figure, it's actually 4200 for the current MAA. (3500 would be the average between this year's MAA and last year's, which wouldn't really make sense to use). Still not exactly stellar compared to the 25000 GTR's 387s achieve, never mind the 90k-100k SWR's Desiro UK units attained.

I wasn't disputing where you got them from, but there has been an issue with the 700s vis a vis their interaction with the infrastructure. First there was the problems of the stop boards being located for mounting convenience rather than accurately according to the official spots - causing the doors to do just what they should, i.e. stay shut. Then there have been a few issues with the restart after some neutral sections, and of course there is the ongoing issues with the PIS. Many of the reported failures have been caused by other non-class 700 stock delays but it has been easier for the TOC to initially blame the (foreign) supplier, which has tended to stick when everybody moved on to the next issue. I don't know how the failures are classified and used to calculate the MTIN but operationally, such infrastructure problems are not entirely failures of the train itself so the figure may be distorted by Core or BML signalling for instance.
When the Crossrail service ramps up to include the new systems in the core, there may also be some issues on the 345s.

 

[samuelmorris]

That's a fair point, but yes, the 345s I imagine will be equally affected by such issues, if not moreso with platform edge doors to contend with. It's a bit early for a fair comparison, but the MAA for 345s at the time that issue was published was 420, so an order of magnitude behind the 700s.

 

[AM9]

... It's a bit early for a fair comparison, but the MAA for 345s at the time that issue was published was 420, so an order of magnitude behind the 700s.

Which I think is to be expected on many contemporary integrated system. We just don't normally receive the same critical assessments of those that aren't local to us.

 

[mrmartin]

Getting a little out of control this.
Yesterday morning delays because of faulty train (tho was a 315). Yesterday evening severe delays because of faulty train. This morning servere delays because of faulty train.

 

[samuelmorris]

Wasn't it a 315 last night? A pair of them ran ECS through Stratford eastbound while I was waiting and I can't think of any reason to do that unless they were the units at fault.

 

[mrmartin]

Yeah may be the case, a 315 failed in the morning at plat 8 backing all the lines up. TfL Rail used to be the most reliable service in the country, seems all over the place with train failures recently.

 

[samuelmorris]

I've been monitoring punctuality of all the services I use and this year TfL Rail is rock bottom, Thameslink puts it to shame (and is actually almost at the top!) How times change...

With regard to today, it may perhaps have been a 345 at fault? I saw one in Chadwell Heath turnback which is unusual to see in the weekday peak.

 

[iphone76]

I believe today was a 345 fault at Manor Park quickly followed by a 315 with a door fault at Forest Gate.

Let's see what tonight brings.

 

[mrmartin]

Weird so many 315 failures are also happening. I'm wondering if there has been less maintenance done as they were planned to be retired by now?

Overall though it's a real mess.

 

[mrmartin]

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-20180130-item10-elizabeth-line.pdf
Looks like both ECTS is significantly behind schedule for heathrow branch - so much so that contingency plans are being drawn up and CBTC still needs added.

 

[Jpeg]

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/board-20180130-item10-elizabeth-line.pdf
Looks like both ECTS is significantly behind schedule for heathrow branch - so much so that contingency plans are being drawn up and CBTC still needs added.

4.7 The development and assurance of the train signalling and software remains the most significant single risk to timely commencement of Stage 2 services. In case Bombardier is unable to complete testing in time for May 2018, a contingency plan has been developed with TfL operating the existing Class 360 units to provide a two train an hour service to Heathrow, augmented with a two train per hour service using the Class 345 trains (without using ETCS) between Paddington and Hayes and Harlington. Should this contingency be required, it is expected that the planned service would be in place by autumn 2018.​

 

[dp21]

Weird so many 315 failures are also happening. I'm wondering if there has been less maintenance done as they were planned to be retired by now?

Overall though it's a real mess.

Quite the opposite. If anything they're being over maintained. GA are contracted to do 12 exams on them a week for MTR from what I've been told. Despite the 315s being withdrawn they're still requiring those 12 to be done so you never know that might be an impacting factor but certainly not under maintained.

 

[brick60000]

I'm visiting London this Saturday and am planning to make a visit to Stratford - are there likely to be any class 345's out and about, perhaps on specific diagrams or is it just a day by day basis?

 

[samuelmorris]

315 substitution seems to be on the up. No sign of any 345s at LST at 6pm tonight and there are usually several. Last night's 1756 to SNF was also 315s. Unless we're onto freely interchangeable diagrams now?

The 315 I'm on now (851) is missing all 4 traction motors in the front vehicle. I wonder if this unit isn't supposed to be out and is only in service due to most of the 345s being out of use tonight...
Considering it's almost empty its performance is so blunt it makes me suspect the other 4 are out as well.

 

[iphone76]

315 substitution seems to be on the up. No sign of any 345s at LST at 6pm tonight and there are usually several. Last night's 1756 to SNF was also 315s. Unless we're onto freely interchangeable diagrams now?

The 315 I'm on now (851) is missing all 4 traction motors in the front vehicle. I wonder if this unit isn't supposed to be out and is only in service due to most of the 345s being out of use tonight...
Considering it's almost empty its performance is so blunt it makes me suspect the other 4 are out as well.

There were definitely two substitutions today - possibly three. The 345s should be on fixed diagrams but as you can see - those numbers aren't increasing much. (If at all)

 

[iphone76]

I'm visiting London this Saturday and am planning to make a visit to Stratford - are there likely to be any class 345's out and about, perhaps on specific diagrams or is it just a day by day basis?

There should be some floating about this weekend - subject to any unit changes. There is a 15 minute service between London and Chadwell Heath supplemented by a 30 minute semi fast service between London and Shenfield. Last weekend there were a few 345s about so you should be in luck.

 

[MatthewRead]

I've noticed for the past Saturdays when there is a reduced Shenfield service most of the 345's are used on the Chadwell Heath services while the Shenfield's are nearly all 315's why is that?

 

[Jimini]

Saw this on FB earlier:

 

[D365]

Saw this on FB earlier:

For the benefit of those with a poor connection/unable to view images - it's a photo of a 345 at Liverpool Street unfortunately plastered in graffiti.

 

[goblinuser]

Saw this on FB earlier:



View attachment 41989

The graffiti makes it look very ismilar to a Networker

 

[306024]

I've noticed for the past Saturdays when there is a reduced Shenfield service most of the 345's are used on the Chadwell Heath services while the Shenfield's are nearly all 315's why is that?

Simply depends on where the unit diagrams start and finish at, there’s no real reason. At the moment they can’t all be 345s.

 

[samuelmorris]

There is a preference not to send the 345s out to Shenfield yet unless there aren't sufficiently many 315s to cover. I'm not entirely sure why that is - in the AM peak all services bar possibly one are still 315s, all the 345s work Gidea Park diagrams. In the evening peak, however, several 345s are used. It's not immediately obvious to me why that's the case. There's been a recent graffiti outbreak, presumably at Ilford, several 321s are also affected by it.

 

[matthewmacleod]

There is a preference not to send the 345s out to Shenfield yet unless there aren't sufficiently many 315s to cover. I'm not entirely sure why that is - in the AM peak all services bar possibly one are still 315s, all the 345s work Gidea Park diagrams. In the evening peak, however, several 345s are used. It's not immediately obvious to me why that's the case. There's been a recent graffiti outbreak, presumably at Ilford, several 321s are also affected by it.

Oh, interesting – I was also definitely getting the impression that most evening peak workings were on the Shenfield services.

Is there an up-to-date list of diagrams available? It's getting so unpleasant on peak 315s that I'm willing to shuffle my day around to catch a 345 instead

 

[samuelmorris]

I don't know about officially - evening services to Shenfield the 1756 has been, the 1804 is usually and the 1820 is often, a 345. In the morning, I think the 0805 from Gidea Park is usually a 345 as it used to pull in alongside me (the time it takes to get off the platform and onto the concourse at LST exceeds the interval between trains. The low-level platforms can't come soon enough!)

 

[Mag_seven]

There was a class 345 at Old Oak Common yesterday - didn't get the number unfortunately.

 

[Wivenswold]

Great article in the latest Modern Railways magazine from a former new rolling stock commissioner. It's an enlightening read.

 

[Defiance149]

There was a class 345 at Old Oak Common yesterday - didn't get the number unfortunately.

345023

 

[rd749249]

Not sure if this has been posted here but it’s a good insight into the 345

 

[iphone76]

I wonder what is up this morning. There are quite a few cancellatioins due to the unavailability of trains.