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Class 730 LNR & WMR Delivery/test Updates
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
If 196s are out anywhere it'll be on the Shrewsburys. 730s seem to be seen at Wolves a fair bit.
Do you mean they would run all the way to Birmingham New Street or just some tracks nearby?
And are the 196s in service or still on test? I heard they are on Shrewsbury service but some videos say they are testing near Shrewsbury
Jacob Porrett
On Moderation
196s are in service mate. Part Time Spotter tweets out the diagrams during the week and I put them out as well onto twitter and facebook. Sorry this is off topic but just answering the question.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I will have to defer to others on that. I do know that I've seen a lot of photos on them on Twitter taken by a Wolverhampton dispatcher at that station (though no more as I believe he's now been told not to while on duty).
There is usually at least one out each day in service on Birmingham-Shrewsbury services, but if it fails then a 170 gets swapped in. I'd search for "196 diagrams" on Twitter because a few people are posting them.
If you're nearer Bletchley there has on occasion been one or two parked at the back of the depot, but I think they could only be seen from a Marston Vale train, and they're not running at the moment. I don't think they are/were visible from the public road. 730s may also show up there at some point.
Jacob Porrett
On Moderation
Correct about the 196s. 730s on test from Oxley, Stafford and Nuneaton at the moment. Some have been to Euston as well on occasions.
Ah awesome idea. Thanks
Realtimetrains is really not that useful in these trains
You can try asking here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/non-urgent-tops-requests.202237/
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
What I did to find a 196 was established via Twitter that one was probably out (two I think on the day), then go up onto Platform 3 at Shrewsbury (it's outside the gateline, accessed via a totally separate entrance) to see if what came in actually was a 196. It wasn't the first time so I went away for an hour and came back. It was the second time.
The_Train
Established Member
- Joined
- 2 Jun 2018
- Messages
- 4,372
196s are in service (when they work) between New Street and Shrewsbury and tend to go out on test from Tyseley to Shrewsbury.
730s tend to be on test between Crewe and Rugby along the WCML via Stafford and the Trent Valley
Liam L
Member
Also out between Rugby and Euston (not sure on the exact paths I’m afraid but seen photos of those locations) for staff training / testing for them to replace the 319s from next year.
Merle Haggard
Established Member
I'm a bit puzzled, because the 319 workings from Northampton (06.50 up, then a round trip in the evening) don't seem to run after 9th December. (There's still an 06.50, but it's a semi fast to replace the 06.58 - the 06.50 is/was all stations) The peak seems to be very reduced in the 11th December timetable and it seems to be that the 319s won't be needed - but I'm far from sure.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
They are still used on a number of Bletchley starters - these can be seen in Realtime Trains as pathed as Class 321 rather than Class 350. I suspect using them is cheaper than using the 350/2s given their expensive mileage based lease agreement.
The Northampton one was a bit of a nuisance given that the units generally live at Bletchley and I'm not surprised it's come out. The 0711 off Bletchley was originally a Bletchley starter and was extended back to Northampton because of someone whining too loudly about something or other.
I think unit usage may be just as high post Dec - look how few 4 cars there are counter-peak.
Merle Haggard
Established Member
Thanks. I know that RTT shows them as 321 times, just being lazy I'm afraid in not going through all the MK starters' times. The morning peak service from Northampton seems to be a lot less than before. And, travelling twice off peak in the last week, 8 cars were full (and standing at some point) both times. Probably Avanti only running 1 t.p.h. from Birmingham (e.g. Tuesday) might be a factor, though! Having smaller peaks and healthy off peaks should make for ideal utilisation of 'mobile and human resources'.
Silverlinky
Member
- Joined
- 3 Feb 2012
- Messages
- 689
This was posted over on the 319 thread and is not too wide of the mark.
5B02 0553 off Bletchley CS forms 2B02 0604 Bletchley to Euston then 2T09 0724 Euston to Tring, then 2T10 0810 Tring to Euston.
5K02 still comes off Kings Heath at 0556 and runs ECS to Milton Keynes to start 2K02.
5T02 comes off Bletchley CS and runs ECS to Tring as to start as 2T02 0710.
5B06 ex Bletchley CS forms 2B06 and then 5C06 to Camden at 0818.
2T53 is correct as above but then forms 2T54 1713 Tring to Euston and then 2K51 1809 Euston to Milton Keynes, 2K52 1927 Milton Keynes to Euston and finally 2B61 2054 Euston to Bletchley
2K65 as shown above runs ECS 2253 MKC to Kings Heath
The Kings Heath circuit will be the last one to be replaced, but will be replaced by 350's which will see amendments made so that a current Bletchley CS-Bletchley CS 350 circuit is replaced by 730's
Ah yes spotted them in the interim since posting this - thank you for the confirmation and info there
childwallblues
Established Member
are there any 730s currently at LNWR Crewe please?
Halish Railway
Established Member
Yes, Although I’ve only seen the LNWR units there.
childwallblues
Established Member
Do you know which ones werethere on Tuesday please?
D1537
Member
- Joined
- 11 Jul 2019
- Messages
- 538
How many LNWR 730s are there going to be? Page 1 of this thread suggests 29 730/1s and 16 730/2s (a total of 45) but LNWR themselves suggest 36 - https://www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/travel-information/whats-new/new-trains/class-730-fleet
Halish Railway
Established Member
Supposedly the order was changed, with a greater proportion of the units being the WMR three-carriage units, and less LNWR five-carriage units. The website might not have been updated to reflect this.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
That is nine fewer coaches overall but I presume the extra cost of six more coaches becoming driving coaches will be balanced by the cost saving of 9 coaches overall ?.
730016 and 730018 are testing at Stafford today, both WMT livery. Will see if I can see any others stabled
XCTurbostar
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Sep 2014
- Messages
- 1,887
Brand New 730019 was delivered to Oxley on Tuesday.
The_Train
Established Member
- Joined
- 2 Jun 2018
- Messages
- 4,372
730020 has also followed this week
The LNWR 730s (730/not 0) have a top speed of 110mph and the WMR 730s (730/0) have a top speed of 90mph. Personally, I have no idea what formations they will run on the Trent Valley, but as a Rugby local who likes a cheap, fast service to London, I'd hope it's 2x5 car, since an 8 car 350 is already very busy on that route as it is, and since a 5 car 730 is roughly the same as a 6 car 350, it'd be a 25% reduction in capacity, which is not something that that route needs.
Silverlinky
Member
- Joined
- 3 Feb 2012
- Messages
- 689
Trent Valley services are set to remain as class 350 traction. 730's aren't replacing everything!
a 5 car 730 does not have enough capacity to replace 8 car 350's and a 10 car 730 set will be too long (the equivalent of 12 car 350 which does not happen on the TV lines)