Class 745 Stadler FLIRTs

[Railperf]

No mate all on our booked jobs. Adds a bit of interest to the day.

You out today? If so how are you tackling the extra intermediate stops?

 

[Bald Rick]

Why would that be? Dispatch issues from the smaller intermediate stations?

Dispatch, but also timings.

More likely would be use of the 321s to Norwich, drivers (and conductors) permitting.

 

[Railperf]

The 1330 LST to NRW is making very good time and looks like achieving a standard schedule or even beating it in spite of the slow running wrong line Shenfield to Chelmsford and the 6 additional stops. I have a feeling it's being piloted/conducted by one of our esteemed members.

 

[dk1]

The 1330 LST to NRW is making very good time and looks like achieving a standard schedule or even beating it in spite of the slow running wrong line Shenfield to Chelmsford and the 6 additional stops. I have a feeling it's being piloted/conducted by one of our esteemed members.

You are far too kind sir (blushes) but I cannot take all the credit as there where two of us in the sharp end with my delightful road learner doing her upmost to claw back all of the lost time.

 

[Railperf]

You are far too kind sir (blushes) but I cannot take all the credit as there where two of us in the sharp end with my delightful road learner doing her upmost to claw back all of the lost time.

Haha, it's almost as if you read the earlier posts and thought ..'we'll show em!! Not a flat out run by any means - the only place you didn't stop was Romford..and looking at RTT, I reckon you could still have beaten the schedule with that stop included. Looks like you had a clearer run through Ingatestone than some others. But the berth timings suggest you were running at 50ish mph instead of the 70mph wrong line speed - probably a TSR?
To be fair, seeing how the 745's coped today with those additional stops seriously makes a case for introducing more stops on the Norwich run. I mean - why not?

You cannot schedule these things much faster without losing a semi-fast GE service.

And how many people really need to get to Norwich in 90 min anyway? Whenever I have been to Norwich it is var more convenient for me to join at Stratford. Otherwise, i have to go into Liverpool Street and out again, which offsets the time saved by Nin90 services.

If someone had proposed a year ago to make one of the Norwich services a true stopper with the extra six stops - i would have said they were mad!!, But on todays' performance - 1h55 mins - the case would be why you would not make the extra stops.
In fact during COVID - the most efficient use of the stock would be to do so!

 

[dk1]

Haha, it's almost as if you read the earlier posts and thought ..'we'll show em!! Not a flat out run by any means - the only place you didn't stop was Romford..and looking at RTT, I reckon you could still have beaten the schedule with that stop included. Looks like you had a clearer run through Ingatestone than some others. But the berth timings suggest you were running at 50ish mph instead of the 70mph wrong line speed - probably a TSR?
To be fair, seeing how the 745's coped today with those additional stops seriously makes a case for introducing more stops on the Norwich run. I mean - why not?

You cannot schedule these things much faster without losing a semi-fast GE service.

And how many people really need to get to Norwich in 90 min anyway? Whenever I have been to Norwich it is var more convenient for me to join at Stratford. Otherwise, i have to go into Liverpool Street and out again, which offsets the time saved by Nin90 services.

If someone had proposed a year ago to make one of the Norwich services a true stopper with the extra six stops - i would have said they were mad!!, But on todays' performance - 1h55 mins - the case would be why you would not make the extra stops.
In fact during COVID - the most efficient use of the stock would be to do so!

Might have shaved a few minutes off as I like to live on the dangerous side & am obviously far more confident. As for future timetables, I'm totally in awe of VHF & how that timetable was constructed but sadly we don't have the population or quadruple sections here in East Anglia to make such an exciting timetable viable. Please no more stops than we have now.

 

[trebor79]

If someone had proposed a year ago to make one of the Norwich services a true stopper with the extra six stops - i would have said they were mad!!, But on todays' performance - 1h55 mins - the case would be why you would not make the extra stops.

Remember there are basically no passengers at the moment. I suspect dwell times would become an issue with more normal loadings.
And it's good to have a decent period between stops to allow a visit to the buffet without worrying about someone getting on and pinching your seat .

 

[dk1]

Remember there are basically no passengers at the moment. I suspect dwell times would become an issue with more normal loadings.
And it's good to have a decent period between stops to allow a visit to the buffet without worrying about someone getting on and pinching your seat .

No catering offer available right now.

 

[Railperf]

So the Class 745's are on London to Norwich 'all stations' this week too - until the Ingatestone embankment slip is fixed. I see the timetable extended to over 2 hrs, but some services sneaking in to Norwich very early indeed - almost matching the normal schedule despite the six extra stops and 50mph running on the down through Ingatestone.

 

[samuelmorris]

Presumably fewer services running on the GEML mean less risk to timings otherwise?

 

[DB]

Bit of a random question here, but I was looking at photos of the Stadler units yesterday (not had chance to travel on one yet) and I notice that the intermediate vehicles on the 755s are much shorter than the 745s. Are the driving vehicles identical on both classes? THey look to be, but difficult to tell for sure from photos.

Also, are the interiors identical on all the variants, i.e. both types of 745 and both types of 755? (apart from the 745/0 having a buffet and first class section which none of the others have)

Thanks

 

[RailWonderer]

Bit of a random question here, but I was looking at photos of the Stadler units yesterday (not had chance to travel on one yet) and I notice that the intermediate vehicles on the 755s are much shorter than the 745s. Are the driving vehicles identical on both classes? THey look to be, but difficult to tell for sure from photos.

Also, are the interiors identical on all the variants, i.e. both types of 745 and both types of 755? (apart from the 745/0 having a buffet and first class section which none of the others have)

Thanks

The 745/1 and the 755 have identical interiors except the 755s have bay tables, the 745/0 fleet also have seat reservation displays and vestibule doors to make big compartment type seating areas.

Remember there are basically no passengers at the moment. I suspect dwell times would become an issue with more normal loadings.
And it's good to have a decent period between stops to allow a visit to the buffet without worrying about someone getting on and pinching your seat .

I was on the 17:30 off LST a couple of days ago (745 008) and it was full and standing. No catering either, people pack food with them.

 

[dk1]

The 745/1 and the 755 have identical interiors except the 755s have bay tables, the 745/0 fleet also have seat reservation displays and vestibule doors to make big compartment type seating areas.

I was on the 17:30 off LST a couple of days ago (745 008) and it was full and standing. No catering either, people pack food with them.

Catering is suspended UFN.

 

[Railperf]

I was on the 17:30 off LST a couple of days ago (745 008) and it was full and standing. No catering either, people pack food with them.

They are packed because there are essentially only 2 trains per hour beyond Shenfield feeding all the Essex stations to Colchester. Although the majority of Essex station car parks are empty - there are still enough people to reasonably fill a 745 south of Colchester in the peaks.

 

[Abbo]

All stations Norwich - Shenfield ? Does that include Needham Market which I think might have shorter platforms ?

 

[Railperf]

No. Not Needham Market - but that isn't usually served by Norwich trains. The only stop served south of Shenfield on the main lines is Stratford.

 

[Class 170101]

No. Not Needham Market - but that isn't usually served by Norwich trains. The only stop served south of Shenfield on the main lines is Stratford.

Romford except in the peak direction at peak times..

 

[dk1]

Romford except in the peak direction at peak times..

Can that be done with 745s? Not been given permission to call.

 

[Class 170101]

Can that be done with 745s? Not been given permission to call.

Was thinking of Class 720s on the Main Lines.

 

[StephenHunter]

Are the platforms long enough for a 745 at Romford?

 

[dk1]

Are the platforms long enough for a 745 at Romford?

No. Some extensions have been done for 9-car 345s but not completed or open.

 

[Railperf]

Are the platforms long enough for a 745 at Romford?

IIRC 720's do call but not all doors open there.

 

[20atthemagnet]

All 745s got pulled from service today due to a snow accumulation issue. Snow seems to collect on the underframe and also on the intermediate parts of the coaches resulting in a safety risk of flying debris at through stations. Strangely enough no other units seem to be affected quite as badly.

 

[Bletchleyite]

All 745s got pulled from service today due to a snow accumulation issue. Snow seems to collect on the underframe and also on the intermediate parts of the coaches resulting in a safety risk of flying debris at through stations. Strangely enough no other units seem to be affected quite as badly.

Very surprising given the frequency of the white stuff where they are built!

 

[20atthemagnet]

Very surprising given the frequency of the white stuff where they are built!

My thoughts entirely! However it was pretty bad. Several units yesterday depositing small snowman sized compacted chunks of snow on the platforms.. A face full of that at 80mph probably isn’t very pleasant. West has split some 379s up to make 4 car airports. Anglia looks like have just completely cancelled most/all NOR services.

 

[Abbo]

All 745s got pulled from service today due to a snow accumulation issue. Snow seems to collect on the underframe and also on the intermediate parts of the coaches resulting in a safety risk of flying debris at through stations. Strangely enough no other units seem to be affected quite as badly.

A wild guess here but could it be that to accomodate UK loading gauge a lot of heat generating equipment is slung underneath creating ice blocks ?

 

[Class 170101]

Anglia looks like have just completely cancelled most/all NOR services.

Class 755s as far as Colchester have been seen today.

 

[dk1]

Class 755s as far as Colchester have been seen today.

Yes good old bimodes holding up the fort. Operating faultlessly on the Norwich-Colchester shuttles at 60mph max.

 

[robert west]

Yes good old bimodes holding up the fort. Operating faultlessly on the Norwich-Colchester shuttles at 60mph max.

just seen that the 2200 ex Norwich terminated at Colchester with no service forward to Liverpool street.
hope no one wanted stations beyond Colchester

 

[dk1]

just seen that the 2200 ex Norwich terminated at Colchester with no service forward to Liverpool street.
hope no one wanted stations beyond Colchester

Would imagine there where very few if anyone at that time right now.