Porterbrook Cl.769 'Flex' trains from 319s, initially for Northern

[chiltern trev]

Frankly it could do with just cutting back the services to Lancaster and Oxenholme respectively and retiming them to connect with TPE trains to Manchester, but that's for another thread.

Er NO. Cue - lots of objections from Cumbria!!

 

[py_megapixel]

Er NO. Cue - lots of objections from Cumbria!!

Not necessarily valid objections though.

Those trains have to run a huge distance under the wires, and then through the notoriously congested Castlefield corridor (every extra train through there is an operational liability, on the pre-covid timetable). I wouldn't have thought any funding is forthcoming for electrification of the Windermere or Barrow lines. Plus those branches are self-contained, so timing them for neat connections should be easy.
In a time when the railway is more squeezed for funds than ever, I can't really see how one could justify keeping the oddball through services, particularly from Windermere.

 

[D9006]

Good start today, 6 rostered out. 431/4/48/50/58 on Alderley Edge diagrams and 456 on a stalybridge diagram

 

[175001]

450 hasn't left NH yet...

 

[D9006]

450 hasn't left NH yet...

30 mins late leaving

 

[nightflyian]

448 and 456 arrived at Southport as a 8 car service okay. 448 uncoupled from the rear unit and front unit now won't move ! 0730 is the 456 unit of the rear. 2 train crews trying to work out the issue. Hard shutdown not fixed the issue issue either !

Suspect a door fault.

458 has just pulled in from MCV and is now going back out as the 0730 Southport Stalybridge service running express to Wigan. The other 2 units still stuck at Southport with suggestions the rear unit 456 will be the 0815 SOP-ALD service.

 

[Gricer99]

What a mess!

 

[nightflyian]

I see 434 has failed this morning at ALD then taken of service MOX and appears to be currently sat in the Turnback sidings at MCV !

 

[AMD]

I see 434 has failed this morning at ALD then taken of service MOX and appears to be currently sat in the Turnback sidings at MCV !

It was 448 that failed in the platform at Alderley Edge this morning.

 

[175001]

450 in the bay at Wigan as I passed with a beautifully working and quick 458 this morning

 

[Anonymous10]

just wondering are the northern units fairing any better than the tfw ones?

 

[aleandrail]

Good start today, 6 rostered out. 431/4/48/50/58 on Alderley Edge diagrams and 456 on a stalybridge diagram

431 , 442 , 450 , and 456 came through Piccadilly yesterday between 12.00pm and 2.30pm.

 

[Wyrleybart]

just wondering are the northern units fairing any better than the tfw ones?

The answer from this week seems to be yes. The last couple of days TfW seem to be using four of their eight, whereas Northern seem to have delivered 7/8

 

[AM9]

The answer from this week seems to be yes. The last couple of days TfW seem to be using four of their eight, whereas Northern seem to have delivered 7/8

Maybe some sort of fix has been flowed down.

 

[Jamesrob637]

The 16:16 Southport to Alderley Edge seems to be booked 769 once again which is a good thing given the time it passes through Manchester.

 

[wrinkley]

While looking for progress on the Lostock - Wigan line electrification today, we had four sightings of 769s. I also saw three around Lostock yesterday, I am starting to think that things are improving.

 

[AMD]

So todays failures were 448 at Bolton (albeit it managed to get to Wigan eventually) and 450 which had a problem after Burscough Bridge this morning.

 

[craigybagel]

This whole saga I think is nicely summed up in the previous two posts.....

 

[D9006]

Another good start to day allocation wise, all 5 diagrams on Southport to Alderley Edge and the 1 diagram on Southport to Stalybridge showing booked 769s, noticed 0550 starter from North Western has been 2 car 150 till today

 

[Geeves]

Don't speak too soon as 448 is having issues straight off the bat on the 2L70 0637 Vic - Southport

 

[AM9]

Don't speak too soon as 448 is having issues straight off the bat on the 2L70 0637 Vic - Southport

448 managed the 08:15 Southport yo Alderley Edge OK. Maybe it's earlier delays were caused by other services.

 

[Geeves]

448 managed the 08:15 Southport yo Alderley Edge OK. Maybe it's earlier delays were caused by other services.

Some mind of pantograph issue out of the turn back this morning. Glad it went right in the end, there was another half an hour down around the same area, not sure if they all made it all day.

 

[Killingworth]

Some mind of pantograph issue out of the turn back this morning. Glad it went right in the end, there was another half an hour down around the same area, not sure if they all made it all day.

Both 424 and 448 seem to have had issues with traction eqipment and 3 services cancelled see RTT; https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nrOP/2022-01-07/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=NT

 

[D9006]

Both 424 and 448 seem to have had issues with traction eqipment and 3 services cancelled see RTT; https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nrOP/2022-01-07/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=NT

424 services cancelled between Wigan and Southport, arrived Wigan on time and resumed its booked working on time

 

[AM9]

Some mind of pantograph issue out of the turn back this morning. Glad it went right in the end, there was another half an hour down around the same area, not sure if they all made it all day.

Well a pantograph issue is likely more of a donor 319 problem than the new diesel gensets.

 

[507020]

Well a pantograph issue is likely more of a donor 319 problem than the new diesel gensets.

And if you’ve got a pantograph/AC issue and you’re on a Victoria service you can always just try running on Diesel/DC mode if that avoids cancelling it

 

[AMD]

424 services cancelled between Wigan and Southport, arrived Wigan on time and resumed its booked working on time

424 had a bit of the bodywork on the front cab hanging off, that was the reason for it's cancellation to Southport at 9pm last night.

 

[507020]

424 had a bit of the bodywork on the front cab hanging off, that was the reason for it's cancellation to Southport at 9pm last night.

I saw 424 arrive on time to Southport at 9pm last night and can confirm that it wasn’t cancelled.

 

[D9006]

All 6 diagrams up to now have run fault free today, running much better now, only problem was a person being hit by train, so a Wigan - Southport- Wigan was missed. Is it too early to say units might just be settling down now

 

[AM9]

All 6 diagrams up to now have run fault free today, running much better now, only problem was a person being hit by train, so a Wigan - Southport- Wigan was missed. Is it too early to say units might just be settling down now

Some must think that a constant stream of reports that blame every delay on the 769s' performance will give them a bad enough reputation that they will be replaced years before planned. They must be disappointed when they don't go wrong giving them nothing to complain about.