Trains that never get to top speed

[The Planner]

Depends what there is to gain from it, 90 to 100mph really doesnt get you much in a lot of cases and you need a lot of it to make it worthwhile. Its the other end of the scale where work needs to be done.

 

[jon0844]

Besides speed, new signalling would allow more paths. That's probably more important on certain routes where you don't just need longer trains, but a higher service frequency.

Higher service frequencies could encourage more people to turn up and go, and despite maybe not going that much faster, the passenger has now saved loads of time waiting around. If this also means quicker connections then it's even better.

 

[12CSVT]

My 317 'record' is 106mph between Welwyn and Hatfield. They have done 108 at least once on a test run, replicating a Peterborough-London morning peak service. Usually, they stay somewhere around 95-99. 19 minutes from Finsbury Park to Stevenage is a tough schedule, especially with slow line running north of Woolmer Green, but they keep to it very well.

Not sure of the exact speed but I seem to remember reading about a 317 reaching 112 - 113 mph on the Midland Main Line during a test run in 1982 before they entered service

 

[Techniquest]

Someone on here posted about 373s on the ECML. They were, apparently, able to do 125mph south of Stoke Tunnel.

Source, somebody on the WNXX forum.

 

[Goldfish62]

Class 378s and Class 172s will never reach there maximum speed of 75mph.

458s never go above 70mph in service, but can reach 90mph on out of service runs on the mainline. They were delivered with 100mph capability, but SWT reduced this to 90mph, for some reason.

 

[anonymous0101]

458s never go above 70mph in service, but can reach 90mph on out of service runs on the mainline. They were delivered with 100mph capability, but SWT reduced this to 90mph, for some reason.

I've been in a 378 doing 75 mph!

 

[Pumbaa]

444s were originally limited to 85mph, can't quite remember why but it enabled them to be introduced sooner, but were, as Pumbaa says, lifted to 100mph ages ago. They're still downrated though.

Power upgrades across the SWT network weren't complete when they were delivered, so they were downrated to avoid sucking the juice dry. When the upgrades were completed, they were restored to normal working conditions, albeit still downrated from full capability!

 

[sidthesyphon]

334's are capable of 100mph running.

334s are max speed 90mph, and most if not all are limited/ governed to that. That's not to say that they couldn't reach the "ton" if allowed...

 

[gordonthemoron]

ICE3s have a top speed of 330km/h, however the fastest line speed in germany is only 330km/h so they shouldn't reach the top speed except when they are running on the LGV Est in France.

However, I have been on a late running ICE3 between Frankfurt & Cologne which reached 329km/h according to the in coach display screen

 

[The_Stig]

334s are max speed 90mph, and most if not all are limited/ governed to that.

Hence the 'are capable' part.