Varamis Rail Given Operators Licence from ORR

[Steddenm]

Just saw this Tweet:

https://twitter.com/RailVaramis/status/1570019575638687744?t=QZAbhsR2g1W5Sl0l7Ql1Lw&s=19

***BREAKING NEWS***
We’ve only gone and been granted our Train Operating License by the @railandroad!! Now let’s move a train….

I'm not really sure who they are but they promise an all-electric freight fleet, but show an image of a Class 365 on their Twitter banner.

 

[Darandio]

I'm not really sure who they are but they promise an all-electric freight fleet, but show an image of a Class 365 on their Twitter banner.

Because they plan to use the Class 365 (or at least did) as an express freight unit.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Re their tweet - I hope their ability to operate locos is more reliable than their ability to spell!

 

[fgwrich]

Because they plan to use the Class 365 (or at least did) as an express freight unit.

I have a feeling they were originally due to use the 365s for High Speed Parcels work, before switching to join the 321 Swift Program? So far the first few runs have been GBRf Operated, but presumably this could switch to Varamis Rail.

 

[pdeaves]

Re their tweet - I hope their ability to operate locos is more reliable than their ability to spell!

I think the tweet reads like someone excited to be able to play trains, rather than a serious business. I hope that is a temporary aberration and all will run properly from now on.

 

[DelW]

Re their tweet - I hope their ability to operate locos is more reliable than their ability to spell!

Especially as it was spelt correctly four times on the page copied into the announcement.

 

[ExRes]

Re their tweet - I hope their ability to operate locos is more reliable than their ability to spell!

What precisely have they not been able to spell? presumably you mean licence/license but if you intend to mark the difference between English and American on this or any other site you've a big job ahead of you, starting with the OP of course

 

[Brian1947]

For an official statement I find the use of the English language more like how Del Boy would have pronounced it.

Perhaps they‘ll be millionaires this time next year!

 

[Bertie the bus]

As ROG (Orion) went from claiming it was going to start a nationwide parcel service to withdrawing from the market completely very quickly Varamis getting a licence doesn’t guarantee any trains will run. Hopefully they will but it is clearly a market with a lot of obstacles to overcome to be able to operate a service profitably.

 

[Mollman]

As ROG (Orion) went from claiming it was going to start a nationwide parcel service to withdrawing from the market completely very quickly Varamis getting a licence doesn’t guarantee any trains will run. Hopefully they will but it is clearly a market with a lot of obstacles to overcome to be able to operate a service profitably.

Have they officially withdrawn?

 

[Roast Veg]

I think the tweet reads like someone excited to be able to play trains, rather than a serious business. I hope that is a temporary aberration and all will run properly from now on.

This is standard for social media managers today, nothing to do with the operational team. Some of the most professional and hard working organisations have someone dedicated to pasting emojis on LinkedIn.

 

[uww11x]

Always nice to see more potential freight on the railway. However this express parcel trend we are going through doesn't seem the most successful. Orion and Swift don't seem to have got going

 

[D365]

Always nice to see more potential freight on the railway. However this express parcel trend we are going through doesn't seem the most successful. Orion and Swift don't seem to have got going

Some are quietly working away in the background. Others are posting emojis

 

[Christmas]

Retired ScotRail driver had their medical last week with Veramis so things are going in the right direction.

 

[Winthorpe]

Looks like the Varamis Rail freight service starting running last week. Apparently it runs between Scotland and the Midlands, Monday to Friday.

Some good news.

Network Rail and Varamis Rail launches new zero carbon freight service

Information for journalists, press, bloggers and the media about Network Rail. Contact the press office to receive news, updates, press releases, videos, pictures, and factsheets, and to arrange interviews, filming and photography

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

 

[pdeaves]

Looks like the Varamis Rail freight service starting running last week. Apparently it runs between Scotland and the Midlands, Monday to Friday.

Some good news.

Can anyone clarify where in Scotland and/or Midlands they run, please? Link to (e.g.) RTT paths? Thanks.

 

[3973EXL]

Can anyone clarify where in Scotland and/or Midlands they run, please? Link to (e.g.) RTT paths? Thanks.

Realtime Trains | Departures from Birmingham International all day on 20/01/2023

Train information at Birmingham International all day on 20/01/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[XCTurbostar]

Can anyone clarify where in Scotland and/or Midlands they run, please? Link to (e.g.) RTT paths? Thanks.

Usually these two per day via Bescot and Bushbury Jn

1M04 1818 Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International​

Realtime Trains | 1M04 1818 Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International | 20/01/2023

Real-time train running information for 1M04 1818 departure from Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International on 20/01/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

1S04 0055 Birmingham International to Mossend Down Yard​

Realtime Trains | 1S04 0055 Birmingham International to Mossend Down Yard | 20/01/2023

Real-time train running information for 1S04 0055 departure from Birmingham International to Mossend Down Yard on 20/01/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Efini92]

Usually these two per day via Bescot and Bushbury Jn

1M04 1818 Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International​

Realtime Trains | 1M04 1818 Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International | 20/01/2023

Real-time train running information for 1M04 1818 departure from Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International on 20/01/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

1S04 0055 Birmingham International to Mossend Down Yard​

Realtime Trains | 1S04 0055 Birmingham International to Mossend Down Yard | 20/01/2023

Real-time train running information for 1S04 0055 departure from Birmingham International to Mossend Down Yard on 20/01/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Why are they running as class 1?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Post Office mail trains (class 325) are class 1 and operate at 100mph.
Aren't these essentially repurposed class 321s of similar spec?

 

[Efini92]

The Post Office mail trains (class 325) are class 1 and operate at 100mph.
Aren't these essentially repurposed class 321s of similar spec?

Oops I didn’t realise they ran as class 1 either. I thought they ran as class 3’s

 

[zwk500]

Why are they running as class 1?

Class 1 is defined as (from Wikipedia)

1. Express passenger train; nominated postal or parcels train; breakdown or overhead line equipment train going to clear the line (headcode 1Z99); traction unit going to assist a failed train (1Z99); snow plough going to clear the line (1Z99)

I guess Varamis don't want their trains getting confused with ECS moves (certain ECS moves run as class 3) or seasonal trains

The Post Office mail trains (class 325) are class 1 and operate at 100mph.
Aren't these essentially repurposed class 321s of similar spec?

325s were new-build rather than repurposed, and IIRC it's 319s they're based off (despite the networker cab). But yes, they are essentially passenger units just fitted out differently.

 

[Scotrail88]

Usually these two per day via Bescot and Bushbury Jn

1M04 1818 Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International​

Realtime Trains | 1M04 1818 Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International | 20/01/2023

Real-time train running information for 1M04 1818 departure from Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International on 20/01/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

1S04 0055 Birmingham International to Mossend Down Yard​

Realtime Trains | 1S04 0055 Birmingham International to Mossend Down Yard | 20/01/2023

Real-time train running information for 1S04 0055 departure from Birmingham International to Mossend Down Yard on 20/01/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Rather quick turnaround - don’t imagine it’s heavily loaded just now

 

[IndianPacific]

Hmmm, journey time isn't much quicker than a truck would do it. There are a few parcel firms with depots near Mossend, but I do wonder how many parcels they're sending to Birmingham, and how many of them could / would want to commit that by 6pm. A lot of parcel trucks are loose loaded (parcels just stuffed in to the trailer, not on to roll cages) and they get to a depot, dump their outbound trailer and pick up their in-bound one. This proposal seems to be adding extra steps for not much benefit.

I'd love to see more parcel traffic on the railway (like the Royal Mail services from Shieldmuir) but not sure this is an operationally efficient option.

E.g. DPD have a depot in Eurocentral (so ten minute drive to Mossend), and one of their super hubs is in Hinkley (30 / 40 minutes from Birmingham). DPD are probably big enough to just buy some natural gas (maybe one day electric) trucks and remove any environmental arguments that the railway puts forward. Why would they look at this? Or who is the customer supposed to be?

Long story short, this feels like a solution looking for a problem.

 

[The Planner]

Hmmm, journey time isn't much quicker than a truck would do it. There are a few parcel firms with depots near Mossend, but I do wonder how many parcels they're sending to Birmingham, and how many of them could / would want to commit that by 6pm. A lot of parcel trucks are loose loaded (parcels just stuffed in to the trailer, not on to roll cages) and they get to a depot, dump their outbound trailer and pick up their in-bound one. This proposal seems to be adding extra steps for not much benefit.

I'd love to see more parcel traffic on the railway (like the Royal Mail services from Shieldmuir) but not sure this is an operationally efficient option.

E.g. DPD have a depot in Eurocentral (so ten minute drive to Mossend), and one of their super hubs is in Hinkley (30 / 40 minutes from Birmingham). DPD are probably big enough to just buy some natural gas (maybe one day electric) trucks and remove any environmental arguments that the railway puts forward. Why would they look at this? Or who is the customer supposed to be?

Long story short, this feels like a solution looking for a problem.

Railway terminal is being planned at Hinckley.

 

[Speed43125]

Have they officially withdrawn?

Probably another (existing?) thread is the right place for this, but I understand that ROG considered an 8 car train a requirement for the service to be viable and they couldn't find enough custom to fill that. Varmis, at least for now, seem content to operate single 4 car units.

 

[dan4291]

Have they still got just the one unit running (321334) or do they have more now?

 

[XCTurbostar]

Just 321334 at the moment

 

[Scotrail88]

do we know who they are carrying for?

 

[Freightmaster]

do we know who they are carrying for?

DHL and FedEx, I believe.




MARK