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WMT Class 730 unveiled

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Stephen Lee

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The first Class 730 unit is unveiled, from the Twitter page we can see the first unit to be handed over to WMT is a WMR 3-car unit which is due to replace Class 323 in Birmingham X-City line. This mean if the handover got accelerated there will be more Class 319, 323 and 350/2s due to be off-leased.........
 
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Stephen Lee

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Ugh. That livery is and remains horrible.

I reckon they'll look good in LNR "Trebor Mints" livery though.
Don't judge a book by its cover mate. Btw I wondered if some of the Class 730s will displace 3x 350 diagrams by working in Multiple as 10-coach train or displace the 350 solos in LNWR........
PS i have heard about the 730/0s will be work in Multiple once entered service in X-City Line.
 

Bletchleyite

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Btw I wondered if some of the Class 730s will displace 3x 350 diagrams by working in Multiple as 10-coach train or displace the 350 solos in LNWR........

Both I suspect. There are services where 4.350 is too short and 8.350 too much, these are the equivalent of 6.350 (this is true of quite a lot of the Liverpool-Brum services, for example). But yes no reason they couldn't be used in 10-car formations instead of 12.350 and I'm sure they will be.
 

D365

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Don't judge a book by its cover mate. Btw I wondered if some of the Class 730s will displace 3x 350 diagrams by working in Multiple as 10-coach train or displace the 350 solos in LNWR........

Isn't the idea to do both? LNWR will still have plenty of Class 350s (including the ex-TPE 350/4s) to operate workings where 5x23m is too little, or 10x23m is too much.
 

Domh245

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As discussed previously in the other Class 730 thread, there's different subclasses of 730 that'll no doubt be diagrammed (but not necessarily used!) for different roles

The /1s will no doubt be used as 10 car capacity busters, in effect directly replacing the 350/2s, particularly on the 12 car services. The /2s will more likely be replacing singular 350s used on Crewe/Liverpool services, but no doubt will also be running around in pairs at different points
 

Energy

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Ugh. That livery is and remains horrible.

I reckon they'll look good in LNR "Trebor Mints" livery though.
I much prefer the transitional livery or just a london midland with orange instead of green. The chrome accent on the front would look better as just black as well imo.
 

Bletchleyite

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As discussed previously in the other Class 730 thread, there's different subclasses of 730 that'll no doubt be diagrammed (but not necessarily used!) for different roles

The /1s will no doubt be used as 10 car capacity busters, in effect directly replacing the 350/2s, particularly on the 12 car services. The /2s will more likely be replacing singular 350s used on Crewe/Liverpool services, but no doubt will also be running around in pairs at different points

Theoretically. Given how good they are at keeping things on diagram, I'd venture that they will end up used randomly. I await the first time one rocks up at Northampton with 8 cars of Class 350 sat there ready not to couple to it. I'd venture that is unlikely to take more than a week or two after deployment for it to happen.
 

RealTrains07

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Got some good news.
A post on a facebook group shows the first 730/0 has been spotted being delivered by road. Currently on a road heading towards hull according to the post
 

Liam L

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Does anyone know the numbers for the class 730s yet?
Like 730/1s etc and how many units per subclass there going to be?

Thanks
 

Energy

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Does anyone know the numbers for the class 730s yet?
Like 730/1s etc and how many units per subclass there going to be?

Thanks
36 /0 for WMR
29 /1 for LNWR (shorter distance, 3+ 2 seating)
16 /2 for LNWR (longer distance, 2 + 2 seating)
 

Wyrleybart

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36 /0 for WMR
29 /1 for LNWR (shorter distance, 3+ 2 seating)
16 /2 for LNWR (longer distance, 2 + 2 seating)


Gonna be really interesting to see how WMR control the fleet in the future. At the moment the 350s seem to be used indiscriminately, but once the new 730/1s and 730/2s are commissioned, being longer and incompatible with the 350s they will have to be kept on separate diagrams where they don't couple. Also, as the Chase line has been lengthened to 4 cars, I assume the 5 car 730s can't be used, unless they are allowed to use SDO.
 

Mollman

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Gonna be really interesting to see how WMR control the fleet in the future. At the moment the 350s seem to be used indiscriminately, but once the new 730/1s and 730/2s are commissioned, being longer and incompatible with the 350s they will have to be kept on separate diagrams where they don't couple. Also, as the Chase line has been lengthened to 4 cars, I assume the 5 car 730s can't be used, unless they are allowed to use SDO.

WMR have deemed the cross-Birmingham timetable a failure so it is likely the Chase Line will be self contained so might stay as 350 with the off 3-car 323 and 730/0 working.
 

The_Train

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It appears that 730002 has been used for driver training runs at Old Dalby
 

DavidGrain

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The Cross City line is limited to 6 car length and the plan is to use 2 x 3 car units for all trains as some trains in the non Covid timetable were 3 car.
I presume that Class /1 & /2 have different seating layouts for London Suburban and Long distance trains from Euston
Currently all WMT class 323 are in WMR livery and all class 350 are in LNR livery although LNR trains also work local services in the West Midlands

ClassOperatorNo. BuiltYear BuiltCars per UnitUnit nos.
Class 730/0West Midlands Trains
36​
2020-21​
3​
730001–730036
Class 730/1
29​
2020-215730101–730129
Class 730/2 162020-215730201–730216
(info from Wikipedia)
 

Bletchleyite

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The /1s will no doubt be used as 10 car capacity busters, in effect directly replacing the 350/2s, particularly on the 12 car services. The /2s will more likely be replacing singular 350s used on Crewe/Liverpool services, but no doubt will also be running around in pairs at different points

I definitely recall a statement that the Euston-Trent Valley-Crewe service would be 8.350 and not 730. That said, they can always change their mind, and having something equivalent to 6.350 could well come in handy on that route at some times of day, particularly if the Government abolish the differential fares.
 

RealTrains07

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The /2s will more likely be replacing singular 350s used on Crewe/Liverpool services, but no doubt will also be running around in pairs at different points
The /2s would only takeover the fast diagrams the 350/2s operate surely.

Bare in mind the /1s will also replace the 319s too which the only non branch line services they run are the services between northampton-euston. Replacing those will take up a big chunk of the 29 730/1s coming in. Its the 730/2s which will operate most diagrams the 350/2s have.
 

Bletchleyite

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The /2s would only takeover the fast diagrams the 350/2s operate surely.

Bare in mind the /1s will also replace the 319s too which the only non branch line services they run are the services between northampton-euston. Replacing those will take up a big chunk of the 29 730/1s coming in. Its the 730/2s which will operate most diagrams the 350/2s have.

The Snorbens 319 will be replaced with a 350, the 730s are way too long for that.

I seem to recall (pre COVID) it's 3 x 12-car sets on the mainline and one unit on the Snorbens branch, so far as 319s go. So that's 6 730s (3 x 10-car sets) and a 350.
 

RealTrains07

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The Snorbens 319 will be replaced with a 350, the 730s are way too long for that.

I seem to recall (pre COVID) it's 3 x 12-car sets on the mainline and one unit on the Snorbens branch, so far as 319s go. So that's 6 730s (3 x 10-car sets) and a 350.
Yes which is why I specified non branch line work.

will 6x730s be enough. I was under the impression that the 730/1s would solely run all local services between Euston and Northampton?
 

TT-ONR-NRN

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Will the diagrams for these be properly controlled and separate? It’s been said on here before that LM ordered the 350/2s for the Trings, Milton Keynes ans Northampton services and yet as we know they’re now a common fleet and work to Crewe, Birmingham and Liverpool - whether or not Liverpool has been split again I don’t know but is irrelevant to what I’m saying - will the 3x2 730s for LNR be kept on local services such as the Trings?
 

Wyrleybart

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Are the current 319s only used on peak hour trains, after from the branch ? I was under he impression they spend most of the day snoozing - in Camden in previous times.
 

DavidGrain

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Are the current 319s only used on peak hour trains, after from the branch ? I was under he impression they spend most of the day snoozing - in Camden in previous times.

WMT currently have a surplus of 319s as stock was transferred into them. As has been mentioned somewhere else the 319s are not passed to run beyond Northampton. I think that must be a WMT ruling as Rail Operations Group plan to use 319s on freight services from the Midlands to Glasgow.
 

Bletchleyite

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Yes which is why I specified non branch line work.

will 6x730s be enough. I was under the impression that the 730/1s would solely run all local services between Euston and Northampton?

I was saying that 6 x 730 will replace the 9 x 319 on mainline services. Though it won't quite be as simple as that - the 319s run as permanent 12 car sets, most likely the 730s will run as 5s and 10s as required, more like the way the 350s are used.
 

Chorley Cake

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I think there was a 730 (or 196 but it looked like a 3 car) on Crewe Basford Hall sidings today. Next to a 720. Does anybody know which ones ?
 

RealTrains07

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I was saying that 6 x 730 will replace the 9 x 319 on mainline services. Though it won't quite be as simple as that - the 319s run as permanent 12 car sets, most likely the 730s will run as 5s and 10s as required, more like the way the 350s are used.
29 730/1s replacing 15 319s in the end though obviously wont be replaced like for like as the 730/1 fleet will be bigger.

I presume a 10 car 730 replacing a 12 car 319 will have the same extra length as a 730 does compared to a 350?
 

Inthewest

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The Cross City line is limited to 6 car length and the plan is to use 2 x 3 car units for all trains as some trains in the non Covid timetable were 3 car.

Which makes you wonder why they didn't just make it easier / better / nicer from a passenger/Driver point of view and build 6-car units with full cab ends.
 

RealTrains07

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Which makes you wonder why they didn't just make it easier / better / nicer from a passenger/Driver point of view and build 6-car units with full cab ends.
The only reason they are 3 car is due to the depot space not being able to handle trains thats long.

Simply wasn’t possible which is why they have cab gangways.
 

Fincra5

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Which makes you wonder why they didn't just make it easier / better / nicer from a passenger/Driver point of view and build 6-car units with full cab ends.
If there's a fault on a 6 car train, its out of service. If the train is formed of 2x3 car trains, you can run solo, or attatch another. There's also the potentinal for depot constraints etc etc
 
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