Stanstead stock on the Hertford East

[delt1c]

Just been fortunate enough to have 317.709 working the Liverpool street to Hertford east service today. Whilst it is not uncommon to have a 317/8 on this run a 317/7 is very rare, in 10 years of commuting daily this is only the 3rd time I have seen it, and even then 1 time was when the line north of Cheshunt was closed for engineering works. Whilst I am sure it has happened on a few other occasions it is very rare to see a 317/7 of its scheduled route. Now has anyone seen one working a cambridge service?

 

[A60K]

I've seen Stansted stock on Enfield and Chingford services occasionally as well. Chingford I can understand, because of the carriage sidings there.

 

[O L Leigh]

The Cl317/7's get everywhere. I've seen them quite a few times on Hertfords and Cambridges, and even on the suburban services too. I've even seen them going to Stratford, though this is much rarer.

We have a job where you bring a set of empties out of Ilford for the evening peak, do a slow Cheshunt and then an Enfield before going back empty to Ilford. It's booked as 2 x Cl315, but when I had it a few weeks back it was a Cl317/6 and a Cl317/7.

Clearly it's happening much more than you realise.

O L Leigh

 

[Phoenix]

O L Leigh you to know these sorts of things and was just wondering has a 317 ever made it to the Birmingham area by any chance?

 

[O L Leigh]

Yup, pretty much every day when they were on the WCML. Click for example.

O L Leigh

 

[Phoenix]

Yup, pretty much every day when they were on the WCML. Click for example.

O L Leigh

I knew asking you was the right move

 

[A60K]

The Cl317/7's get everywhere. I've seen them quite a few times on Hertfords and Cambridges, and even on the suburban services too. I've even seen them going to Stratford, though this is much rarer.

Just out of interest, do you know if there are any 317's diagrammed for the suburban lines? I've noticed quite a few at weekends, when I would have expected there to be plenty of 315's and no reason for peak extras to upset plans - I'm not complaining, it's rather nice to get First Class accommodation every now and then

 

[O L Leigh]

I'm almost certain that some of the Cl317's on "inners" are diagrammed to be there. Sometimes they've come from somewhere else (e.g. Cambridge), but sometimes not. Presumably it helps to take the pressure of the Cl315's a bit so that they can get a bit of maintenance too.

O L Leigh

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

There are a couple of diagrams in the morning peak where the 317's come in from Cambridge/Ely/Kings Lynn and then their back working is a Hertford or ECS to Chingford.

A couple of weeks ago, 317 665 formed a Peterbororough service, but only as far as Ipswich where 170 201 took over.

Its not uncommon anymore for the 317/7's to work other routes than Stansteds anymore, and of course, within the next couple of years when the 379's start to appear, all of the 317's will start appearing all over the place. It was roumered that they would be diagrammed to form some Ipswich/Southend Vic services, as well as additional carriages (to form 12 car services) for West Anglia services.

 

[jopsuk]

What stations would 12 car West Anglia services call at, given Chesunt and Broxbourne are eight car? With a junction at one end and a level crossing the other I'd have thought Chesunt in particular would be hard to extend.

 

[O L Leigh]

Currently only Cambridge, Whittlesford, Audley End, Stansted Airport, Bishops Stortford, Harlow Town, Tottenham Hale and London Liv St have 12 car platforms. However, there are plans afoot to extend Cheshunt and Broxbourne and possibly one or two others.

I don't see the problem with extending Cheshunt. The junction isn't so close to the station that it would cause a problem. The bay platform line may need to be re-aligned, but that really should be about it. Broxbourne may also need some minor track re-alignment, but again it's really only the Pass Loops that would need to be lengthened.

O L Leigh