Northern Unit Refurbishments and depot allocations.

[CJ]

319374 and 319375 now have the new Northern blue seat covers.

 

[DJH1971]

Not sure if it has been mentioned on here,, but we now also appear to have 319446.

I saw it at Roby just a few minutes ago heading to Manchester Victoria, and in unbranded livery.

 

[palmersears]

Not sure if it has been mentioned on here,, but we now also appear to have 319446.

I saw it at Roby just a few minutes ago heading to Manchester Victoria, and in unbranded livery.

It's been around for a month or so now. Has the PRM toilet, but otherwise untouched. I'm making the most of the old first class seats as I type

 

[Starmill]

319 377 appears to have nicer squashy seat covers by comparison with the others, which are rock hard. Same cheap, rough light blue fabric covering.

I had 150 124 the other day and frankly it looks worse now than it ever did with GW. There is trim cracked and broken, smears of paint, it was absolutely covered in dirt, the seat coverings were all falling off despite them being brand new, and the new cushion had a hard lump in the back that I have never known in that type of seat before.

 

[Starmill]

does bold equal finalized interior?

Do any units at all have a finalised interior? None that I'm aware of.

 

[387star]

319 377 appears to have squashy seat covers by comparison with the others, which are rock hard. Same cheap, rough light blue fabric covering.

I had 150 124 the other day and frankly it looks worse now than it ever did with GW. There is trim cracked and broken, smears of paint, it was absolutely covered in dirt, the seat coverings were all falling off despite them being brand new, and the new cushion had a hard lump in the back that I have never known in that type of seat before.

Sounds wretched

 

[47802]

Indeed the new moquette is crap, they need to change it, it doesn't wear well and shows stains easily. TFL Moquette is garbage in terms of looks, like something out of the 70's but it will wear well.

 

[Bungle965]

Reported on a Facebook group that 150209 has been semi permanently coupled to 153330 and will work set diagrams mainly doing Rochdale- Clitheroe/ Blackburn and vice versa.
Sam

 

[tommy_train]

Indeed the new moquette is crap, they need to change it, it doesn't wear well and shows stains easily. TFL Moquette is garbage in terms of looks, like something out of the 70's but it will wear well.

Is it even Moquette, though?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moquette

Moquette is 'a type of woven pile fabric in which cut or uncut threads form a short dense cut or loop pile'. This new seat covering feels more like office chair covering.

 

[Domh245]

I think it had been established that the Northern blue covering is flat cloth (much like that on the IETs) rather than moquette

 

[47802]

I think it had been established that the Northern blue covering is flat cloth (much like that on the IETs) rather than moquette

Well whatever you want to call it, it's not very good and unfortunately the new trains are having this.

 

[Geeves]

According to the company spiel the 333 refurbishment and repaints into standard Northern livery will start in September this year.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

According to the company spiel the 333 refurbishment and repaints into standard Northern livery will start in September this year.

Good to know. There's that much hair grease and residue on the headrests that they're like Brillo pads... possibly worse than the 308s got for that near the end.

 

[xotGD]

According to the company spiel the 333 refurbishment and repaints into standard Northern livery will start in September this year.

Will this include removing some of the seats to create more standing space?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Will this include removing some of the seats to create more standing space?

I believe the plan is (assuming no last minute revisions) for the driving cars to have a more "metro" style interior with fewer fixed seats.

 

[Rail Blues]

319374 and 319375 now have the new Northern blue seat covers.

Why blue? The exterior of the train is purple and white. I got a lift in a mate's car that has the same sort of fabric in a similar shade in his car. He also has two kids and the seats show every dropped can of pop, sweet residue and whatnot. Given the volume of people sitting on them and Northern's haphazard approach to cleaning, I bet within 12 months the seats will look utterly rank.

 

[yorksrob]

I believe the plan is (assuming no last minute revisions) for the driving cars to have a more "metro" style interior with fewer fixed seats.

That will be crap then.

I'm not a fan of the flat cloth. Didn't BR try it in the 1970's and discover that it wasn't hard wearing enough. That said, TPE seem to have it in their 185's and they seem ok for the time being.

Unless they give up on the idea of replacing comfortable seats on 158's and 156's, its hard to think of a good thing to say about this refurbishment programme.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

That will be crap then.

I'm not a fan of the flat cloth. Didn't BR try it in the 1970's and discover that it wasn't hard wearing enough. That said, TPE seem to have it in their 185's and they seem ok for the time being.

Unless they give up on the idea of replacing comfortable seats on 158's and 156's, its hard to think of a good thing to say about this refurbishment programme.

Agreed.

Don't like to be constantly down on Northern, lest the metropolitan elites accuse me of being ungrateful that our trains aren't still horse-drawn... but:
It's just been poorly executed from top to bottom. At risk of being hyperbolic, we're being sold s**t sandwiches and told that it's caviar!

 

[Whattraintoday]

According to the company spiel the 333 refurbishment and repaints into standard Northern livery will start in September this year.

Cheers for the info, is this available anywhere public yet, or is it internal comms?


And I agree that the refurbs are, in typical Arriva fashion, cost-cut to a ridiculous extent. Not disastrous for the 150s which (should!) only have 7-10yrs left in them, but the 170s and 333s have over 20yrs during which these refurbs will fray badly.

 

[jonesy3001]

What happened to the guy that told us what was in for PRM and repaint at crewe and made a list of whats next up?

 

[Whattraintoday]

507021’s latest post is on the previous page


Edit : or is he not who you’re referring to?

 

[Rail Blues]

Agreed.

Don't like to be constantly down on Northern, lest the metropolitan elites accuse me of being ungrateful that our trains aren't still horse-drawn... but:
It's just been poorly executed from top to bottom. At risk of being hyperbolic, we're being sold s**t sandwiches and told that it's caviar!

Rest assured a Greek chorus of southerners will pipe up telling us that the 313 is the oldest EMU in service and that Southern commuters had to put up with slam doors until the early 2000s, completely ignoring the fact that the average fleet age for Northern is pushing 30 and over a decade higher than GTRs, with the prospect of more near life expired crap heading in northern's direction.

 

[jonesy3001]

507021’s latest post is on the previous page


Edit : or is he not who you’re referring to?

No, i think he worked at either crewe or doncaster and posted pics of what was in for PRM work and had a list of whats next in.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Rest assured a Greek chorus of southerners will pipe up telling us that the 313 is the oldest EMU in service and that Southern commuters had to put up with slam doors until the early 2000s, completely ignoring the fact that the average fleet age for Northern is pushing 30 and over a decade higher than GTRs, with the prospect of more near life expired crap heading in northern's direction.

I don't doubt that they will!

Nevertheless, I'd happily trade the 142s for the 313s if we had the wires to make them work... just as I'd have traded the Pacers for the VEPs and CIGs at the time they were still running. Age is only one factor when it comes to how good rolling stock is.

 

[yorksrob]

Agreed.

Don't like to be constantly down on Northern, lest the metropolitan elites accuse me of being ungrateful that our trains aren't still horse-drawn... but:
It's just been poorly executed from top to bottom. At risk of being hyperbolic, we're being sold s**t sandwiches and told that it's caviar!

The sad thing is, there are lots of things they could have done to improve the Northern fleet, such as getting rid of 3+2 airline seating and installing tables on 150's, getting rid of those crappy hand dryers on 158's, installing USB sockets on everything, but nothing as worthwhile seems to have been contemplated.

 

[yorksrob]

I don't doubt that they will!

Nevertheless, I'd happily trade the 142s for the 313s if we had the wires to make them work... just as I'd have traded the Pacers for the VEPs and CIGs at the time they were still running. Age is only one factor when it comes to how good rolling stock is.

Amen to that.

 

[Allwinter_Kit]

I believe the plan is (assuming no last minute revisions) for the driving cars to have a more "metro" style interior with fewer fixed seats.

I think (although i can't remember the source so it might be garbage) that the 2 driving cars will be 2x2 seating with the 2 middle csrs remaining 3x2.

Does that, incidentally, point to when the 331s will be going into service as presumably they will have to start before they drag the 333s in for refurbs?

 

[td97]

No, i think he worked at either crewe or doncaster and posted pics of what was in for PRM work and had a list of whats next in.

@brel york is who you're thinking of, but don't think they have posted an update in quite some time

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I think (although i can't remember the source so it might be garbage) that the 2 driving cars will be 2x2 seating with the 2 middle csrs remaining 3x2.

Does that, incidentally, point to when the 331s will be going into service as presumably they will have to start before they drag the 333s in for refurbs?

I'd assume so, unless any 321s that come spare down South can be drafted in temporarily.

 

[59CosG95]

I'd assume so, unless any 321s that come spare down South can be drafted in temporarily.

There are some that can be plucked from Donny works' queue, [wishful thinking]so could hopefully relieve capacity up north while hopefully allowing Wabtec to sort the HST power door crisis out.[/wishful thinking]