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Porterbrook Cl.769 'Flex' trains from 319s, initially for Northern

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Llama

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Yes 769s do go on to Newton Heath, only one booked arrival (5J84) and one departure (5W00) to/from Newton Heath per day though as far as I know.

5W00/2W00 is indeed booked a 769, on AN293 diagram.
 

D9006

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Does anyone know if the 07:20 Victoria to Southport is meant to be a 769 please? I’ve noted every day for the past week it’s been a 150, but I’m not sure if they’ve just been unlucky.
This was a 769 diagram up until 3 weeks ago when diagrams reduced

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

Every morning I see the unit that has come off 06:17 from Southport, it's more often than not a 2 car Sprinter. I wonder when Northern will just bite the bullet and get rid?
This is another one that changed 3 weeks ago with reduction in diagrams
 

Llama

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Quite likely knowing the availability of the 769s, I'm not sure though as I haven't kept tabs. There have been a few times where the 769s actually in service were on thin ice and nearly pulled for strategic reasons - e.g. if there was only one serviceable 769 spare in case it was needed as a 1Z99.
 

Llama

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Is there actually a reduction? Pretty sure there are still five or six individual 769 unit diagrams.
 

Llama

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That post doesn't say 769s aren't diagrammed, just that a 769 diagram was covered by a 150 because of shortages and the impact of 769 traction training needing two units [at Springs Branch] because of the need for the coupling exercise as part of the traction training, exacerbating the shortages.
 

D9006

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That post doesn't say 769s aren't diagrammed, just that a 769 diagram was covered by a 150 because of shortages and the impact of 769 traction training needing two units [at Springs Branch] because of the need for the coupling exercise as part of the traction training, exacerbating the shortages.
They are diagramed the 1st one from Wigan North western is a 769 , as I write this can hear one whirring its way out of Hindley, 450 going to Southport and straight away another 434 going to Man Vic
 

Llama

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I'm not sure what you're saying there. There are six 769 diagrams, same as there has been for months now. Many of them are covered by other units in an ad-hoc manner just as other unit diagrams can be covered by other units.
 

D9006

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I'm not sure what you're saying there. There are six 769 diagrams, same as there has been for months now. Many of them are covered by other units in an ad-hoc manner just as other unit diagrams can be covered by other units.
Not got exact info, but certain trains that Are diagramed for a 769 have not done so since beginning of September
 

david1212

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The National Rail Awards 2021 winners

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

Winner
• One Big Circle & Network Rail’s Signalling Innovations Group – Automated Intelligent Video Review System
Highly Commended
• Porterbrook – FLEX
• Southeastern Railway – Seat Finder

​

Hmmmmm ............. Yes the idea is innovative but the implementation very flawed.
Even before Covid the work was running very late and the end result so far is unreliable.


This post applies to all threads that focus in the 769's e.g. Wales and GWR.
 

Llama

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Not got exact info, but certain trains that Are diagramed for a 769 have not done so since beginning of September
That's not surprising when there have been days with only two or three 769s available, one of which will be kept as a spare/rescue. There's no reduction in 769 diagrams, just a reduction in availability.
 

D9006

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That's not surprising when there have been days with only two or three 769s available, one of which will be kept as a spare/rescue. There's no reduction in 769 diagrams, just a reduction in availability.
Even the 0550 Wigan to Alderley edge has produced a pair of 150s this morning, I always hear this in the morning has been a very reliable train to produce a 769
 

Killingworth

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Looks like only two due out today, 450 and 424. It's unlikely we"ll ever find out, but Northern must know, are some of these units proving more reliable in service than others? We've already established that we can't know the details of what keeps failing and why.
 

AM9

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Looks like only two due out today, 450 and 424. It's unlikely we"ll ever find out, but Northern must know, are some of these units proving more reliable in service than others? We've already established that we can't know the details of what keeps failing and why.
Looking at it from a TOC's point of view, is it necessary for passengers to know the details of every failure?
 

AM9

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Then that's why they don't give a running commentary. Eventually, enough of the problems will be resolved to run services. If not they will take other steps to fulfil necessary services. That is, providing an MP, or some other local pressure group/person doesn't use the problems to make political capital.
 

Killingworth

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Then that's why they don't give a running commentary. Eventually, enough of the problems will be resolved to run services. If not they will take other steps to fulfil necessary services. That is, providing an MP, or some other local pressure group/person doesn't use the problems to make political capital.

And one day an evaluation report for the project will be written, but likely to be restricted on a need to know basis.
 

Purple Orange

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Got some friends coming up from London today and we’ll be getting the train from Alderley Edge in to Manchester this afternoon. What’s the chances of of being able to show off the finest the line has to offer (cast offs from London) or a crumbly old 2-car 150 farting toxins in to the air we breathe?
 

JonathanH

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Got some friends coming up from London today and we’ll be getting the train from Alderley Edge in to Manchester this afternoon. What’s the chances of of being able to show off the finest the line has to offer (cast offs from London) or a crumbly old 2-car 150 farting toxins in to the air we breathe?
1450 and 1551 departures are currently planned to be 769s - five hour repeat in the diagrams - 150s on the other three
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...21-10-15/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt
 

AM9

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Got some friends coming up from London today and we’ll be getting the train from Alderley Edge in to Manchester this afternoon. What’s the chances of of being able to show off the finest the line has to offer (cast offs from London) or a crumbly old 2-car 150 farting toxins in to the air we breathe?
If they have interest in railway things, a ride beyond Bolton on a 769 would be more interesting.
 

WAO

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As it should be.

If this were a purely private matter then so be it. It is however a matter of public interest being heavily state funded. Privacy in such matters is often a cover for waste, incompetence or corruption. Information about public affairs must always be in the public domain, except in defence matters. Only then is debate, criticism and accountability achieved.

BR, paradoxically, was much more open about both its technology and problems.

The 769's should have been fully developed, proved and run-in before being released to TOC's - or were they?

WAO
 

AM9

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If this were a purely private matter then so be it. It is however a matter of public interest being heavily state funded. Privacy in such matters is often a cover for waste, incompetence or corruption. Information about public affairs must always be in the public domain, except in defence matters. Only then is debate, criticism and accountability achieved.

BR, paradoxically, was much more open about both its technology and problems.

The 769's should have been fully developed, proved and run-in before being released to TOC's - or were they?

WAO
The TOCs and RoSCos are commercial organisations. I don't agree with the pseudo-privatisation model, but that is what the government (with the same ideology of the present one) gave us.
 

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