GWR Class 769 information. (Units no longer with GWR - Off Lease March 23)

[Deepgreen]

Looks like today's North Downs runs aren't happening, at least going by RTT.

 

[JonathanH]

Looks like today's North Downs runs aren't happening, at least going by RTT.

Didn't appear to happen on Monday either.

 

[Deepgreen]

Didn't appear to happen on Monday either.

RTT has "due to a problem with the train" today!

 

[DownFast]

RTT has "due to a problem with the train" today!

769939 has failed on depot.

 

[Pete_uk]

Well that's totally unexpected

 

[berneyarms]

So we now have only four sets left to be delivered from Wolverton or Burton by my count:
769 923
769 935
769 944
769 947

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Apologies if reported previously but power c/o signs have appeared at Redhill. 750V to Gatwick Diesel to Guilford need to check full wording as was on a train.
Guess they want diesel proved before departure not even risking it at Reigate. Guess changing over on the move is off the agenda for the time being. Mind you just getting them introduced would be progress.

 

[swt_passenger]

Apologies if reported previously but power c/o signs have appeared at Redhill. 750V to Gatwick Diesel to Guilford need to check full wording as was on a train.
Guess they want diesel proved before departure not even risking it at Reigate. Guess changing over on the move is off the agenda for the time being. Mind you just getting them introduced would be progress.

Do you mean you think changing on the move is off the agenda generally, or just Redhill to Reigate?

 

[JonathanH]

Apologies if reported previously but power c/o signs have appeared at Redhill. 750V to Gatwick Diesel to Guilford need to check full wording as was on a train.
Guess they want diesel proved before departure not even risking it at Reigate. Guess changing over on the move is off the agenda for the time being. Mind you just getting them introduced would be progress.

Take another look. The sign I saw shows 750v electric to both Gatwick and Reigate. The diesel indicator is shown for moves to Redhill Loco Sidings which aren't electrified.

I think the test runs have been changing over without stopping (within the agreed decisions about where that would happen).

 

[DownFast]

So we now have only four sets left to be delivered from Wolverton or Burton by my count:
769 923
769 935
769 944
769 947

Planned delivery dates to Reading TCD:
935 11th Feb
923 18th Feb
947 28th Feb
944 4th March

The rest of the fleet:
928/930/938/943/959 at Long Marston

922/925/932 at Eastleigh for ASDO/Air con fitment

927/936/937/939/940/946/949 at Reading/Oxford

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2022 ==

Take another look. The sign I saw shows 750v electric to both Gatwick and Reigate. The diesel indicator is shown for moves to Redhill Loco Sidings which aren't electrified.

I think the test runs have been changing over without stopping (within the agreed decisions about where that would happen).

Yes, diesel for the Loco Sidings - not that one has been in there yet, but that's planned to happen some time soon for route proving.

 

[aleggatta]

Yes, diesel for the Loco Sidings - not that one has been in there yet, but that's planned to happen some time soon for route proving.

Could they add 750dc to the loco sidings in future or is there an operational reason why these sidings can’t be electrified?

 

[The_Train]

The rest of the fleet:
928/930/938/943/959 at Long Marston

When did these move to Long Marston - my last records have them as being at Reading?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Take another look. The sign I saw shows 750v electric to both Gatwick and Reigate. The diesel indicator is shown for moves to Redhill Loco Sidings which aren't electrified.

I think the test runs have been changing over without stopping (within the agreed decisions about where that would happen).

OK thanks for clarity they caught my eye as I was running in on a 700 and as they looked sparkly surmised they were newish

 

[fgwrich]

When did these move to Long Marston - my last records have them as being at Reading?

938 - 28 January 2022
930 - 7 January 2022

Not sure about the others I'm afraid, they seem to have had several trips to Burton.

 

[FenMan]

The diesel indicator is shown for moves to Redhill Loco Sidings which aren't electrified.

I would be nice if Network Rail at long last fixed the sidings issue at Redhill so more than one GWR unit can be stabled overnight, as that would enable the 22:34 M-Sa departure from Reading to be restored to the timetable. Months ago, I asked if there was a plan to fix this. Still waiting for an answer ....

 

[JonathanH]

I would be nice if Network Rail at long last fixed the sidings issue at Redhill so more than one GWR unit can be stabled overnight, as that would enable the 22:34 M-Sa departure from Reading to be restored to the timetable. Months ago, I asked if there was a plan to fix this. Still waiting for an answer ....

As has been discussed before, getting it to run to Guildford and run back to Reading empty would be a start. It doesn't need to run to Redhill or Gatwick. Wasn't it explained as being more of a traincrew issue than an issue with stabling?

EDIT: Ah, maybe not now I check back - it was indicated to be a stabling issue - I still don't see any point in it going east of Guildford in the current circumstances.

 

[FenMan]

As has been discussed before, getting it to run to Guildford and run back to Reading empty would be a start. It doesn't need to run to Redhill or Gatwick. Wasn't it explained as being more of a traincrew issue than an issue with stabling?

I've not seen anything about it being a traincrew issue. GWR, and predecessors, have managed to run the 22.34 six days a week for 30+ years. It's an important connection for early/mid-evening departures from the south west, South Wales, Oxford, Birmingham and points north as well as for returning from events in Reading and the Thames Valley e.g. Reading and Maidenhead midweek games and concerts at the Hexagon. Not to mention local traffic.

There has been no suggestion that removal of this service is in any way connected to the pandemic.

As it happens, I often used this service and its removal means that I no longer consider travelling by train if arriving in back in Reading close to or after 21:34, as I don't fancy hanging around for two hours if something goes wrong.

 

[JN114]

2 units can stable in Redhill Loco, and have been able to since April 2021 - and it has been used as such on several occasions since then.

The 3rd siding in there remains out of use.

I don’t believe the 2234 not running has ever been anything todo with siding capacity - as I recall it ran pre COVID at the start of the Dec 2019 timetable when everything was stabling up the station. More likely it’s part of COVID service reductions, which were then rolled over by DfT for whatever we’re meant to be calling the current service specification.

 

[FenMan]

2 units can stable in Redhill Loco, and have been able to since April 2021 - and it has been used as such on several occasions since then.

The 3rd siding in there remains out of use.

I don’t believe the 2234 not running has ever been anything todo with siding capacity - as I recall it ran pre COVID at the start of the Dec 2019 timetable when everything was stabling up the station. More likely it’s part of COVID service reductions, which were then rolled over by DfT for whatever we’re meant to be calling the current service specification.

I'm not sure that's the whole story as this service was in the May - December 2020 published timetable, albeit slightly retimed M-F to 22.36. It then went missing due to the Redhill sidings issue meaning only one GWR unit could be stabled overnight (which I'm pleased to hear has been fixed) but it has not been reinstated.

I'm concerned a failure of corporate memory will result in a permanent two-hour gap in evening departures from Reading. After all the 23.34 still doesn't call at Wokingham on Fridays and Saturdays due to incidents between Crowthorne and Wokingham youths over 20 years ago. They'll be middle-aged with families now! When I spoke to GWR about the latter issue I basically received an "it's always been this way" reply as they clearly didn't know the actual reason.

See the NDL May 2020 timetable here:-

 

[3973EXL]

STP 11/02 1042 Wolverton - Reading
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K06182/2022-02-11/detailed

0H70 ex Derby 57312

5Q74 dep 1034

Planned delivery dates to Reading TCD:
935 11th Feb
923 18th Feb
947 28th Feb
944 4th March

 

[FGW_DID]

Planned delivery dates to Reading TCD:
935 11th Feb
923 18th Feb
947 28th Feb
944 4th March

The rest of the fleet:
928/930/938/943/959 at Long Marston

922/925/932 at Eastleigh for ASDO/Air con fitment

927/936/937/939/940/946/949 at Reading/Oxford

5Q74 dep 1034

For those keeping track, 769946 went to Eastleigh this morning (5Q11), the return unit was cancelled and as noted above 769935 should be arriving at Reading this afternoon.

 

[warwickshire]

Good afternoon 5Q74 1042 Wolverton to Reading was 57312 and 769935 12 early through Warwick.
769935 now delivered to reading gwr Depot.

 

[Deepgreen]

I was talking to a friend of mine today whose brother works at Reading depot. He reports that the 769s are regarded as a disaster there and some doubt whether they will enter service with GWR, with rumoured (and only rumoured) industrial action threatened around the cab design not conforming to modern standards and thus being boycotted by ASLEF members. This may be untrue and I'm more than happy to be corrected. I live on the NDL and really hope they do run in service, and successfully, but I am not filled with confidence. BTW, I was at Dorking West station today and the incorrectly-applied four coach zones (1-4) markings on the EB platform are still wrong (reversed) after around a year in situ.

 

[reddragon]

I was talking to a friend of mine today whose brother works at Reading depot. He reports that the 769s are regarded as a disaster there and some doubt whether they will enter service with GWR, with rumoured (and only rumoured) industrial action threatened around the cab design not conforming to modern standards and thus being boycotted by ASLEF members. This may be untrue and I'm more than happy to be corrected. I live on the NDL and really hope they do run in service, and successfully, but I am not filled with confidence. BTW, I was at Dorking West station today and the incorrectly-applied four coach zones (1-4) markings on the EB platform are still wrong (reversed) after around a year in situ.

Its funny how a train running on BR since 1986 can suddenly be a problem, a bit like the old can't drive that class 387 it's a different colour dispute a few years ago!

 

[JonathanH]

Its funny how a train running on BR since 1986 can suddenly be a problem

That is kind of irrelevant if standards have moved on since 1986 and the trains themselves have been withdrawn from use elsewhere.

 

[Deepgreen]

That is kind of irrelevant if standards have moved on since 1986 and the trains themselves have been withdrawn from use elsewhere.

Yes, I think the debate would probably be about whether the train is considered to have been altered enough to count as 'new' or not. I would have expected the unions to have been consulted and also wonder what the situation is regarding other class 769 operators. However, as I mentioned, there may not be an issue brewing in this regard anyway, so I am regarding it as hearsay at present.

 

[fgwrich]

Rumour or not, I've had the feeling for some time now that just electrifying Reading - Basing, with a low cost electrification scheme for the LTV branches would have been a much quicker solution. Keep a few Turbo's at Reading for the Gatwick's, possibly freed up by sending (if and when they ever work) the 769s to Bristol to work routes such as Severn Beach and Cardiff - Taunton where they can be kept in either Diesel or Diesel and AC mode only.

 

[JonathanH]

Keep a few Turbo's at Reading for the Gatwick's, possibly freed up by sending (if and when they ever work) the 769s to Bristol to work routes such as Severn Beach and Cardiff - Taunton where they can be kept in either Diesel or Diesel and AC mode only.

There is no obvious reason 769s would work in the west any better than they would in the LTV region, nor that the staff would welcome them. They don't have the speed (Cardiff to Taunton) or nimbleness (Severn Beach) that the routes around Bristol need. At least the relevant routes from Reading are all under 75mph.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

the 769s to Bristol to work routes such as Severn Beach and Cardiff - Taunton where they can be kept in either Diesel or Diesel and AC mode only.

Cardiff to Taunton isn’t really a route these days, many of the services are Cardiff to Penzance providing regional connectivity and all the diagrams on this route interwork. Not sure a 769 would like climbing Dainton.

 

[adrock1976]

There is no obvious reason 769s would work in the west any better than they would in the LTV region, nor that the staff would welcome them. They don't have the speed (Cardiff to Taunton) or nimbleness (Severn Beach) that the routes around Bristol need. At least the relevant routes from Reading are all under 75mph.

Regarding your last sentence, I was always under the impression that the 319s/769s are capable of 100mph as that was the maximum speed they ran at when they worked on Thameslink.

Or is it that when using diesel power, they can only go at a maximum of 75mph?