Class 730 LNR & WMR Delivery/test Updates

[dereksingh291]

The 730/0s were authorised to be placed into service by the ORR yesterday.

any idea when they'll be entering service?

 

[SCDR_WMR]

any idea when they'll be entering service?

Fleet said 'later this year' would imagine late Autumn depending on training status

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

The 730/0s were authorised to be placed into service by the ORR yesterday.

They've authorised the 701's and 777's but no sign of either of them entering service anytime soon

 

[Liam L]

They've authorised the 701's and 777's but no sign of either of them entering service anytime soon

and the 196s

 

[Mordac]

They've authorised the 701's and 777's but no sign of either of them entering service anytime soon

To be fair the latter is because of labour issues rather than any problem with the trains.

 

[185]

Had a look inside a finished (3-car) one the other day. Extremely limited legroom, much of the train given over to 'PRM' - ie none or single seats either side of many parts of the aisle. Would be interesting to know how these maintain the same number of seats as the 350/2 sets they replace... high use of tip up seats seems wrong for journeys often over an hour.

Not a fan. Will cause overcrowding.

 

[class377fcc12]

Had a look inside a finished (3-car) one the other day. Extremely limited legroom, much of the train given over to 'PRM' - ie none or single seats either side of many parts of the aisle. Would be interesting to know how these maintain the same number of seats as the 350/2 sets they replace... high use of tip up seats seems wrong for journeys often over an hour.

Not a fan. Will cause overcrowding.

The 3-car units are mostly to replace 323s, the 5-cars are replacing 350/2s on longer work.

 

[Sheddyone]

Fleet said 'later this year' would imagine late Autumn depending on training status

I think these are for the Cross City line, so I would think they'll want them running for the Commonwealth Games.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

I think these are for the Cross City line, so I would think they'll want them running for the Commonwealth Games.

Ideally yes, in the current emails only the 196 has been mentioned in time for the CG so they're clearly not sure if they will be ready

 

[Sheddyone]

Ideally yes, in the current emails only the 196 has been mentioned in time for the CG so they're clearly not sure if they will be ready

OK thanks.

Embarrassing if not, as 323s shuttling between University and Perry Barr will let the side down a bit.

 

[Pumbaa]

Not a hope in hell of that happening. First unit still under FFR, miles off being ready for Driver Training, and you wouldn’t want to be “mid” rollout with Crew knowledge issues and Unit early reliability issues during the Games anyway, you’d either want to be so far along you can confidently manage the inevitable issues, or not started at all so much reduced risk of it all falling down.

I know which one my money is on.

 

[Spirit555]

Seating wise a double 323 gives 550 seats. A double 730/0 gives 402 !!.

Think that speaks for itself.

 

[185]

The 3-car units are mostly to replace 323s, the 5-cars are replacing 350/2s on longer work.

That's what I thought... until a suggestion last week that these three car sets are also being used on Birmingham-Stoke-Crewes... anything longer won't be allowed (fouling junctions & LCs). Thoroughly unsuitable for long distance work.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

That's what I thought... until a suggestion last week that these three car sets are also being used on Birmingham-Stoke-Crewes... anything longer won't be allowed (fouling junctions & LCs). Thoroughly unsuitable for long distance work.

100% 3-car sets are not for WCML, work is in planning stage to ensure 5&10 car sets fit at those stations.
3-car sets are out and about getting hours in from Crewe though, but that's it from what I know

 

[the sniper]

Birmingham-Stoke-Crewe was originally mapped as a 'WMR' route when WMT started, wasn't it? Stone is WMR branded, according to this thread. The reported intention now is for that service to run via Willenhall and Darlaston too. If the railway of the future is going to avoid competing with itself, not pricing people off Intercity services, onto stopping service like this for longer journeys, then this shouldn't be carrying too many people for over an hour. Is Alsager/Kidsgrove to/from New Street a sizable flow? I can't imagine Willenhall/Darlaston to/from Crewe will be. If there's enough /0s that need a purpose, they'd do the job.

I suppose it could come down to the extent to which 'WMR' will be separated/devolved as a unit under GBR, if at all.

 

[Liam L]

OK thanks.

Embarrassing if not, as 323s shuttling between University and Perry Barr will let the side down a bit.

Alongs if the units do the job, I don’t think it matters what they put on it

 

[Mollman]

Seating wise a double 323 gives 550 seats. A double 730/0 gives 402 !!.

Think that speaks for itself.

Remember they were ordered at the time that the new fad was to replace 3+2 seating on 'metro' service with 2+2 plus lots of standing room. The bonus out of it is that all daytime cross-city trains should be six cars rather than a mixture of 3 & 6.

 

[Wyrleybart]

Had a look inside a finished (3-car) one the other day. Extremely limited legroom, much of the train given over to 'PRM' - ie none or single seats either side of many parts of the aisle. Would be interesting to know how these maintain the same number of seats as the 350/2 sets they replace... high use of tip up seats seems wrong for journeys often over an hour.

Not a fan. Will cause overcrowding.

Surely, the 730/0s have an entirely different role to the five car /1s and /2s ?
The 730/0s are a direct replacement for 323s which spend most of their life running Lichfield - Redditch / Bromsgrove, but just how many pax remain on the trains through New St apart from going to University. I am assuming most current 323 journeys are less than 40 minutes.

 

[185]

To clarify the comments made by a person who's supposed to be 'in the know' ...I will pose a question to someone outside the operator to clarify once and for all whether they intend to use 730-0s on the Stokes. It's pretty poor if true. Will post a definitive answer when I know.

 

[Liam L]

If they are going to be using the 730/0 on the Crewe’s (via Stoke), they will also be using them on the Wolverhampton - Walsall locals as both lines come under the same diagram (if that makes sense)

 

[87015]

To clarify the comments made by a person who's supposed to be 'in the know' ...I will pose a question to someone outside the operator to clarify once and for all whether they intend to use 730-0s on the Stokes. It's pretty poor if true. Will post a definitive answer when I know.

Seems pretty likely with the ones that are spare with a permanent 4tph crosscity need against an order to provide units for 6tph

 

[SCDR_WMR]

There's obviously a short term and a long term plan with these units.

Short term they will go onto cross city to replace 323s.
Longer term, with the eventual split of the 'franchises', the New St-Stoke-Crewe line will move to WMR but whether they use these or 4-car Desiros I'm unsure at this point.
LNWR will use the 5 and 10 car sets to replace the /2 Desiros across their network

 

[Wyrleybart]

There's obviously a short term and a long term plan with these units.

Short term they will go onto cross city to replace 323s.
Longer term, with the eventual split of the 'franchises', the New St-Stoke-Crewe line will move to WMR but whether they use these or 4-car Desiros I'm unsure at this point.
LNWR will use the 5 and 10 car sets to replace the /2 Desiros across their network

Agreed. This is a bit of a watershed moment for the franchise. At the moment they have a fleet of 4 car class 350s of four marques which seem to be used indiscriminately, and a fleet of class 323s used primarily on the Cross city ( the route they have to work) as well as some other local services. I assume most of the 730/0 will replace the 323s on a one for one basis, but I think there will still be a few surplus for local routes.

When the 730/1s and 730/2s enter service the fleet controllers will have to excise extreme caution because 730 won't multi with 350. They will need to stick far closer to their diagrams but we don't really know the split of services which the /1s and the /2s will work - but the franchise isn't split yet anyway.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Agreed. This is a bit of a watershed moment for the franchise. At the moment they have a fleet of 4 car class 350s of four marques which seem to be used indiscriminately, and a fleet of class 323s used primarily on the Cross city ( the route they have to work) as well as some other local services. I assume most of the 730/0 will replace the 323s on a one for one basis, but I think there will still be a few surplus for local routes.

When the 730/1s and 730/2s enter service the fleet controllers will have to excise extreme caution because 730 won't multi with 350. They will need to stick far closer to their diagrams but we don't really know the split of services which the /1s and the /2s will work - but the franchise isn't split yet anyway.

When they talked about having the 2 different names it was apparently something the DfT had stipulated to Abellio but up until recently, it has been ran as one.
Now it's slightly different with separate Control and management all the way through so the split will happen at some time. Then comes the fighting over who gets what routes and then whether these units have a set livery or a bit like the 350/2 with the 'we work on both' signage.

I think as there are 2 distinct variants of the 730, they will be split as such with both entering service in time for December timetables

 

[warwickshire]

Good afternoon today 521h 1112 oxley Carriage Depot to old dalby 37800 with a pair off barrier wagons took 730103 with 37510 on the rear back to old dalby so 730103 is back at old dalby. .
However to note was the rear coach off 730103 was fully branded with lnwr branding and the rest was unbranded and unbranded.

 

[childwallblues]

730005 was noted on test at Stafford today.

 

[warwickshire]

Good evening today 521h 37510 and 37884 on the 1112 oxley car md to old dalby taking 730101 back to old dalby.
So 730101 also has returned to old dalby. As well.

 

[birchesgreen]

730 005 was on test yesterday, saw it at Crewe and later passing through LTV.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

730 005 was on test yesterday, saw it at Crewe and later passing through LTV.

Yeah this has been doing the route a lot recently, either cre-whm or cre-tam I think.

Told yesterday by fleet that these won't enter service ( /0 or /1) until Spring '23 at the earliest. Shame really.

 

[birchesgreen]

Yeah this has been doing the route a lot recently, either cre-whm or cre-tam I think.

Told yesterday by fleet that these won't enter service ( /0 or /1) until Spring '23 at the earliest. Shame really.

CRE-NUN i think (well that one anyway).

So still a year away? Interesting.