Stephen Lee
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I don't expect those units to be scrapped, but I wondered if it is possible to convert them to deliver the mail?
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Could Class 379’s be converted to transport mail?
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bramling
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No real demand for this, and something like a 321 would be less wasteful.
I can't at present see the 379s being scrapped, though if they're out of use too long then the odds on this may tumble in fairly short order. One of the DFT or the leasing company needs to blink, but there's no certainty of it happening, especially if passengers numbers don't recover. The 379s will probably end up being sold, but to whom is of course another matter.
Passenger number recovery doesn’t seem to be as much of an issue anymore as it was say a few months to a year ago…
It isn't uniform across the network though. In some locations and some markets the numbers travelling are still well down on pre March 2020. Effectively, the discussion is about the fleets needed for what were 'peak extras' and peak time formations which may well still not be justified.
That said, I don't think we should be looking for 379s to be converted to convey freight.
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swt_passenger
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The Ex Heathrow Connect 360s were going to be the next big thing on the parcels scene not all that long ago. Never happened.
As were 319s converted to 326 / 768 and 321s. That hasn't happened either.
swt_passenger
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There’s a common feature here isn’t there…
The problem is, while ROG were rapid to the market with the "Orion" proposal, they've been rather slow to actually well, get on with it. Since then Eversholt have come along with it's 321 Swift program and seem to have picked up some form of contract with GBRf. The 319s (or, funny enough) 769s reliability hasn't helped it all either.
They were never going to be converted for parcel use - they were intended as ROG’s entry into the rolling stock leasing market if their Linkedin posts are something to go by…
swt_passenger
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Yes and following that, they announced they were to be used as spot-hire units so ROG can enter the market of rolling stock leasing - can’t seem to find the Linkedin post stating this though.
swt_passenger
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It did seem to vary week by week back then, I think there were a number of different stories in various rail magazines? But spot hire to a TOC seems to have been a non-event as well. Presumably that would be a problem for traction knowledge if they weren’t provided with drivers, and route knowledge problems if they did come with drivers.
Has there ever been an example of a random spot hire modern EMU or DMU operation anywhere?
There’ve been a small number of units built on spec, but IIRC they all ended up with “proper” homes to go to.
170397-399 were spot hire units in their early days.
397 went to MML, 398 went to Central Trains and 399 went to Anglia Railways.
Eventually they all found a permanent home at Central Trains then at the split 397/398 went to XC and 399 went to TPE (renunmbered 170309) then Chiltern (as 168329).
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