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Class 730 LNR & WMR Delivery/test Updates

The_Train

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Presumably it was 730102, it's a rather elusive unit that I believe has been undergoing a lot of testing (or something) at Old Dalby.
My last record of it was it being at Worksop last December
 
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800001

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Do we mean
It was indeed 730102, the carriage numbers have been changed along with the unit number, which was to be expected I guess.
730102 has been renumbered to 730202? I’m having a senior moment
 

AJDesiro

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Do we mean

730102 has been renumbered to 730202? I’m having a senior moment
Yes, it has been renumbered, as the LNR designation is now 730/2. There’s only one video on YouTube (that I can find) of the delivery at the moment, but it also appears to have a 2+2 interior.

 

SCDR_WMR

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Hopefully we'll see a steady stream of these LNR units soon. I am a fan of the livery
 

AJDesiro

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Hopefully we'll see a steady stream of these LNR units soon. I am a fan of the livery
I saw a picture at Litchurch Lane which had a carriage that was apparently numbered 492208, presumably a part of 730208, so I think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing more quite soon.

 

SCDR_WMR

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I can’t help noticing some of these 730s for LNR have First Class, the concept the TOC has just axed?
Isn't it just the original /1s that have the 1st class sections? With then being removed (along with the 3+2 seating) when they are officially converted to /2.

Though it does have the yellow banner on the latest unit so who knows
 

AJDesiro

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Isn't it just the original /1s that have the 1st class sections? With then being removed (along with the 3+2 seating) when they are officially converted to /2.

Though it does have the yellow banner on the latest unit so who knows
The only footage of 202 at low speed isn’t very high res annoyingly, and I can’t make out if it still has first accommodation, I definitely wouldn’t have thought it would. Hopefully it’s just that they’ve left the vinyls on.
 

800001

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The only footage of 202 at low speed isn’t very high res annoyingly, and I can’t make out if it still has first accommodation, I definitely wouldn’t have thought it would. Hopefully it’s just that they’ve left the vinyls on.
Don’t know if they’ve been built with it and then need mods, but they will be all standard class when they enter service.
 

AJDesiro

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Do we have any photos of what the first class looked/looks like? It'll be a shame if it's lost to history.
It was meant to have Fainsa Sophia seats, when I looked into one of the /1s I think it had the wings a bit like on the 197s and 385s.

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Don’t know if they’ve been built with it and then need mods, but they will be all standard class when they enter service.
I believe 101-103 (of course 102 is now 202) were built with first class, as per the original spec where all the LNR units were to have first and standard accommodation.
 

AJDesiro

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Does it even count as part of history?
Technically yes, since the 730/1s have been around since 2021.

Attached is the original concept for the first class interior. I believe it was slightly different on the actual units having the 197/385 wings, and potentially seat coverings similar to 350 first, but otherwise similar to the concept.
 

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GWVillager

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Does it even count as part of history?
It certainly will in a few years time!

Attached is the original concept for the first class interior. I believe it was slightly different on the actual units having the 197/385 wings, and potentially seat coverings similar to 350 first, but otherwise similar to the concept.
Fantastic, thank you. That doesn’t look too fantastic, but either way it’s a shame it won’t see service.
 

AJDesiro

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Fantastic, thank you. That doesn’t look too fantastic, but either way it’s a shame it won’t see service.
Indeed it doesn't look great, especially when you consider it's effectively IET standard - which should never be classed as first class. There's a few other images I feel should be saved somewhere for their historical value, namely the 730/1 interior concepts, which I've attached.
 

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GWVillager

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Indeed it doesn't look great, especially when you consider it's effectively IET standard - which should never be classed as first class. There's a few other images I feel should be saved somewhere for their historical value, namely the 730/1 interior concepts, which I've attached.
These are great, I’d only ever seen one concept art and it was none of these. I’m actually quite impressed with the standard interior ambience, despite the 2+3. Presumably the delivered sets are the same, just with 2+2 and armrests?
 

AJDesiro

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These are great, I’d only ever seen one concept art and it was none of these. I’m actually quite impressed with the standard interior ambience, despite the 2+3. Presumably the delivered sets are the same, just with 2+2 and armrests?
Pretty much.
 

778

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Indeed it doesn't look great, especially when you consider it's effectively IET standard - which should never be classed as first class. There's a few other images I feel should be saved somewhere for their historical value, namely the 730/1 interior concepts, which I've attached.
The interior could still end up looking like that. I think there is a chance that they could revert back to 2+3 seating. Hopefully I am wrong though.
 

AJDesiro

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The interior could still end up looking like that. I think there is a chance that they could revert back to 2+3 seating. Hopefully I am wrong though.
Considering that the first converted 730/2 has been delivered to Crewe, with the plan for the remaining /1s to undergo the same treatment, I wouldn’t imagine this would be very likely, especially when they’re planned to be used on Euston-Crewe and Birmingham-Liverpool. Though, never say never!
 
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Bletchleyite

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These are great, I’d only ever seen one concept art and it was none of these. I’m actually quite impressed with the standard interior ambience, despite the 2+3.

They were basically going to be exactly the same as the 720s in Standard, which have a very high quality feel but seating suitable only for small children in width and pitch.

The actual Kiel seat isn't terrible (similar to the Desiro seat) but is just way too small in every direction.
 

AJDesiro

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I happened to be passing Crewe today and took the opportunity to take a glimpse of the interior of 202. It appears that the unit still has first class seating inside (there’s literally a partition wall inside, I’m not just basing this off of the vinyls). Does this mean that the 730/2s will enter service with first class, just declassified, or does it foreshadow the return of first class on LNR?

I wasn’t able to get a good enough glimpse to see if it still has first class seating, but the partition was definitely inside. If it doesn’t have first class seating, could this potentially be a quiet zone of some sort?
 

Bletchleyite

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I happened to be passing Crewe today and took the opportunity to take a glimpse of the interior of 202. It appears that the unit still has first class seating inside (there’s literally a partition wall inside, I’m not just basing this off of the vinyls). Does this mean that the 730/2s will enter service with first class, just declassified, or does it foreshadow the return of first class on LNR?

I wasn’t able to get a good enough glimpse to see if it still has first class seating, but the partition was definitely inside. If it doesn’t have first class seating, could this potentially be a quiet zone of some sort?

They will be modified before entering service.
 

Mamorin

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Indeed it doesn't look great, especially when you consider it's effectively IET standard - which should never be classed as first class. There's a few other images I feel should be saved somewhere for their historical value, namely the 730/1 interior concepts, which I've attached.
Always thought the 370/1s were planned to be 2+2 and the orignal plan was for for the 730/2s was for 3+2 seating.
 

RealTrains07

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Always thought the 370/1s were planned to be 2+2 and the orignal plan was for for the 730/2s was for 3+2 seating.
No, it has always been the other way round.

The only reason ones /1s were given 3+2 in the first place was to be able to cope with demand on the stoppers out of euston. Otherwise they would have just been a single type with 2+2 seating like they have become now
 

AJDesiro

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No, it has always been the other way round.

The only reason ones /1s were given 3+2 in the first place was to be able to cope with demand on the stoppers out of euston. Otherwise they would have just been a single type with 2+2 seating like they have become now
It was nothing to do with demand, it was simply to give a greater number of “seats into London” than any other bidder for the WM franchise, despite people not really sitting in the middle of a 3 unless the train is incredibly busy.
 

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