Varamis Rail Given Operators Licence from ORR

[pokemonsuper9]

There are videos and pictures of the Vermais service running as a double set.

I thought they only had 1 unit, 321334?

 

[The Planner]

I mean they could have it on a week by week rolling contract with planned engineering being negotiated at least 6 months in advance and emergency engineering clauses which have detailed triggers which gives a refund to them.

They are a timetable participant, so can respond to and dispute the engineering access statement entries and CPPP like any other operator.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

It seems Varamis Rail will be running a parcels train into and out of Royal Mail’s distribution centre in Willesden as of 3 January 2024.
There’s an outbound departure from PRDC at 21:36, and a daily arrival at 01:04

Realtime Trains | 1Y04 2240 Birmingham International to Willesden Prdc | 03/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 1Y04 2240 departure from Birmingham International to Willesden Prdc on 03/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I know RM have a rail-connected super hub in the Midlands, but it’s certainly not adjacent to Birmingham International station !

 

[Wyrleybart]

It seems Varamis Rail will be running a parcels train into and out of Royal Mail’s distribution centre in Willesden as of 3 January 2024.
There’s an outbound departure from PRDC at 21:36, and a daily arrival at 01:04

Realtime Trains | 1Y04 2240 Birmingham International to Willesden Prdc | 03/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 1Y04 2240 departure from Birmingham International to Willesden Prdc on 03/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I know RM have a rail-connected super hub in the Midlands, but it’s certainly not adjacent to Birmingham International station !

Presume that connects out of, or formed off the Mossend - BHI ?

Perhaps actually Mossend - PRDC calling BHI

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I think you are correct.
There’s an arrival booked for the same Platform (1) at Birmingham International from Mossend at 22:21.
The operator is also Varamis Rail

Realtime Trains | 1M04 1734 Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International | 03/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 1M04 1734 departure from Mossend Down Yard to Birmingham International on 03/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[172007]

Strange for extra services post Christmas but it also suggests a long term flow. Customers must be happy with the service.

They must have at least one additional unit now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Dec 2023 ==

321419 was added to their fleet 5th December 2023.

Source is their X feed ( haven't gotca clue how to merge those)

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Are there other 321 units they could potentially bring into their fleet?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Are there other 321 units they could potentially bring into their fleet?

There are lots of 321s left around the place (e.g. Wembley), I don't see why they couldn't be brought into use by Varamis if the will was there.

 

[172007]

Are there other 321 units they could potentially bring into their fleet?

I think quote a number.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Seems in fact that this new service begins next week!
There is a service to/from PRDC next Tuesday, 12 December.
Curiously, there is a 21:36 departure listed for Monday 11th… but no arrival, to form the outbound trip !

Realtime Trains | Departures from Willesden Prdc all day on 12/12/2023

Train information at Willesden Prdc all day on 12/12/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[YorkshireBear]

I did read somewhere that a load of class 321s are being scrapped because there isn't the market to convert them. I'll try find the source.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I did read somewhere that a load of class 321s are being scrapped because there isn't the market to convert them. I'll try find the source.

Varamis need to move quickly.
There is a window of opportunity for them because DB Cargo’s 325 units are having problems on a regular basis.
Just yesterday, the 16:16 departure from PRDC had to be cancelled and all the Mail containers offloaded.
This on top of the train being short-formed (of only 2 units) and a very late inbound arrival from Crewe!

 

[43096]

Varamis need to move quickly.
There is a window of opportunity for them because DB Cargo’s 325 units are having problems on a regular basis.
Just yesterday, the 16:16 departure from PRDC had to be cancelled and all the Mail containers offloaded.
This on top of the train being short-formed (of only 2 units) and a very late inbound arrival from Crewe!

Strictly speaking, the 325s are Royal Mail’s but maintained and operated by DB Cargo.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Strictly speaking, the 325s are Royal Mail’s but maintained and operated by DB Cargo.

Ah, yes, I seem to remember that they own the units. Highly unusual ?

 

[172007]

I did read somewhere that a load of class 321s are being scrapped because there isn't the market to convert them. I'll try find the source.

Wiki, with the usual caveats states 117 built and 60 odd scrapped leaving a sizeable amount left.

 

[Guano]

As noted above, the extension of the Mossend to Birmingham International service to Willesden PDRC and the starting of the Birmingham International to Mossend service from Willesden PDRC appear to start tomorrow (11th December).

These appear to run Monday to Friday until Xmas, one day between Xmas and New Year and then from 2nd January. The times from Birmingham International to Mossend appear not to be shown from 2nd January, but that may be an error.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Is it at all possible that these paths have been secured ahead of an actual service starting?
Neither the Late or Night Shift managers knew anything about these trains when I brought the subject up on Friday.
(This is not an unusual state of affairs, as anyone who has ever worked in Royal Mail will attest!)

 

[Adrian Barr]

Is it at all possible that these paths have been secured ahead of an actual service starting?

The main timetable change was on 10th December, so there are a lot of WTT schedules with dates starting 11/12/23. This would be the date the services are officially added into the regular timetable, rather than a firm start date for the services themselves (I don't have any info on that).

Last night the service ran from Mossend to Birmingham as 1Z07 and back north as 1Z56, running earlier than the WTT paths.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Varamis Rail tweeted (X-ed?) yesterday that ‘We have some news about more trains coming soon!! Watch this space…..’

https://x.com/railvaramis/status/1734727136005538196?s=46&t=2fGcliGF4imSGZAhNbvxvg

 

[172007]

Class 68's with Mk5A carriages with seats removed.

Oh come on, since the class 442's have been scrapped we've needed a replacement tedious joke about vehicles that can be loco hauled and suitable for everything; plus the Mk5's come with a loco as a complete package.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Aren’t they purloining redundant IoW stock Class 321s ?

 

[507021]

Wiki, with the usual caveats states 117 built and 60 odd scrapped leaving a sizeable amount left.

Excluding the five converted units, there's around ten non Renatus examples remaining.

 

[Wolfie]

Especially as it was spelt correctly four times on the page copied into the announcement.

Someone has settings equals English(United States) lol.....

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Dec 2023 ==

Varamis Rail tweeted (X-ed?) yesterday that ‘We have some news about more trains coming soon!! Watch this space…..’

https://x.com/railvaramis/status/1734727136005538196?s=46&t=2fGcliGF4imSGZAhNbvxvg

Interesting.....

Are the 325s not essentially just 319/321s with a 365-style front end anyway.

If so surely there should be abundant spares available for them given the amount of MK3 EMUs scrapped.

 

[ExRes]

I understand they have secured a second unit, no doubt the official announcement will be along soon ......

 

[jagardner1984]

Given there was much scepticism on the viability of the operation on launch - surely the success of it and whatever small dent it is making in the mountain to climb of railfreight conversion is to be really welcomed.

 

[Darandio]

I understand they have secured a second unit, no doubt the official announcement will be along soon ......

They announced it on X at the start of the month.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

They announced it on X at the start of the month.

Which means this latest teaser on X means at least 2 more units?
(Trains being plural)

 

[John R]

Which means this latest teaser on X means at least 2 more units?
(Trains being plural)

I think the teaser is for the official announcement that the service will be extended to the PRDC shortly, as already noted in the paths appearing in the timetable from this week.

 

[ExRes]

They announced it on X at the start of the month.

I'm a bit slow on Varamis news then .....

 

[Adrian Barr]

The latest YouTube episode of Network Rail's "Freight Escape" focuses on Express Freight. It includes an interview with the managing director of Varamis, with a look inside a unit being loaded at Birmingham International.

There's also a view of the mail platform in use by Royal Mail's 325 units at their Midlands Super Hub at Daventry, as discussed in this thread:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ins-to-serve-south-midlands-super-hub.258978/