West Midlands Class 323 - the final countdown

[JW4]

This weeks update

Unit	Name/Note	Last seen in WM service	Source	Future	Date left WM or withdrawn
323201	Duddeston		RailUK		Soho Sun 21Jan2024
323202	Butlers Lane	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323203	Aston	Mon 01Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323204	Selly Oak	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK
323205	Blake Street	Tue 16Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323206	Barnt Green	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
323207	Bournville	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323208	Five Ways	Transferred		Northern	Sat 28Oct2023
323209	Birmingham New Street	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323210	Shenstone	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323211	Four Oaks	Wed 03Jan2024	Ray
323212	Bromsgrove	Wed 27Dec2023	RailUK	To Wolverton, then Northern Wed 10Jan2024	Thu 04Jan2024
323213	Sutton Coldfield	Tue 09Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323214	Wylde Green	Tue 26Dec2023	RailUK		At Wolverton for repairs
323215	Gravelly Hill	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray
323216	University	Tue 09Jan2024	RailUK
323217	Chester Road	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323218	Lichfield City	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
323219	Kings Norton	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
323220	Lichfield Trent Valley	Wed 27Dec2023	RailUK	To Wolverton, then Northern Wed 10Jan2024	Sat 06Jan2024
323221	Was 'Northfield' (now in 'Centro' livery)	Mon 22Jan2024	Ray
323222	Redditch	Sat 06Jan2024	RailUK
323240	Erdington	Thu 18Jan2024	Ray
323241	Dave Pomroy 323 Fleet Engineer 40 Years Service.	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
323242	Alvechurch	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
323243	Longbridge	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
As at	Mon 22Jan2024

- Three units have left the WM for good - 208, 212 and 220 are now in the NorthWest
- 201 has still not been seen in passenger service - however during the week it went to Tyseley for wheel-turning and returned to Soho yesterday evening.
- All remaining WM units have been out in January, except for 214 which is presumably still at Wolverton

218 and 222 operating my service home.

 

[Liam L]

323220 has made it's debut with Northern today.

https://twitter.com/wallygridboy/status/1750151068791570458?t=JWKWZ4mef31k0l2JXeH9xw&s=19

 

[JW4]

Wednesday:
323205 Blake Street & 323240 Erdington working together today.
323207 Bournville also out.
323243 Longbridge working alone as a 3 car.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jan 2024 ==

Centro livery 323221 out again today (Sunday), believe it was paired with 323219 Kings Norton.

 

[TheTallOne]

Wednesday:
323205 Blake Street & 323240 Erdington working together today.
323207 Bournville also out.
323243 Longbridge working alone as a 3 car.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jan 2024 ==

Centro livery 323221 out again today (Sunday)

That's the one with "regional railways" logo on it too I think?

How come it's branded as Centro? Seems a bit strange given how long ago Centro went!

Is it because they've removed WMT branding that was stuck on top of it? Eventually will need northern branding on it I assume?

 

[JW4]

That's the one with "regional railways" logo on it too I think?

How come it's branded as Centro? Seems a bit strange given how long ago Centro went!

Is it because they've removed WMT branding that was stuck on top of it? Eventually will need northern branding on it I assume?

Yep the one with the regional railways logo.
It’s branded as Centro because that was the brand name for WMPTE.

 

[AJDesiro]

That's the one with "regional railways" logo on it too I think?

How come it's branded as Centro? Seems a bit strange given how long ago Centro went!

Is it because they've removed WMT branding that was stuck on top of it? Eventually will need northern branding on it I assume?

323221 isn’t transferring to Northern under current plans. It used to hold a promotional BTP livery, which AFAIK was applied as part of an earlier overhaul, meaning it was due an overhaul before other units, so it was a nice idea to put it into a modified version of the Centro livery.

 

[JW4]

2023 v 2007

 

[TheTallOne]

I had assumed, at the time, it had been stuck at the back of a depot for many years

 

[JW4]

323240 Erdington out today.
So is 323217 Chester Road.

 

[crosscity]

Unit	Name/Note	Last seen in WM service	Source	Future	Date left WM or withdrawn
Report for	Mon 29Jan2024
323201	Duddeston	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK
323202	Butlers Lane	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323203	Aston	Mon 01Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323204	Selly Oak	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK
323205	Blake Street	Wed 24Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323206	Barnt Green	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
323207	Bournville	Wed 24Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323208	Five Ways	Transferred		Northern	Sat 28Oct2023
323209	Birmingham New Street	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323210	Shenstone	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323211	Four Oaks	Wed 03Jan2024	Ray
323212	Bromsgrove	Wed 27Dec2023	RailUK	To Wolverton, then Northern Wed 10Jan2024	Thu 04Jan2024
323213	Sutton Coldfield	Tue 09Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323214	Wylde Green	Tue 26Dec2023	RailUK		At Wolverton for repairs
323215	Gravelly Hill	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray
323216	University	Tue 09Jan2024	RailUK
323217	Chester Road	Mon 29Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323218	Lichfield City	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323219	Kings Norton	Sun 28Jan2024	RailUK	Northern
323220	Lichfield Trent Valley	Wed 27Dec2023	RailUK	To Wolverton, then Northern Wed 10Jan2024	Sat 06Jan2024
323221	Was 'Northfield' (now in 'Centro' livery)	Sun 28Jan2024	RailUK
323222	Redditch	Mon 22Jan2024	RailUK
323240	Erdington	Mon 29Jan2024	RailUK
323241	Dave Pomroy 323 Fleet Engineer 40 Years Service.	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
323242	Alvechurch	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
323243	Longbridge	Wed 10Jan2024	Ray	Northern
END

Except for 214, all the WM units have been in action in January.
The three 'exports' and one unit still at Wolverton are definitely being missed, with a noticeable increase in single unit workings.

 

[RealTrains07]

The 323s are last to replaced by the looks of it, Walsall to Wolverhampton is next to release 350s. The transfers have been happening to allow more 730s to come onto Soho I think.

Does kinda make sense sending the 730s to walsall to wolverhampton next as the displaced 350s could then be sent south to cover the ex 319 diagrams and those 730s could then be moved up to the west midlands?

 

[AJDesiro]

Does kinda make sense sending the 730s to walsall to wolverhampton next as the displaced 350s could then be sent south to cover the ex 319 diagrams and those 730s could then be moved up to the west midlands?

There’s no point in that, there’s already arguably more 730/0s than WMT need (30/48 will be needed in the West Midlands for the Cross City, Walsall-Wolves and Chase Line services, with that number rising to 38/48 when the Tring/MK services are added to the mix - 10 units spare should be plenty), and it would just cause Bletchley traincrew knowledge on them to lapse, costing more in the long term when staff have to be retrained on them. The 350s displaced will either allow the first few 350/2s to go off lease, or bolstering of LNR services until the 730/2s come along.

 

[thealexweb]

Any word when the next 323 moves north? We’ve had a lot of short formed services as two car DMUs last week.

 

[Harvey B]

How many 323s have been transferred so Far?

Also, What's happening with the remaining 323s that aren't going to Northern?

 

[Liam L]

How many 323s have been transferred so Far?

Also, What's happening with the remaining 323s that aren't going to Northern?

3 so far, The ones not going are to be returned to poterbrook.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2024 ==

Any word when the next 323 moves north? We’ve had a lot of short formed services as two car DMUs last week.

I believe the next ones will transfer when the 730s start to replace them on the cross city.

 

[thealexweb]

3 so far, The ones not going are to be returned to poterbrook.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2024 ==


I believe the next ones will transfer when the 730s start to replace them on the cross city.

Is this imminent?

Do we know if Northern are just extending the sub lease month by month now that initial sub lease has ended?

Thank you.

 

[Liam L]

Is this imminent?

Well, the 730 units are due to enter service on walsall to wolves line first, but that's keep being pushed back due to delays in crew training (due to overtime bans and other factors) so I think still some months away yet.

I believe the units subleases will keep being extended till they can be transfered.

 

[childwallblues]

Ex WMT units 208 and 212 are now at Preston for type training of Blackpool and Wigan crews.

 

[GhostManDN91]

Ex WMT units 208 and 212 are now at Preston for type training of Blackpool and Wigan crews.

Sounds exciting then once that gets finished. Hoping to see more 323s in service at Wigan some day.

 

[JW4]

29 January
323205 and 323222 Redditch
30 January
323201 Duddeston
323206 Barnt Green
323215 Gravelly Hill
323218 Lichfield City

 

[p1ash]

Went on 220 today with Northern - seemed to perform really well with very good acceleration - was this a ‘good’ unit?
Unit was much cleaner inside than Northern’s other units - vinyl deep cleaned etc. Northern need to up their game!

 

[Liam L]

Went on 220 today with Northern - seemed to perform really well with very good acceleration - was this a ‘good’ unit?
Unit was much cleaner inside than Northern’s other units - vinyl deep cleaned etc. Northern need to up their game!

220 was a good one when it here imo. There still better ones to be transfered to northern though. Out of three there so far, 220 is the best one in my personal opinion.

 

[JW4]

323221 working alone today

323222 Redditch working with another unit

217 and 213 both out

209 New Street working alone

210 also out

 

[Gonzalez]

Just noticed the 323221 doesn't have any usb plugs which would explain why it's not picked up by Northern.

 

[31160]

So how many of the fleet will be potentially without any use

 

[Class15]

So how many of the fleet will be potentially without any use

9 units.

 

[jonesy3001]

So how many of the fleet will be potentially without any use

17 going to northern, the other 9 going into warm storage they "might" end up at northern depending on the electrification works on the wigan to bolton line and when stalybridge is ready.

 

[31160]

17 going to northern, the other 9 going into warm storage they "might" end up at northern depending on the electrification works on the wigan to bolton line and when stalybridge is ready.

Thanks for the reply

 

[43096]

Just noticed the 323221 doesn't have any usb plugs which would explain why it's not picked up by Northern.

Other way round. Only the units identified for transfer to Northern received the USBs.

 

[Liam L]

any usb plugs which would explain why it's not picked up by Northern.

Only the ones going to Northern will get USB ports added. The 9 not going (201,204,211,214-16,221-22,240) won't gain them.