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Class 379 Miscellanea

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STN commuter

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If the line is to capacity, I guess the only logical move is to make more services 12-car... but can many stations be upgraded?

Never mind 12, I remember the hassle when they tried to extend the country platforms up to Cambridge to 8 coach working from 4! :oops:
 
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jopsuk

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If the line is to capacity, I guess the only logical move is to make more services 12-car... but can many stations be upgraded?

12 car is planned for December for Cambridge peak services- though I'm not sure if those will then skip Broxbourne and Chesunt? Work is underway at Cambridge to add a 12-car island, and Whittlesford, Audley End, Bishops Stortford and Tottenham Hale are all already long enough (plus others?).
 

O L Leigh

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That's the problem with running 12 car services. Unless they can get the SDO working properly on the Cl379s it means that they will have to be limited stop services which will only service to reduce capacity at certain stations. Broxbourne and Cheshunt may not seem vitally important in the wider scheme of things, but they are both busy stations and both interchanges. If you permit 12 car services without SDO to run a limited stop service they will only soak up paths and provide a less useful service.

A better start would be ensuring that existing 4 car services to/from Camdbridge, Hertford and Stratford are strengthened up to 8 cars, at least until Bombardier can figure out how to get the SDO to work reliably. At the moment the Cl379s are running without it and any attempt to switch the system back on just creates faults, failures and huge delays.

O L Leigh
 

jopsuk

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some (not all) though of the Cambridge 4-car services continue/start to/from Ely/Kings Lynn and call at Waterbeach- which is four car isn't it?

Certainly at least one, if not both, of Chesunt and Broxbourne ideally needs to be 12 car- for interchange purposes Chesunt would be preffered (having Southbury loop terminators), but Broxbourne would presumably be much more practical to extend?

Is Harlow Town 12-car ready?
 

O L Leigh

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some (not all) though of the Cambridge 4-car services continue/start to/from Ely/Kings Lynn and call at Waterbeach- which is four car isn't it?

Yup. But these services often combine or divide at Cambridge making them 8's south of there, so there's nothing to prevent them from combining to make a 12.

Certainly at least one, if not both, of Chesunt and Broxbourne ideally needs to be 12 car- for interchange purposes Chesunt would be preffered (having Southbury loop terminators), but Broxbourne would presumably be much more practical to extend?

Neither. Both stations would require pointwork, OLE structures and signals to be moved to accommodate the additional platform length. Of the two Cheshunt is probably marginally easier, but we really are just talking about degrees of difficulty.

Is Harlow Town 12-car ready?

Again, yup.

O L Leigh
 
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Has anyone got any info on what 379's are currently working together or are they coupled up ad hoc in the mornings?

Any help would be appreciated.

From what I've seen, they don't get swapped around very much. It always seems the same pair are together. It must be when they return to Ilford for maintenance they get swapped around. 317's were always getting swapped around here there and everywhere.
I'll post whats paired to what tomorrow morning when I get to work.....

019 & 021 were together yesterday... that's all I can remember.

007 & 017 were together for ages at one point, but they're separated now.
 

swt_passenger

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Certainly at least one, if not both, of Chesunt and Broxbourne ideally needs to be 12 car- for interchange purposes Chesunt would be preffered (having Southbury loop terminators), but Broxbourne would presumably be much more practical to extend?

I guess so. The platform extension plans for Broxbourne are available on line via Broxbourne BC planning website - Ref 07/10/0418/LB. (I don't think you can link directly to individual applications though, you'd have to search.)

What they intend to do is extend just the platform 2 and 3 faces, with fencing to the opposite sides against the P1 and P4 tracks once the width reduces to less than 2.5m. The majority of the extensions are at the country end, the down platform gets 18 m (south) and 57 m (north), the up platform is similarly 15 m and 60 m longer. Doesn't seem to be any mention of track changes in the supporting bumph.

NR reckon this job is at Grip 6 for completion between August and December. :o
 

jopsuk

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So, from that the diffcult bit shfting the signals I guess- reckon that's actually feasible to be done by Decemeber.

What on earth though is Listed at Broxbourne station?
 

swt_passenger

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Aictos

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the 379 is using onboard cameras for DOO isn't it (like the 377 and 172, among others)? Perhaps a 317-compatible coupler would not have been able to work with this sytem?

The 379s aren't fully under DOO dispatch just yet, they are capable and should be CD/RA at staffed stations like the 377s are over on the Thameslink route but from what I understand it's a basically blow a whistle to warn passengers to stand clear of the doors, put your arm up to indicate to the driver that it's now okay to close the doors then as soon as the driver gets interlock then off they go.

I don't agree with the current practices as it should either be fully DOO with the driver using the onboard CCTV cameras to dispatch themselves or Assisted DOO with platform staff giving the driver the CD to close the doors then RA to depart.

Obviously this wouldn't apply to the 317s, 315s, 360s etc....
 

O L Leigh

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Has anyone got any info on what 379's are currently working together or are they coupled up ad hoc in the mornings?

There are restrictions on how Cl379s can be formed up at present. They were built for GSM-R only, but the GSM-R system has been delayed due to technical issues with the lineside equipment. Therefore the Cl379s are having to use portable CSR sets. Problem is that there is only a limited number so there is a set in one end of each unit and not the other. Therefore units have to be formed up carefully so that the non-CSR cabs are "buried" into the middle of the formation.

The 379s aren't fully under DOO dispatch just yet, they are capable and should be CD/RA at staffed stations like the 377s are over on the Thameslink route but from what I understand it's a basically blow a whistle to warn passengers to stand clear of the doors, put your arm up to indicate to the driver that it's now okay to close the doors then as soon as the driver gets interlock then off they go.

Not quite correct.

The Cl379s are being dispatched normally at Liv St and Stansted Airport with CD/RA, but not at Bishops Stortford, Harlow Town and, I'm fairly sure, Tottenham Hale (stands to be corrected), even when staff are present to dispatch. In fact, platform staff don't seem to get involved with Cl379 dispatch at all, not even to blow a whistle.

I don't agree with the current practices as it should either be fully DOO with the driver using the onboard CCTV cameras to dispatch themselves or Assisted DOO with platform staff giving the driver the CD to close the doors then RA to depart.

I'm not a great fan of this idea either. If it's a staffed station I think that ALL trains should be dispatched with CD/RA where staff are present to do so. The fact that a train may or may not have DOO CCTV really doesn't make a lot of difference to me.

O L Leigh
 

STN commuter

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Has anyone got any info on what 379's are currently working together or are they coupled up ad hoc in the mornings?

Any help would be appreciated.

My normal train (0615 ex SSD) this morning was comprised of 023 and 025.

That's the highest numbered pair I've seen so far and didn't look like they have been in service very long (very few scuff marks on the yellow warning strips in the doorway).
 
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Has anyone got any info on what 379's are currently working together or are they coupled up ad hoc in the mornings?

Any help would be appreciated.

Stansted Express services today consist of:

317710 & 317664
317722 & 317654
379011 & 379012
379007 & 379014
317719 & 317732
317708 & 317714
379010 & 379018
379023 & 379024
379005 & 379013
 

tbtc

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Stansted Express services today consist of:

317710 & 317664
317722 & 317654
379011 & 379012
379007 & 379014
317719 & 317732
317708 & 317714
379010 & 379018
379023 & 379024
379005 & 379013

I take it the 317s displaced from Stansted Express duties will just go to lengthen other services? Nothing is being withdrawn/ no additional services?
 

STN commuter

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Stansted Express services today consist of:

317710 & 317664
317722 & 317654
379011 & 379012
379007 & 379014
317719 & 317732
317708 & 317714
379010 & 379018
379023 & 379024
379005 & 379013

I may have been mistaken (it was early), but I could have sworn it was 023/ 025 I got on at 0600 this morning......:-?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Stansted Express services today consist of:

317710 & 317664
317722 & 317654
379011 & 379012
379007 & 379014
317719 & 317732
317708 & 317714
379010 & 379018
379023 & 379024
379005 & 379013

And the good news is, there is therefore only a 1 in 9 chance I will have to get on a 317/6 this evening......(2 in 9 chance the set will have a 317/6 in, and 50/50 that it will be the back half :D).

Hell, I might even get to be on a 379 'down' for the very first time......:eek:
 

87015

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Cambridge, Ely and King Lynn diagrams from next week I'm told, including an all day Cambridge circuit. Be interesting to see if its a four car on its own or an eight.
 

jopsuk

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There was a pair sitting in the sidings at Cambridge at about 1730 this evening.
 
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Cambridge, Ely and King Lynn diagrams from next week I'm told, including an all day Cambridge circuit. Be interesting to see if its a four car on its own or an eight.

I take back everything I said about the 379's not working Cambridge services until December:

The plan is:

To London:

0618 from Kings Lynn (4 car from Kings Lynn, 8 car from Cambridge)
0748 from Cambridge
0802 from Ely (4 car only)
1132 from Cambridge
1432 from Cambridge
1451 from Cambridge
1751 from Cambridge
1951 from Cambridge

Towards Cambridge (all times from Liverpool St)

0558, 0928, 0958, 1258, 1558, 1628, 1813, 1928

Also 0722 & 1824 Cambridge to Ely services.

This plan is subject to change.
 

DjU

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I take it the 317s displaced from Stansted Express duties will just go to lengthen other services? Nothing is being withdrawn/ no additional services?

Nothing is being withdrawn, all the units will be staying with NXEA.

I think the plan is the 317/8 will stay on the WA side to strengthen services, plus 379s doing Cambridge circuits will free up other 317s too.

I believe the May timetable has seen a number of existing WA services strengthened and a few moved over from 315 operation to 317. December will see a recast of the timetable and hopefully should support some 12 car running.


However I think the plan for the 9x 317/7 is for them to move over to the GE side and be used on things like the 17.02 Norwich relief service, the Stowmarket morning starters and Harwich Boat Trains.

That should free up 321 and 360 for even more strengthening on the GE side.

The Romford - Upminster shuttle is now diagrammed to be a 317/5 as standard
 

tbtc

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Nothing is being withdrawn, all the units will be staying with NXEA.

I think the plan is the 317/8 will stay on the WA side to strengthen services, plus 379s doing Cambridge circuits will free up other 317s too.

I believe the May timetable has seen a number of existing WA services strengthened and a few moved over from 315 operation to 317. December will see a recast of the timetable and hopefully should support some 12 car running.

However I think the plan for the 9x 317/7 is for them to move over to the GE side and be used on things like the 17.02 Norwich relief service, the Stowmarket morning starters and Harwich Boat Trains.

That should free up 321 and 360 for even more strengthening on the GE side.

The Romford - Upminster shuttle is now diagrammed to be a 317/5 as standard

Thanks for this, very informative
 

jopsuk

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I take back everything I said about the 379's not working Cambridge services until December:

The plan is:

Cheers for that. The 1558 from Liverpool Street- as that goes forward to Waterbeach and Ely, will it remain 4 car?
 
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379's today on Stansted Express services:

379011 & 012
379007 & 014
379010 & 018
379005 & 013
379016 & 025

4 sets of 317's too:

317710 & 664
317719 & 732
317729 (4 car only at the moment)
317708 & 714
 
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379026 & 027 out today on Stansted Express services- first workings are 1B14 0625 London- Stansted, and 1B15 0730 Stansted- London.
 
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379's today on Stansted Express services:

379011 & 012
379007 & 014
379010 & 018
379005 & 013
379016 & 025

4 sets of 317's too:

317710 & 664
317719 & 732
317729 (4 car only at the moment)
317708 & 714

This is probably a silly question, but if there are nine diagrams and the assumption is that at some stage, 379s will be formed into 12-car trains, how (when there are only 30 x 4-car units) will there ever be enough 379s to operate Stansteds and Cambridge services?

I know that they will probably only run 12-cars in the peaks, but do the "learned ones" here, think that 30 units is enough and if not, is there a provision in the contract with Bombardier for a follow-on order?
 
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This is probably a silly question, but if there are nine diagrams and the assumption is that at some stage, 379s will be formed into 12-car trains, how (when there are only 30 x 4-car units) will there ever be enough 379s to operate Stansteds and Cambridge services?

I know that they will probably only run 12-cars in the peaks, but do the "learned ones" here, think that 30 units is enough and if not, is there a provision in the contract with Bombardier for a follow-on order?

I believe the 12 cars will be on Cambridge services only, and at that there will only be a couple of them as there won't be enough units. 18 units are required for the Stansted Express, which leaves 12, there's a couple left for maintenance, so I would imagine there may only be 1 or 2 12 car sets and the others will run in 8 car formation.
 

jopsuk

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also, the 12 car Cambridge services don't have to be 379s- at the 12 car stations, there's 12 car DOO monitors on the platforms already.
 
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also, the 12 car Cambridge services don't have to be 379s- at the 12 car stations, there's 12 car DOO monitors on the platforms already.

The plan is (from what I've found):

12 car services only to/from Cambridge using class 379's on the following peak services:

0648 from Cambridge
0718 from Cambridge (4 coaches from Kings Lynn- 8 coaches added at Cambridge)
0748 from Cambridge

1707 to Kings Lynn
1737 to Cambridge
1807 to Kings Lynn

The 317's are not planned to be used in 12 car formation on the West Anglia route.
 
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