Gbrf 769/5 Parcels units, ex 769/9 GWR units

[warwickshire]

Today (Thursday 06th March 2025) whilst at Leicester I witnessed both 769549 and 769535, at Leicester Light Loco Depot, Gbrf owned being driven around on various shunt moves, to the up and down goods loop around the side of platform 4 and back into the depot again.

Obviously they are now being moved on shunt moves around the depot and station areas at Leicester.

They look very nice and new outside, very nicely turned out and immaculate.
Also underneath have had a lot of work done to them, inside have proper parcels shelves fitted as well,

Meanwhile whilst running around they sound very healthy and ready for service for the parcels trials as already mentioned elsewhere on here, please feel free to update any further trials or sightings on this thread or any updates into service, testing etc please.

Kind regards
Warwickshire

 

[Nym]

I don't recall any 'shelves' being fitted, just equipment for securing cages.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Today (Thursday 06th March 2025) whilst at Leicester I witnessed both 769549 and 769535, at Leicester Light Loco Depot, Gbrf owned being driven around on various shunt moves, to the up and down goods loop around the side of platform 4 and back into the depot again.

Obviously they are now being moved on shunt moves around the depot and station areas at Leicester.

They look very nice and new outside, very nicely turned out and immaculate.
Also underneath have had a lot of work done to them, inside have proper parcels shelves fitted as well,

Did you see if they still had 3rd rail shoes?

 

[InTheEastMids]

In case others haven't seen, one of these units has been from Leicester to Euston via Nuneaton and back this week. There are photos and videos of it at Euston floating about on social media

 

[trainmania100]

Should be some photos here:

https://x.com/cmpd_date/status/1932197980469436616

The above link to X shows some outside and shots inside the unit at Euston.

 

[DBS92042]

Did you see if they still had 3rd rail shoes?

Neither 769549 or 769535 had 3rd rail shoes on their runs this week

 

[Nym]

Did you see if they still had 3rd rail shoes?

Neither 769549 or 769535 had 3rd rail shoes on their runs this week

Nor will they ever have them fitted as a Class 769/5.

 

[D365]

Nor will they ever have them fitted as a Class 769/5.

This does not surprise me. Retaining the third rail capability on a 769 requires a significant amount of engineering complexity.

 

[Nym]

This does not surprise me. Retaining the third rail capability on a 769 requires a significant amount of engineering complexity.

As does removing the 750V DC capabilities that were so difficult to "Retain" (translation, put back) on the 769/9s.

 

[D365]

As does removing the 750V DC capabilities that were so difficult to "Retain" (translation, put back) on the 769/9s.

I would have been scratching my head, but evidently the customer has requested this.

 

[ChristopherJ]

Should be some photos here:

https://x.com/cmpd_date/status/1932197980469436616

The above link to X shows some outside and shots inside the unit at Euston.

Chris Date has obviously seen the Financial Times article (below) about a new Freightliner parcels service, saw the Trimode 769s are being converted and (understandably) put 2+2 together.

Speculation is Freightliner Heavy Haul for M&S, they will road the shop cages from Castle Donnington to Crewe, where they will put on a 769 to Brighton. Use AC to West London Junction then DC to Brighton.

Once arrived in Brighton, they will be tripped for the short journey along North Street to that massive M&S superstore in Churchill Square.

 

[trainmania100]

Chris Date has obviously seen the Financial Times article (below) about a new Freightliner parcels service, saw the Trimode 769s are being converted and (understandably) put 2+2 together.

Speculation is Freightliner Heavy Haul for M&S, they will road the shop cages from Castle Donnington to Crewe, where they will put on a 769 to Brighton. Use AC to West London Junction then DC to Brighton.

Once arrived in Brighton, they will be tripped for the short journey along North Street to that massive M&S superstore in Churchill Square.

Eh? There's no big marks and Spencers in Brighton lol the one on western road isn't big. Is it April already

 

[Nym]

Chris Date has obviously seen the Financial Times article (below) about a new Freightliner parcels service, saw the Trimode 769s are being converted and (understandably) put 2+2 together.

Speculation is Freightliner Heavy Haul for M&S, they will road the shop cages from Castle Donnington to Crewe, where they will put on a 769 to Brighton. Use AC to West London Junction then DC to Brighton.

Once arrived in Brighton, they will be tripped for the short journey along North Street to that massive M&S superstore in Churchill Square.

Except some small problems...

769/0s have no 3rd rail capability.
769/4s have no 3rd rail capability.
769/5s have no 3rd rail capability...

Only the 769/9s do, but it's not available on the 769/5.

 

[DarloRich]

I am not sure the information above comes from an, erm, authorised source!

interestingly there was a Leicester > Euston test run in for last night but it did not happen. An interesting concept that I hope can be made to work. Anything getting lorries off the motorways must be a good thing surely? That we stopped doing this kind of thing & are having to reinvent the concept is a scandal

 

[meld3]

I'm sure its only a 5-year stop gap until Electric HGV's are mainstream. Volvo already has a 400km range HGV cab, with a 600km range debuting very soon.
Like it or not, 5 years from now and road haulage will be very different, especially hub to hub deliveries with rapid charging at each end, whereas rail can't get brand new trains working in that timescale (701, 810...)

 

[trainmania100]

Sorry I'm a bit thick...this talk of 769s to Brighton for marks and expencers, is it actually correct?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Sorry I'm a bit thick...this talk of 769s to Brighton for marks and expencers, is it actually correct?

Based on the 3rd rail equipment being taken away from the /5s, probably not.
I think we only have speculation about their potential routes at the moment.

 

[skyhigh]

I am not sure the information above comes from an, erm, authorised source!

The answer comes in the form of ChristopherJ/Chris Date, repeatedly returning banned member and general wind up merchant.

Don't believe anything he posts here (under about 15 different pseudonyms over the last year) or on Twitter.

 

[Wyrleybart]

I'm sure its only a 5-year stop gap until Electric HGV's are mainstream. Volvo already has a 400km range HGV cab, with a 600km range debuting very soon.
Like it or not, 5 years from now and road haulage will be very different, especially hub to hub deliveries with rapid charging at each end, whereas rail can't get brand new trains working in that timescale (701, 810...)

I don't doubt there will be a lot of HGV electrification in the UK - following on from Germany etc. But - IMHO there is quite a two tier Britain happening where some companies (multinationals) will see lots of investment in new and expensive tech, whilst plenty of other operators plod on with existing amd trusty stuff. How many local businesses do you see where card machines are NOT preferred because of the bank charges. The local guys who services and MOTs my car, prefers BACS, as do a number of local fooderies like Indian and Chinese - discount for cash.

It is good to see all those nice 24 plate Zenobe battery buses in Birmingham and Coventry but NXWM are still using 04 plate Tridents and Geminis until their MOTs fail. Meanewhile the 21 plate Hydros appear sporadically. And I believe the hydros only exist because of sexy new tech grants.

Apologies for the slight diversion

 

[Fincra5]

Neither 769549 or 769535 had 3rd rail shoes on their runs this week

They wont, if the Track isn't clear for 3rd Rail Either... NR like them removed!

 

[Elecman]

Any idea what the green 769 was doing at Euston it arrived around 12.00 today into Platform 8( I think)

 

[Zakaria Fadel]

Any idea what the green 769 was doing at Euston it arrived around 12.00 today into Platform 8( I think)

It was on Platform 10 I believe according to RTT

Realtime Trains | 5Q03 1220 London Euston to Stafford | 14/10/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q03 1220 departure from London Euston to Stafford on 14/10/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Roger B]

I saw 769549 and 769535 heading south through Milton Keynes Central at around 11.25 yesterday morning - on 5Q00, which is a bit of an odd one, because RTT shows it running throughout from Nuneaton to Euston, but it also carries a banner heading stating that the service was cancelled! Not seen that before.

 

[Rail_Sussex]

Maybe GBRf has a potential new contract for running parcel units?

 

[norbitonflyer]

Saw them pottering around at Leicester on Wednesday.