London NorthWestern Railway Class 350/2 withdrawal

[mansonlo49]

The replacements are in service, around 10 350/2s were able to go off lease when 730/0s were introduced on the Walsall-Wolverhampton and Chase Line services, and a further 2 will have been displaced by the pair of 730/2s diagrammed in the week. A further 2 730/2s are expected to enter service on an all day diagram on Monday.

There’s been lots of disruption these last two days so it’s natural that units will have been displaced.

So is it the 730/0s got changed over or just a 350? Thanks

 

[AJDesiro]

So is it the 730/0s got changed over or just a 350? Thanks

The new all day 730/2 diagram is replacing a 350 diagram IIRC. Priority is to get rid of the 350/2s ASAP.

 

[Tram203]

The replacements are in service, around 10 350/2s were able to go off lease when 730/0s were introduced on the Walsall-Wolverhampton and Chase Line services, and a further 2 will have been displaced by the pair of 730/2s diagrammed in the week. A further 2 730/2s are expected to enter service on an all day diagram on Monday.

There’s been lots of disruption these last two days so it’s natural that units will have been displaced.

It isn't just today that 4-car short formations are and have been happening, it's been a daily occurrence for months. Putting it down to disruption over the last couple of days is just glossing over it and sweeping it under the carpet.

Only 1 pair of 730/0's sees use on the MK / Tring circuit on Saturdays, again this has been the case for months. 3 or 4 if not more pairs sit idle on Bletchley, while at the same time, numerous 4-car 350's are flogging up and down on not just the MK / Tring locals (where they are arguably and occasionally just about acceptable) but also on Birmingham and Crewe circuits where they are absolutely not.

Some of the off-lease units in Wembley haven't turned a wheel since before Christmas, simply because the DfT / railway (delete or insert other as appropriate) isn't interested in providing a service to the passengers, purely extracting more and money from them to satisfy its own greed.

 

[43096]

Some of the off-lease units in Wembley haven't turned a wheel since before Christmas, simply because the DfT / railway (delete or insert other as appropriate) isn't interested in providing a service to the passengers, purely extracting more and money from them to satisfy its own greed.

Given the billions in taxpayer subsidy paid out to the railway every year, it’s not “greed”.

 

[mansonlo49]

The new all day 730/2 diagram is replacing a 350 diagram IIRC. Priority is to get rid of the 350/2s ASAP.

thanks，IIRC？

 

[tfw756rider]

thanks，IIRC？

"If I recall correctly"

 

[Class15]

The new all day 730/2 diagram is replacing a 350 diagram IIRC. Priority is to get rid of the 350/2s ASAP.

It’s a shame that that is the priority while we still have many 6 car trains out of Euston in the peak.

 

[JonathanH]

It’s a shame that that is the priority while we still have many 6 car trains out of Euston in the peak.

Some of those 6 car trains operate from Euston platform 10 at some point during the day including in the peak. I don't think replacing 6-car with 5-car would go down well (although is that ultimately anticipated by this post or am I misreading it?).

One current wcml 730/0 diagram every fortnight goes over to 730/2 from 23rd June was the plan...

 

[mansonlo49]

"If I recall correctly"

I see thanks

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It’s a shame that that is the priority while we still have many 6 car trains out of Euston in the peak.

6 car trains with more standing room than an 8-350 though.

 

[778]

One current wcml 730/0 diagram every fortnight goes over to 730/2 from 23rd June was the plan...

The new all day 730/2 diagram is replacing a 350 diagram IIRC. Priority is to get rid of the 350/2s ASAP.

Has the plan changed? Will the 350/2s now be taken off LNR services before the 730/0s?

 

[87015]

Has the plan now changed? Will the 350/2s now be replaced first before all the 730/0s are taken off LNR services?

Why would they take 730/0s away when they have nothing else to do with then until/if they are finally made to put 6tph back on the Crosscity, which they'll dig every excuse not to do out and probably need the operator split to make it happen?

 

[778]

Why would they take 730/0s away when they have nothing else to do with then until/if they are finally made to put 6tph back on the Crosscity, which they'll dig every excuse not to do out and probably need the operator split to make it happen?

I think it was something to do with driver training.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

I think it was something to do with driver training.

Removing the /0s from the south WCML would have zero impact on train crew training which up until now has been on ecs.

Unsure how far along Bletchley/Northampton are but can't imagine there's many that are untrained.

Crewe is around 30% trained on 730/2s so far, likely to be finished in around 8-10 weeks apart from moping up those that couldn't be planned in so far

 

[AJDesiro]

Why would they take 730/0s away when they have nothing else to do with then until/if they are finally made to put 6tph back on the Crosscity, which they'll dig every excuse not to do out and probably need the operator split to make it happen?

6tph on the cross city requires Kings Norton to be remodelled thanks to the camp hill local service. It also requires a depot at Bescot to be built.

 

[D365]

6tph on the cross city requires Kings Norton to be remodelled thanks to the camp hill local service. It also requires a depot at Bescot to be built.

Is there a thread to discuss these in further detail?

 

[Liam L]

Is there a thread to discuss these in further detail?

https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...rmingham-cross-city-line.288322/#post-7343842

Started one

 

[Russel]

The new all day 730/2 diagram is replacing a 350 diagram IIRC. Priority is to get rid of the 350/2s ASAP.

Is this simply down to cost or is there another reason for wanting the 350/2s gone ASAP?

 

[E B]

Why would they take 730/0s away when they have nothing else to do with then until/if they are finally made to put 6tph back on the Crosscity, which they'll dig every excuse not to do out and probably need the operator split to make it happen?

The Wolves - Walsall services are all 3 cars which could be extended to 6, and WMR could really do with extra capacity on matchdays at Villa Park.

 

[778]

Removing the /0s from the south WCML would have zero impact on train crew training which up until now has been on ecs.

Unsure how far along Bletchley/Northampton are but can't imagine there's many that are untrained.

Crewe is around 30% trained on 730/2s so far, likely to be finished in around 8-10 weeks apart from moping up those that couldn't be planned in so far

Will there be any 730/2s based at Northampton? I thought that they were all going to be based at Bletchley?

 

[AJDesiro]

Will there be any 730/2s based at Northampton? I thought that they were all going to be based at Bletchley?

They are all going to be based at Bletchley, King’s Heath will be used for 350s and the odd EMR 360. @SCDR_WMR was referring to Northampton traincrew.

 

[150249]

Units have moved to Wolverton in the past for end of lease work, so it may be off lease already (233?) or another one being prepared to depart.

Wasn't 233 the one involved in the Northampton floods?

 

[blogham]

Is it me or did Avanti manage to get their new trains out faster ? Does anyone know when the next batch are set to retire?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jun 2025 ==

Does anyone know if the derailed 350/2 return after repairs or force early retirement

 

[Liam L]

Does anyone know if the derailed 350/2 return after repairs or force early retirement

Depends on how much damage their is, But it will be repaired before going off lease I'd imagine as Poterbrook would want their unit back in working condition.

 

[AJDesiro]

Is it me or did Avanti manage to get their new trains out faster ? Does anyone know when the next batch are set to retire?

In all fairness, the 805/807 fleet needed far less testing (the 805 didn't even need a proper braking test), which helped them enter service after only 5 years rather than 6 (730/0) or nearly 8 (730/2) years. The main hurdle at the moment is driver training, since I am lead to understand that traincrew(?) diagrams on the future 730/2 services are quite complex. The 730/0s were rolled out at a rate of about one a week once they started appearing on the cross city line.

 

[TwinTurbostar]

The Wolves - Walsall services are all 3 cars which could be extended to 6, and WMR could really do with extra capacity on matchdays at Villa Park.

I doubt it, a 3-car 730/0 isn't that much shorter than a 4 car 350, and many of the stations can't take any longer.

 

[mansonlo49]

5Z17 1054 Northampton EMD to DB Cargo Fan A&B SDGS, any info thanks?

 

[Kite159]

I doubt it, a 3-car 730/0 isn't that much shorter than a 4 car 350, and many of the stations can't take any longer.

Especially the bay platform at Wolverhampton.

The solution for when there is a match at Villa Park is for WMR to run additional services nonstop to Witton, maybe going as far as making Witton pick-up only on the Walsall stoppers.

 

[AJDesiro]

Especially the bay platform at Wolverhampton.

The solution for when there is a match at Villa Park is for WMR to run additional services nonstop to Witton, maybe going as far as making Witton pick-up only on the Walsall stoppers.

Of course the former is already done, but making Witton pick-up only would be problematic considering that the Witton football specials aren't super frequent (see also the backlash they've received from reducing the Bordesley service on match days).

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Of course the former is already done, but making Witton pick-up only would be problematic considering that the Witton football specials aren't super frequent (see also the backlash they've received from reducing the Bordesley service on match days).

Bordesley will cease to exist soon enough so not sure anyone really cares about backlash lol