Class 730 LNR & WMR Delivery/test Updates

[ayubdaud]

The same arrangement used when a 12 car 350 calls, platform 12. There is an aspiration to clear platform 1 for permissive working to allow them to use that with the Northern services. The benefit being that it doesn’t have to cross the entire WCML on departure, which doesn’t do performance any good.

I was under the impression P1 was already permissive, I suspect Northern / platform staff wouldn't stop in the correct position to allow another service to arrive though.

 

[AJDesiro]

I was under the impression P1 was already permissive, I suspect Northern / platform staff wouldn't stop in the correct position to allow another service to arrive though.

Ah yes, I've just had a look and yeah it's definitely authorised. WMT are looking at using P1 though, it's a bit of a squeeze (at least in the up direction, it's fine in the down) but it's possible and would give performance benefits (at least leaving Crewe) vice P7, where currently far too many trains end up leaving a few minutes late, often leading to larger delays further down the line.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Ah yes, I've just had a look and yeah it's definitely authorised. WMT are looking at using P1 though, it's a bit of a squeeze (at least in the up direction, it's fine in the down) but it's possible and would give performance benefits (at least leaving Crewe) vice P7, where currently far too many trains end up leaving a few minutes late, often leading to larger delays further down the line.

And often missing the connection at Rugeley TV.

 

[RealTrains07]

Yes, LNR wish to extend the Euston-Crewe services to Manchester Victoria via Warrington. They also wish to extend the Stafford-Crewe service to Manchester Aiport.

Do we know when this will happen?, ive seen nothing submitted to the ORR and LNR said it was going to submit the changes last year?

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Do we know when this will happen?, ive seen nothing submitted to the ORR and LNR said it was going to submit the changes last year?

We were told they had submitted these plans early last year and were awaiting the go ahead. Maybe that wasn't totally truthful

 

[Bletchleyite]

First short form today - 5 car on the 0656 BLY-EUS. Probably be enough to be fair, it's not a busy train. Maybe a few standees from Watford.

 

[45076]

Does anyone know why 041 has gone to Gascoigne wood and then Derby?

 

[mansonlo49]

Does anyone know why 041 has gone to Gascoigne wood and then Derby?

Did it went Derby? Can’t find any working

 

[Peter Mugridge]

730 213 + 730 233 have just failed at Euston with the 14.54 Tring...

 

[The_Train]

730 213 + 730 233 have just failed at Euston with the 14.54 Tring...

Get some 350/2's off Wembley then

 

[craig87034]

1W51 1619 Euston-Northampton 730234 5 vice 10 only going to Bletchley this afternoon

 

[Liam L]

Does anyone know why 041 has gone to Gascoigne wood and then Derby?

Modifications, However it's not known what being looked at.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

730 213 + 730 233 have just failed at Euston with the 14.54 Tring...

Update on this... It's a door fault.

On the inbound, the guard attempted to release the doors from one of the panels, but nothing happened.

As he was walking to another panel to release from there, the doors opened before he got to the second panel, so a rather concerning delayed reaction from the software from the look of it.

 

[Liam L]

Update on this... It's a door fault.

On the inbound, the guard attempted to release the doors from one of the panels, but nothing happened.

As he was walking to another panel to release from there, the doors opened before he got to the second panel, so a rather concerning delayed reaction from the software from the look of it.

Seems like the 730s are still having issues with doors.... I've lost count the amount of times my cross city trains have been delayed by doors refusing to work.

I remember not long ago the service before mine at University struggled to get the doors to stay shut and then my service after, the door I boarded had to be manually shut by the guard as it refused to go all the way!

Hopefully whatever mods 041 is in for, It will have something to do with the doors.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Seems like the 730s are still having issues with doors.... I've lost count the amount of times my cross city trains have been delayed by doors refusing to work.

I remember not long ago the service before mine at University struggled to get the doors to stay shut and then my service after, the door I boarded had to be manually shut by the guard as it refused to go all the way!

Hopefully whatever mods 041 is in for, It will have something to do with the doors.

I believe most of the issues with doors is to do with the software rather than hardware. There is a very specific process and if it is not followed, rather than simply not working, like most tractions, it causes other gremlins to appear and sporadic failures such as these.

There are modifications due on cab doors and locks plus a few other bits, not sure if some are now going to be sorted on the depots or still all being done externally.

 

[45076]

Did it went Derby? Can’t find any working

It was reported on WNXX

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Jul 2025 ==

Modifications, However it's not known what being looked at.

Thanks

 

[mansonlo49]

It was reported on WNXX

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Jul 2025 ==


Thanks

What’s that WNXX?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Jul 2025 ==

Inbound loco got cancelled this morning, so no drag from Gascoigne wood to Bletchley today

 

[tfw756rider]

What’s that WNXX?

Another online railway forum.

 

[800001]

What’s that WNXX?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Jul 2025 ==

Inbound loco got cancelled this morning, so no drag from Gascoigne wood to Bletchley today

Wnxx is an enthusiast website which publishes information of loco, unit moves including pictures. There is also forums and much much more on there site.

I’ve attached the link to there website below

[wnxx] Traction News, Fleet Data, Withdrawn & Stored Locomotives UK

 

[mansonlo49]

Another online railway forum.

Wnxx is an enthusiast website which publishes information of loco, unit moves including pictures. There is also forums and much much more on there site.

I’ve attached the link to there website below

Thanks for the info

 

[craig87034]

Saturday 10 car action today the old diagram 2 of west coast 730 action

0659 Bletchley-Euston
0824 Euston-Tring
0915 Tring-Euston
1009 Euston-Keynes
1130 Keynes-euston
1254 euston-Tring
1345 Tring-Euston
1439 Euston-keynes
1600 keybes-euston
1724 Euston-Tring
1815 Tring-Euston
1909 Euston-bletchley

 

[778]

Saturday 10 car action today the old diagram 2 of west coast 730 action

0659 Bletchley-Euston
0824 Euston-Tring
0915 Tring-Euston
1009 Euston-Keynes
1130 Keynes-euston
1254 euston-Tring
1345 Tring-Euston
1439 Euston-keynes
1600 keybes-euston
1724 Euston-Tring
1815 Tring-Euston
1909 Euston-bletchley

Are there 7 diagrams for Tring/MK services on a Saturday?

 

[Tram203]

Are there 7 diagrams for Tring/MK services on a Saturday?

The basic "pattern" is 9 circuits on a 4.5 hour cycle - e.g a train will work 0939 Euston - MK and return, 1224 Euston - Tring and return, 1409 Euston - MK etc etc.

Theoretically I believe the same 9 trains should remain on this circuit through the majority of the day, however today has seen several swaps of pairs of 350's between these circuits, the Birmingham route and the Crewe route.

 

[trundlewagon]

Is there an ongoing issue with the toilets or is it simply poor design (ie inadequate water capacity) that they can't last anywhere near a day in service?

Very rare to find a functioning toilet on them once you get beyond about 8pm.

 

[TheTallOne]

Is there an ongoing issue with the toilets or is it simply poor design (ie inadequate water capacity) that they can't last anywhere near a day in service?

Very rare to find a functioning toilet on them once you get beyond about 8pm.

I think it's because the tanks aren't emptied on a daily basis.

There's not enough room at the depots for all the trains (I think they are expanding the depots), so some are stabled overnight at stations.

The first train out of Redditch on Sunday is stabled at Birmingham New Street (so that had no working toilets Sunday morning!).

I guess some of the stabling could be for operational reasons too, but in my eyes they should take such trains to the depot during the day, empty the tanks, fill the water, then carry on. Not sure how practical that would be though - can they swap a train with a spare one? Can they build a gap into a timetable to do it?

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Is there an ongoing issue with the toilets or is it simply poor design (ie inadequate water capacity) that they can't last anywhere near a day in service?

Very rare to find a functioning toilet on them once you get beyond about 8pm.

Doesn't help that they can't be tanked at stations as the access is underneath. So that means only Bletchley and Soho can tank them currently.

Every 3 days is the aim for tanking

 

[Bletchleyite]

I find it says a lot about passengers being a low priority with WMT management that ensuring toilet provision is maintained (and it's bad on the 350s too at times) was not a key input to the design of both the units and how they would operate from day one.

I can think of nothing else that discriminates against more protected characteristics at once. It gets four - age (older people are more likely to need it), sex (men can more easily use a bush or bottle), disability (e.g. Crohn's) and pregnancy (because with the baby there frequency of need increases).

I strongly hope they are taken to Court for this flagrant breach of disability legislation.

 

[Kite159]

I find it says a lot about passengers being a low priority with WMT management that ensuring toilet provision is maintained (and it's bad on the 350s too at times) was not a key input to the design of both the units and how they would operate from day one.

I can think of nothing else that discriminates against more protected characteristics at once. It gets four - age (older people are more likely to need it), sex (men can more easily use a bush or bottle), disability (e.g. Crohn's) and pregnancy (because with the baby there frequency of need increases).

I strongly hope they are taken to Court for this flagrant breach of disability legislation.

Especially when some guards lock out the gangway doors to prevent someone walking through to the other unit which might have a working toilet. On both the 730s & 350s. (Although the 730s are due to design faults)

 

[warwickshire]

Wednesday 09th July 2025
5Q77 1106 Gascoigne Woods to Bletchley T.M.D, was cancelled today, so no movement of a 7302 to Bletchley.

However please, how many 7302s are still in store at Gascoigne Woods, or still in store elsewhere. Still waiting transfer Ie remaining ones still awaiting transferring over to lnwr at Bletchley. Thank you

Kind regards
Warwickshire

 

[mansonlo49]

Today seen 730220+730230 paired, is it the first day for 230? Thanks