Varamis Rail Class 321s & 325s”

[Bertie the bus]

It is not the most important but a Class 1 service would not, normally, be an ECS working.

I'm well aware of that but so what? WCRC brought 3 of their locos back from Derby today running as a Class 5 instead of a Class 0. Just because that ran as a Class 5 doesn't mean ithe consist included coaching stock.

 

[Class15]

I'm well aware of that but so what? WCRC brought 3 of their locos back from Derby today running as a Class 5 instead of a Class 0. Just because that ran as a Class 5 doesn't mean ithe consist included coaching stock.

Did it actually show as a Class 5 on diagrams or was it just booked to be a Class 5?

 

[sad1e]

There is at least one unit in the Inter City sidings visible from Stonebridge Park station.
Couldn’t tell from a distance if it is a 321 or the 325 - in silver vinyls - that left Platform 1 at PRDC on Monday.

Will try to get a look tomorrow

I went past it today and there were two silver 321's being Shunted about by 08's , it looked like they were being prepared to be shunted up into the yard.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2025 ==

Unless a ROG loco is already at Wembley, 0H73 from Derby RTC today doesn't seem to be running so a possibility 0J72/5Q76 won't run either...

Realtime Trains | 0Z61 1559 London Euston to Wembley H.S. | 06/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 0Z61 1559 departure from London Euston to Wembley H.S. on 06/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

57303 went to Wembley earlier today , it could very well be this loco doing the drags considering it did a few earlier in the year.

 

[DBS92042]

I went past it today and there were two silver 321's being Shunted about by 08's , it looked like they were being prepared to be shunted up into the yard.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2025 ==

Realtime Trains | 0Z61 1559 London Euston to Wembley H.S. | 06/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 0Z61 1559 departure from London Euston to Wembley H.S. on 06/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

57303 went to Wembley earlier today , it could very well be this loco doing the drags considering it did a few earlier in the year.

57303 is currently fitted with dellners, so unless they're swapped out at Wembley tonight it won't be able to drag any 321s

 

[bluesfromagun]

It is not the most important but a Class 1 service would not, normally, be an ECS working.

That's very true, but whether it was changed would depend on the operator bothering to tell NR Train Running Control that it wasn't operating as a revenue-earning service. Given the rumours about operating practices at Varamis, it would be no great shock if they'd not passed that information on and just left it as a class 1.
Ultimately it makes no great odds, it's a DOO train with no scheduled stops. We're not talking about passenger trains with people on them.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

5Q76 0820 Willesden Railnet Receptn to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) has not run as of 09:29

Realtime Trains | 5Q76 0820 Willesden Railnet Receptn to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) | 07/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q76 0820 departure from Willesden Railnet Receptn to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) on 07/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Wyrleybart]

Is someone able to help with the Varamis fleet please ? AIUI they started oif with three or maybe four class 321s - which had had seats removed and protective / lashing rails installed for trollies. I think 321428 and 3214129 were two of these.

Then I think the fleet was augmented piecemeal with more 321s, but perhapsI mistakenly thought they would be stored for an uplift in custom, and maybe didn't have the seat removal mods

More recently it seems Varamis have bought / leased the remaining six class 325s.

So my questions really are - how many 321s have been converted , and have been used so far, and is the Willesden - Newport 5Q76 "scrap train" likely to be for unconverted 321s rather than for 321s which Varamis have used ?

TIA

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Is someone able to help with the Varamis fleet please ? AIUI they started oif with three or maybe four class 321s - which had had seats removed and protective / lashing rails installed for trollies. I think 321428 and 3214129 were two of these.

Then I think the fleet was augmented piecemeal with more 321s, but perhapsI mistakenly thought they would be stored for an uplift in custom, and maybe didn't have the seat removal mods

More recently it seems Varamis have bought / leased the remaining six class 325s.

So my questions really are - how many 321s have been converted , and have been used so far, and is the Willesden - Newport 5Q76 "scrap train" likely to be for unconverted 321s rather than for 321s which Varamis have used ?

TIA

The 325s were owned outright by Royal Mail, so Varamis must have bought them.

 

[Wyrleybart]

The 325s were owned outright by Royal Mail, so Varamis must have bought them.

I had wondered that, unless Varamis found a "finance house" to buy the 325s from Royal Mail then lease them.
Maybe ?

 

[DBS92042]

Is someone able to help with the Varamis fleet please ? AIUI they started oif with three or maybe four class 321s - which had had seats removed and protective / lashing rails installed for trollies. I think 321428 and 3214129 were two of these.

Then I think the fleet was augmented piecemeal with more 321s, but perhapsI mistakenly thought they would be stored for an uplift in custom, and maybe didn't have the seat removal mods

More recently it seems Varamis have bought / leased the remaining six class 325s.

So my questions really are - how many 321s have been converted , and have been used so far, and is the Willesden - Newport 5Q76 "scrap train" likely to be for unconverted 321s rather than for 321s which Varamis have used ?

TIA

321334/407/419/428/429 were the converted units with seats removed and rails installed etc
321338/339/341/342/440 remain in as withdrawn from passenger use condition in terms of interior

Of these 321339/440 are the only two that haven't appeared on any Varamis Rail Birmingham/Mossend working yet and have spent all their time in Northampton Up TC Sdgs until moving to Willesden Railnet Sdgs earlier this year

 

[Wyrleybart]

321334/407/419/428/429 were the converted units with seats removed and rails installed etc
321338/339/341/342/440 remain in as withdrawn from passenger use condition in terms of interior

Of these 321339/440 are the only two that haven't appeared on any Varamis Rail Birmingham/Mossend working yet and have spent all their time in Northampton Up TC Sdgs until moving to Willesden Railnet Sdgs earlier this year

Thanks for that. So the chances are the Newport pair will be from the second mentioned batch.

Fngers crossed that Varamis can get out of their hole, but perhaps things are not great if they have pulled their only two units in Scotland away from Mossend. I assume that their basic service was Mossend to Birmingham International and back, so if and when they restart operations there will need to be an ECS from Wembley / Willesden to restart.

 

[DBS92042]

Thanks for that. So the chances are the Newport pair will be from the second mentioned batch.

Fngers crossed that Varamis can get out of their hole, but perhaps things are not great if they have pulled their only two units in Scotland away from Mossend. I assume that their basic service was Mossend to Birmingham International and back, so if and when they restart operations there will need to be an ECS from Wembley / Willesden to restart.

The Varamis 321 fleet is maintained at Wembley InterCity Depot so may just be a case of bringing them back 'home' if they're not planned to be used again until September. After all 321429 needs a new pantograph and likely some more work having been out of use at Mossend for a couple of months now

 

[Trainbike46]

5Q76 0820 Willesden Railnet Receptn to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) has not run as of 09:29

Realtime Trains | 5Q76 0820 Willesden Railnet Receptn to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) | 07/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q76 0820 departure from Willesden Railnet Receptn to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) on 07/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Do we have any indication the Newport paths are anything to do with Varamis rather than any of the other units around Willesden that are in a bad state / ready for scrap?

 

[Wyrleybart]

Do we have any indication the Newport paths are anything to do with Varamis rather than any of the other units around Willesden that are in a bad state / ready for scrap?

Good point. Are there any ex Anglia fleets stored at Willesden like there are or were at Warrington ?

 

[800001]

Do we have any indication the Newport paths are anything to do with Varamis rather than any of the other units around Willesden that are in a bad state / ready for scrap?

Not that I'm aware of.

All just speculation on here.

 

[sad1e]

Do we have any indication the Newport paths are anything to do with Varamis rather than any of the other units around Willesden that are in a bad state / ready for scrap?

The only other stock in bad condition around there are royal mail loco hauled carriages in willesden Brent sidings.

I highly doubt it will be those going for scrap though as Brent sidings are disconnected from the mainline and many of the aformentioned royal mail carriages have trees growing up through them and are in such a poor condition they would have to be scrapped on site.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Aug 2025 ==

Good point. Are there any ex Anglia fleets stored at Willesden like there are or were at Warrington ?

Nope , the last 2 ex Anglia 321s were 321327 and 329 and they went for scrap around a month ago , there are no other 321s left now other then the Varamis fleet.

 

[43096]

I had wondered that, unless Varamis found a "finance house" to buy the 325s from Royal Mail then lease them.
Maybe ?

For at least the third time, Varamis own the 325s.

 

[Wyrleybart]

For at least the third time, Varamis own the 325s.

Thanks for the info
Message understood

 

[ExRes]

Got a Linkedin message today which quotes a current job vacancy for 'Chief Commercial Officer' at Varamis Rail from 5 days ago with over 100 applicants

 

[Suraggu]

Got a Linkedin message today which quotes a current job vacancy for 'Chief Commercial Officer' at Varamis Rail from 5 days ago with over 100 applicants

Brave, foolish or chancers?

 

[Skimpot flyer]

321328 looking in a sorry state in Wembley Inter City depot today
<images show huge graffiti tags plastered over the unit>
I hate to see this kind of vandalism and am sharing the images only to show the terrible damage it does to the eyes

 

[Royston Vasey]

Brave, foolish or chancers?

Are you referring to the applicants, or...

 

[swt_passenger]

Got a Linkedin message today which quotes a current job vacancy for 'Chief Commercial Officer' at Varamis Rail from 5 days ago with over 100 applicants

It’s linked in the other Varamis thread:

Varamis Rail Given Operators Licence from ORR

Perchance it is not dead, just sleepeth? https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4279372862/?refId=hBlvaHM441c%2F0I2JPrDNMQ%3D%3D&trackingId=hBlvaHM441c%2F0I2JPrDNMQ%3D%3D

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[wickham]

321328 looking in a sorry state in Wembley Inter City depot today
<images show huge graffiti tags plastered over the unit>
I hate to see this kind of vandalism and am sharing the images only to show the terrible damage it does to the eyes

How on earth do these people get into these places - if you show up at the gate with a camera, you are likely to be chased off !!

 

[sad1e]

How on earth do these people get into these places - if you show up at the gate with a camera, you are likely to be chased off !!

You can get a shot of most trains in. The InterCity depot from the window of a Passing train on the DC lines.

 

[Suraggu]

Are you referring to the applicants, or...

I referred to them after a post about the interview in Rail as deluded…

 

[pokemonsuper9]

How on earth do these people get into these places - if you show up at the gate with a camera, you are likely to be chased off !!

Most of the time it's done under the cover of night, wearing dark clothing and not using the proper enterances.

 

[trainmania100]

Most of the time it's done under the cover of night, wearing dark clothing and not using the proper enterances.

As it goes, it takes a bizarre individual to break in, waste their money on enough paint to cover an entire vehicle with pointless "art" of no interest to anyone, fully aware it'll get taken off anyway. Probably not even their money, it'll be the taxpayers through some sort of benefit.

 

[Class15]

You can get a shot of most trains in. The InterCity depot from the window of a Passing train on the DC lines.

I don’t think that’s quite what was meant…

 

[LRV3004]

Is someone able to help with the Varamis fleet please ? AIUI they started oif with three or maybe four class 321s - which had had seats removed and protective / lashing rails installed for trollies. I think 321428 and 3214129 were two of these.

Then I think the fleet was augmented piecemeal with more 321s, but perhapsI mistakenly thought they would be stored for an uplift in custom, and maybe didn't have the seat removal mods

More recently it seems Varamis have bought / leased the remaining six class 325s.

So my questions really are - how many 321s have been converted , and have been used so far, and is the Willesden - Newport 5Q76 "scrap train" likely to be for unconverted 321s rather than for 321s which Varamis have used ?

TIA

The most “up to date” (last updated in July last year) list I have is:
321334
321339
321341
321342
321407
321419
321428
321429
321440
Don’t know if anything has since been added/removed since then; I tried to keep up to date with the fleet whenever Varamis posted an update on “X”!