Luton Airport Express at Bletchley this afternoon

[WolvertonWorks]

Apologies if I've put this in the wrong place, mods please feel free to move.

On the train back from Euston this afternoon when we stopped at Bletchley there was an EMR liveried train with Luton Airport Express on the cab on a nearby platform.
I think the unit was 360102.

A trial run for a new route using the line from Bletchley to Bedford and then up the line from Bedford to Luton Airport Parkway crossed my mind but I'm guessing that wasn't the reason for it being there.

If anyone has any knowledge of why it was at Bletchley around 16:05 I'd be interested to know.

Thanks

 

[Vexed]

The class 360 EMR Connect / Luton Airport Express (they have two names...) units run from St Pancras to Corby but have heavy maintenance done off route at Siemens Northampton Depot, dragged by a loco from the MML to Bletchley then up to Northampton.

 

[Supercoss]

The 21 unit fleet have light maintenance at Bedford Cauldwell depot and stable at Kettering or Cricklewood. If heavy maintenance or jacking required they are diesel hauled to Northampton Kings Heath depot as you can not get off the Midland Mainline route onto any other route with an AC only EMU . The drag used to go via North London but runs via Bletchley Bedford line with reversal at Bletchley
If you are familiar with the “ 7 days” song from Craig David
* ear worm time * ..
“ Unit fails on a Monday
Towed to Kings Heath on a Tuesday
Lifted on the jacks on Wednesday
And on Thursday fixed all day
Towed back to Kettering on Friday
We chilled on Saturday “

 

[tfw756rider]

If you are familiar with the “ 7 days” song from Craig David
* ear worm time * ..
“ Unit fails on a Monday
Towed to Kings Heath on a Tuesday
Lifted on the jacks on Wednesday
And on Thursday fixed all day
Towed back to Kettering on Friday
We chilled on Saturday “

(90s baby)

 

[QSK19]

The 21 unit fleet have light maintenance at Bedford Cauldwell depot and stable at Kettering or Cricklewood. If heavy maintenance or jacking required they are diesel hauled to Northampton Kings Heath depot as you can not get off the Midland Mainline route onto any other route with an AC only EMU . The drag used to go via North London but runs via Bletchley Bedford line with reversal at Bletchley
If you are familiar with the “ 7 days” song from Craig David
* ear worm time * ..
“ Unit fails on a Monday
Towed to Kings Heath on a Tuesday
Lifted on the jacks on Wednesday
And on Thursday fixed all day
Towed back to Kettering on Friday
We chilled on Saturday “

I’d love to know what happens on Sunday

 

[WolvertonWorks]

Thanks - so not as surprising a sight as I thought

 

[Haywain]

A trial run for a new route using the line from Bletchley to Bedford

I think some overhead wires will be needed first!

 

[Supercoss]

Sixteen and 1/2 miles of missing overhead line across the Marston Vale
An Electric train sits at Bletchley with the destination showing Bedford!

 

[DarloRich]

It is a fairly regular occurrence often on a Friday evening

 

[godfreycomplex]

The 21 unit fleet have light maintenance at Bedford Cauldwell depot and stable at Kettering or Cricklewood. If heavy maintenance or jacking required they are diesel hauled to Northampton Kings Heath depot as you can not get off the Midland Mainline route onto any other route with an AC only EMU . The drag used to go via North London but runs via Bletchley Bedford line with reversal at Bletchley
If you are familiar with the “ 7 days” song from Craig David
* ear worm time * ..
“ Unit fails on a Monday
Towed to Kings Heath on a Tuesday
Lifted on the jacks on Wednesday
And on Thursday fixed all day
Towed back to Kettering on Friday
We chilled on Saturday “

Superb!

 

[Failed Unit]

I think some overhead wires will be needed first!

Is dragging it more or less of an issue than taking it under its own power through the congestion of North London?

 

[edwin_m]

Is dragging it more or less of an issue than taking it under its own power through the congestion of North London?

Using 25kV power it would need to reverse at St Pancras Low Level and again somewhere on the southern ECML to get to the WCML via the North London Line.

 

[stadler]

Using 25kV power it would need to reverse at St Pancras Low Level and again somewhere on the southern ECML to get to the WCML via the North London Line.

Surely it could do Bedford - London Saint Pancras High Level - Camden Road - Primrose Hill - West Coast Main Line - Northampton which is a fairly simple and quick route with one reversal and would keep it entirely on overhead wires.

 

[Supercoss]

They are gauge cleared via St Pancras low level plat A but hauled only .
Added complication that locos not permitted in Canal Tunnel link to East Coast Mainline so you can not get off the Midland Mainline route in AC mode

 

[Haywain]

London Saint Pancras High Level - Camden Road

Theconnection is from the HS1 side of St Pancras, and the connection from there to the Midland main line is not electrified (and possibly never used).

 

[zwk500]

Surely it could do Bedford - London Saint Pancras High Level - Camden Road - Primrose Hill - West Coast Main Line - Northampton which is a fairly simple and quick route with one reversal and would keep it entirely on overhead wires.

Don't believe there's a connection from Platforms 1-4 at St Pancras to Camden Road. You'd need to use the maintenance connection from the MML into the Eurostar Platforms to access the NLL, and I believe the MML > St Pancras P5-10 link isn't electrified, and the St Pancras > NLL link signalling wasn't fully commissioned. But open to correction on those points. Oh, and also a 360 would need dispensation from being fitted with KVB.

They are gauge cleared via St Pancras low level plat A but hauled only .
Added complication that locos not permitted in Canal Tunnel link to East Coast Mainline so you can not get off the Midland Mainline route in AC mode

Is there a particular reason for these restrictions or is it more that nobody ever applied for the clearances under it's own power?

 

[Pumbaa]

Pantograph is incompatible with the restricted height in StP box. Until someone can invent a 110mph pantograph that can fit into the required space, there is no electric route.

 

[Vexed]

Pantograph is incompatible with the restricted height in StP box. Until someone can invent a 110mph pantograph that can fit into the required space, there is no electric route.

Did the 110mph 387s have to have their pantographs swapped out when getting cleared for the core when they were used by Thameslink?

 

[stadler]

Theconnection is from the HS1 side of St Pancras, and the connection from there to the Midland main line is not electrified (and possibly never used).

Don't believe there's a connection from Platforms 1-4 at St Pancras to Camden Road. You'd need to use the maintenance connection from the MML into the Eurostar Platforms to access the NLL, and I believe the MML > St Pancras P5-10 link isn't electrified, and the St Pancras > NLL link signalling wasn't fully commissioned. But open to correction on those points. Oh, and also a 360 would need dispensation from being fitted with KVB.

Is there a particular reason for these restrictions or is it more that nobody ever applied for the clearances under it's own power?

Ah i had presumed that short bit of track was electrified. It seems odd that they never thought to electrify that very short bit of track. It would make moving trains around easier.

I am also surprised that the short section linking West Hampstead to Upper Holloway is not electrified. I thought they would have done that when the GOBLIN Line was electrified. If that was electrified then it would offer another simpler way to get from Bedford to Northampton entirely on overhead wires.

So it looks like the only way to get a 360 from Bedford to Northampton under the wires would be Bedford - London Saint Pancras Low Level (reverse) - Finsbury Park - Harringay (reverse) - Crouch Hill - Hampstead Heath - Kensal Rise - West Coast Main Line - Northampton which keeps it under the wires.

 

[Haywain]

So it looks like the only way to get a 360 from Bedford to Northampton under the wires would be Bedford - London Saint Pancras Low Level (reverse) - Finsbury Park - Harringay (reverse) - Crouch Hill - Hampstead Heath - Kensal Rise - West Coast Main Line - Northampton which keeps it under the wires.

Except that, as already pointed out above, 360s are not cleared to run into St Pancras low level under their own power.

 

[stadler]

Except that, as already pointed out above, 360s are not cleared to run into St Pancras low level under their own power.

True but surely it would not be difficult to get the 360s cleared in to St Pancras Low Level under their own power. If they wanted to then i am sure they could easily clear them to operate there. I can not think of any major obstacles preventing it.

 

[QSK19]

Except that, as already pointed out above, 360s are not cleared to run into St Pancras low level under their own power.

Would it be hard to get clearance for such a move?

Given the government’s eco drive, I’d have thought anything to cut out diesel usage and move to electric-only would be tempting, even if it’s very small in the grand scheme of things.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Sep 2025 ==

True but surely it would not be difficult to get the 360s cleared in to St Pancras Low Level under their own power. If they wanted to then i am sure they could easily clear them to operate there. I can not think of any major obstacles preventing it.

You beat me to it

 

[MCR247]

Would it be hard to get clearance for such a move?

Given the government’s eco drive, I’d have thought anything to cut out diesel usage and move to electric-only would be tempting, even if it’s very small in the grand scheme of things.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Sep 2025 ==


You beat me to it

Didn’t they just approve a new runway at Gatwick though

 

[Pumbaa]

Did the 110mph 387s have to have their pantographs swapped out when getting cleared for the core when they were used by Thameslink?

Good point, and I’m not sure. All I know is the version used by the Siemens stock is not able to meet the required spec.

 

[zwk500]

Ah i had presumed that short bit of track was electrified. It seems odd that they never thought to electrify that very short bit of track. It would make moving trains around easier.

Its a maintenance sidings, chances are if anything was using that track the power would be off. You need KVB signalling fitted to use St Pancras's HS1 side, which 360s dont.

I am also surprised that the short section linking West Hampstead to Upper Holloway is not electrified. I thought they would have done that when the GOBLIN Line was electrified. If that was electrified then it would offer another simpler way to get from Bedford to Northampton entirely on overhead wires.

theres a big tunnel that would have whacked the cost up for minimal demand. And the route onto the Goblin then reverse and down the City Lines isnt easy to path.

True but surely it would not be difficult to get the 360s cleared in to St Pancras Low Level under their own power. If they wanted to then i am sure they could easily clear them to operate there. I can not think of any major obstacles preventing it.

Explained above, the pantograph doesn't fit under the tunnel roofs.

 

[stadler]

Its a maintenance sidings, chances are if anything was using that track the power would be off. You need KVB signalling fitted to use St Pancras's HS1 side, which 360s dont.

theres a big tunnel that would have whacked the cost up for minimal demand. And the route onto the Goblin then reverse and down the City Lines isnt easy to path.

Explained above, the pantograph doesn't fit under the tunnel roofs.

How can a 360 pantograph not fit when the 360 and 700 run under the same tracks and same lines for the entire Midland Mainline section North of the station? That does not make sense. St Pancras Low Level has seen a wide variety of stock since opening (317 319 377 387 700 707 717) so it seems odd that the 360 pantographs do not fit. If a 360 pantograph can not fit here then how is it fitting on the Midland Mainline where the 360 and 700 share the same wires and therefore require the same pantograph height?

 

[zwk500]

How can a 360 pantograph not fit when the 360 and 700 run under the same tracks and same lines for the entire Midland Mainline section North of the station? That does not make sense. St Pancras Low Level has seen a wide variety of stock since opening (317 319 377 387 700 707 717) so it seems odd that the 360 pantographs do not fit. If a 360 pantograph can not fit here then how is it fitting on the Midland Mainline where the 360 and 700 share the same wires and therefore require the same pantograph height?

The issue, as outlined by @Pumbaa, is that the 110mph pan doesn't fit under the St Pancras Station box, which has extremely restricted clearances that the main Midland Mainline (including Platforms 1-4) don't have to worry about.

Pantograph is incompatible with the restricted height in StP box. Until someone can invent a 110mph pantograph that can fit into the required space, there is no electric route.

 

[stadler]

The issue, as outlined by @Pumbaa, is that the 110mph pan doesn't fit under the St Pancras Station box, which has extremely restricted clearances that the main Midland Mainline (including Platforms 1-4) don't have to worry about.

But that still makes no sense in how the 360 and 700 share tracks along the entire Midland Mainline to the North of the station? If the 360 has a pantograph one height but the 700 has a pantograph another height then how do both fit under the same wires North of the station?

 

[zwk500]

But that still makes no sense in how the 360 and 700 share tracks along the entire Midland Mainline to the North of the station? If the 360 has a pantograph one height but the 700 has a pantograph another height then how do both fit under the same wires North of the station?

The wires north of the station are higher above the tracks than the wires are (well, conductor bar is) in the Station Box.

Compare the pan height in this photo:

Govia Thameslink class 700 electric train on the 4 track Midland Mainline passing Ampthill, Bedfordshire Stock Photo - Alamy

Download this stock image: Govia Thameslink class 700 electric train on the 4 track Midland Mainline passing Ampthill, Bedfordshire - 2R9AEX2 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.

www.alamy.com

To this one:

The Thameslink line you'll see on official maps that doesn't actually exist

Look above the doors next time you travel on Thameslink

www.mylondon.news

For context, here's a 360 in the high level platforms:

British Rail Class 360 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[stadler]

The wires north of the station are higher above the tracks than the wires are (well, conductor bar is) in the Station Box.

Compare the pan height in this photo:
View attachment 188829

Govia Thameslink class 700 electric train on the 4 track Midland Mainline passing Ampthill, Bedfordshire Stock Photo - Alamy

Download this stock image: Govia Thameslink class 700 electric train on the 4 track Midland Mainline passing Ampthill, Bedfordshire - 2R9AEX2 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.

www.alamy.com

To this one:

The Thameslink line you'll see on official maps that doesn't actually exist

Look above the doors next time you travel on Thameslink

www.mylondon.news

For context, here's a 360 in the high level platforms:

British Rail Class 360 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Oh i never realised what a big difference in overhead wire height there was. I am surprised the 360 can not adjust the pantograph heights but all of the other stock can. So on a 700 i presume the driver has to press something to adjust the pantograph height when going in to and coming out of the tunnels? Presumably the older 317 319 377 387 stock must have had the ability to adjust pantograph heights too?