Class 196+197 emergency coupling tests - did they ever happen?

[tfw756rider]

Hi,

I used to read this site for several years before I joined, and I remember a discussion from a few years ago (so probably in 2022), where someone said that coupling a 196 and 197 together around Shrewsbury (or between Shrewsbury and Birmingham) was being looked into, for the purpose of testing 196+197 formations for emergency purposes.

I haven't heard anything about it since though, so does anyone know if anything ever came from it / the tests ever actually happened?

 

[Peter749]

I thought the 196 + 197 units were identical apart - from internal fittings?
Both have the same couplings.

 

[Russel]

Even if physically possible, I would bet the amount of paperwork and red tape would make it not a practical option in a real situation.

These days it's easier to just let the service fall apart and the passengers fend for themselves.

 

[WirralLine]

There is a "Civity UK rescue mode" on the 197 TCMS system but whether the test ever went ahead i dont know.

 

[tfw756rider]

I thought the 196 + 197 units were identical apart - from internal fittings?

No, 197s have 196 cabs but 195 bodysides - from a proposed edit someone mentioned on the talk page of the 197 Wikipedia article:

197 exterior design is actually mix of 196 and 195

It is currently stated that the 197s having the end-gangwayed cabs makes them look "very similar" to the 196s, and yes, this is easily noticeable, but the 197s also have the 195 bodyside layout. I'd like to put the following in the article:

"The Class 197 has the same exterior cab design as the Class 196, with the end gangways, lower coupler height, smaller destination displays and different lights when compared to the non-end-gangwayed Class 195.

However, the Class 197 has the same bodyside layout as the Class 195; it did not adopt the higher window quantity, smaller window size, in-body (rather than in-window) side destination displays or slightly different door positioning of the Class 196."

For this reason, the model railway bodyshells from CMAC come in three separate driving vehicle types ("195", "196" and "197"), but only two centre car types ("195/197" and "196").

Both (196s and 197s) have the same couplings.

Correct.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Sep 2025 ==

There is a "Civity UK rescue mode" on the 197 TCMS system but whether the test ever went ahead i dont know.

Thanks for the first bit and no worries on the second

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Sep 2025 ==

Even if physically possible, I would bet the amount of paperwork and red tape would make it not a practical option in a real situation.

These days it's easier to just let the service fall apart and the passengers fend for themselves.

Yeah, it's a shame.

 

[Peter749]

No, 197s have 196 cabs but 195 bodysides - from a proposed edit someone mentioned on the talk page of the 197 Wikipedia article:

So yes the 196s and the 197s have different body shells but they both have the same cabs with the coupling and gangway at the same height.
But the positioning of doors and destination indicators makes no difference.

So why can they not couple?

I'm sure at this point you will quote other threads i have not seen rather than just answering this question

 

[tfw756rider]

So yes the 196s and the 197s have different body shells
But the positioning of doors and destination indicators (and size and quantity of windows) makes no difference.

I know that makes no difference to coupling, but you said:

I thought the 196 + 197 units were identical apart - from internal fittings?

So I pointed out how that's not in fact the case, even though the differences have nothing to do with coupling.

So why can they not couple?

196s+197s can couple together in theory, but no-one seems to know of the tests having been carried out - as @WirralLine said:

There is a "Civity UK rescue mode" on the 197 TCMS system but whether the test ever went ahead i dont know.

I'm sure at this point you will quote other threads i have not seen rather than just answering this question

Well, hopefully I have "just answered this question" (immediately above)

 

[Peter749]

I know that makes no difference to coupling, but you said:

So I pointed out how that's not in fact the case, even though the differences have nothing to do with coupling.

196s+197s can couple together in theory, but no-one seems to know of the tests having been carried out - as @WirralLine said:

Well, hopefully I have "just answered this question" (immediately above)

I had seen you previous reply about the 196 and 197 differences and I replied
" So yes the 196s and the 197s have different body shells but they both have the same cabs with the coupling and gangway at the same height.
But the positioning of doors and destination indicators makes no difference."

So you quoted my previous question again for no reason.

You just did what you normally do and split questions up instead of just replying.

 

[craigybagel]

Coupling to 196s is covered in 197 training for drivers. As mentioned above there is a specific button on the TCMS for it. It says it's for Civity UK, but 196s are the only CAF units currently compatible. The TCMS on the two units aren't compatible with each other, so a combined combination would have to run with it isolated - so it's not ideal for regular use. It comes with a 75mph speed restriction (moot, as there's nowhere both units run with a higher line speed anyway).

 

[driverd]

Its crazy that the 195/331 have the civity uk rescue mode but are unable to rescue anything (even each other). It just all makes so much sense!

 

[WirralLine]

Coupling to 196s is covered in 197 training for drivers. As mentioned above there is a specific button on the TCMS for it. It says it's for Civity UK, but 196s are the only CAF units currently compatible. The TCMS on the two units aren't compatible with each other, so a combined combination would have to run with it isolated - so it's not ideal for regular use. It comes with a 75mph speed restriction (moot, as there's nowhere both units run with a higher line speed anyway).

Presumably because the 195 connection pins on the coupler are above, whereas 196/197 are below.

 

[tfw756rider]

Coupling to 196s is covered in 197 training for drivers. As mentioned above there is a specific button on the TCMS for it. It says it's for Civity UK, but 196s are the only CAF units currently compatible. The TCMS on the two units aren't compatible with each other, so a combined combination would have to run with it isolated - so it's not ideal for regular use.

Thanks a lot I take it that it hasn't had to be used so far then?

It comes with a 75mph speed restriction (moot, as there's nowhere both units run with a higher line speed anyway).

Don't 196s and 197s (separately, with their respective operators!) run at up to 90mph (or more?) between Wolverhampton and Birmingham? Still, 75mph is a lot higher than I was expecting for emergency/rescue purposes, was the same speed that 150s (and 150/158 combos) could go up to between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, and is 5mph higher than the 70mph linespeed of the Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton line.

 

[craigybagel]

Presumably because the 195 connection pins on the coupler are above, whereas 196/197 are below.

Indeed.

Thanks a lot I take it that it hasn't had to be used so far then?


Don't 196s and 197s (separately, with their respective operators!) run at up to 90mph (or more?) between Wolverhampton and Birmingham? Still, 75mph is a lot higher than I was expecting for emergency/rescue purposes, was the same speed that 150s (and 150/158) combos could go up to between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, and is 5mph higher than the 70mph linespeed of the Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton line.

Wolverhampton - Birmingham is 75 max, with two short sections of 60 along the way, so even 75 isn't sustainable for very long.

197s can briefly hit 100 on the run out to International though, clear signals permitting.

 

[Peter749]

Its crazy that the 195/331 have the civity uk rescue mode but are unable to rescue anything (even each other). It just all makes so much sense!

I seem to remember seeing a picture on FB where a 331 failed and a 195 rescued it - somewhere in the North West rather than the Leeds area

 

[tfw756rider]

Wolverhampton - Birmingham is 75 max, with two short sections of 60 along the way, so even 75 isn't sustainable for very long.

197s can briefly hit 100 on the run out to International though, clear signals permitting.

Thanks, I couldn't find any clear information and the different lines round there confuse me. Must have been one of those situations of thinking it was faster than it actually was.

 

[driverd]

I seem to remember seeing a picture on FB where a 331 failed and a 195 rescued it - somewhere in the North West rather than the Leeds area

They can't electrically couple so it would have been an awfully slow move.

 

[Peter749]

They can't electrically couple so it would have been an awfully slow move.

I think they did it as the 331 had failed and it moved the train in to a station to de-train the passengers

 

[saismee]

I think they did it as the 331 had failed and it moved the train in to a station to de-train the passengers

Didn't this happen at Manchester Piccadilly when Manchester Oxford Road was isolated due to a fire? I seem to remember the units in some of the platforms were stranded and needed to be dragged out by 195s.

 

[Peter749]

Didn't this happen at Manchester Piccadilly when Manchester Oxford Road was isolated due to a fire? I seem to remember the units in some of the platforms were stranded and needed to be dragged out by 195s.

That might have been what I read.