Updates On The Ex WM 323s at Northern

crosscity · 14 Jun 2025

diligentdave said:
Digital train installation on the ex-WMT 5 is supposed to start next week.

Is this something that will happen at Allerton, Longsight or Wolverton?

RailUK Forums

Liam L · 14 Jun 2025

crosscity said:
Is this something that will happen at Allerton, Longsight or Wolverton?

Id imagine allerton.

diligentdave · 16 Jun 2025

crosscity said:
Is this something that will happen at Allerton, Longsight or Wolverton?

MID (Manchester International Depot) or New Bank Street as they call it now. 323241 is the first unit.

Liam L · 16 Jun 2025

diligentdave said:
MID (Manchester International Depot) or New Bank Street as they call it now. 323241 is the first unit.

Is it 323213, 219, 241, 242 (?), 243 to be done? I cannot remember the exact numbers?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jun 2025 ==

Images of the store 323s at Long Marston, 323201, 323204, 323211, 323214, 323215, 323216, 323222 , 323240

323221 separate to the class, Presumably slowly being prepped for it's appearance at the greatest gathering.

https://x.com/JasonJennings12/status/1935783144373788857

Liam L · 3 Jul 2025

Liam L · 20 Jul 2025

Evening all, Any updates on 323243?

Also any progress on the current batch of units going through digital upgrades, I know 219 isn't done as I was onboard it yesterday out of Blackpool.

Thanks in advance.

Liam L · 16 Aug 2025

323241 has returned to traffic after it's digital upgrades, any ideas which unit has replaced it (if any)?

Phil Scott · 16 Aug 2025

Is 323221 still at Derby, or has it been returned to Long Marston?

Thanks

CR165022 · 16 Aug 2025

Phil Scott said:
Is 323221 still at Derby, or has it been returned to Long Marston?

Thanks

There was a move to Long Marston a few days after the event but I'm fairly sure that was 799201 not the 323.

Liam L · 16 Aug 2025

CR165022 said:
There was a move to Long Marston a few days after the event but I'm fairly sure that was 799201 not the 323.

It was the 799 as it ran via camp hill.

Not sure if 323s are cleared that way as every movement to long Marston has been booked via University.

stottyuk · 27 Aug 2025

323243 is finally out, currently on 2A86 1116 Crewe - Manchester Piccadilly via the Airport.

Liam L · 27 Aug 2025

LRV3004 · 27 Aug 2025

323243 has either failed or been swapped. It initially went onto the Hadfield line but only did one round trip before being replaced by 323233 which came empty from Ardwick.
323243 has ran empty to Longsight Excursion Platform.

_toommm_ · 29 Aug 2025

LRV3004 said:
323243 has either failed or been swapped. It initially went onto the Hadfield line but only did one round trip before being replaced by 323233 which came empty from Ardwick.
323243 has ran empty to Longsight Excursion Platform.

It was in service yesterday on Hadfields. Sounded good in both motor coaches, but it was shabby inside with the WMR seats still in place.

LRV3004 · 29 Aug 2025

_toommm_ said:
It was in service yesterday on Hadfields. Sounded good in both motor coaches, but it was shabby inside with the WMR seats still in place.

My mate said he’d seen it on the Hadfield line! The WMR seats will be there for a while yet; only 323213 has had Northern seats put in; the WMR ones were removed to act as spares for any others that need them.

BurtonM · 29 Aug 2025

LRV3004 said:
the WMR ones were removed to act as spares for any others that need them.

Does this mean Northern have no plans to "refurbish" the interiors?

Gordonman · 29 Aug 2025

BurtonM said:
Does this mean Northern have no plans to "refurbish" the interiors?

Not much point when the class 350's are on the horizon

Potteries 323 · 29 Aug 2025

Thought all the West Midlands 323s were being refurbished internally from September at Longsight with two more Class 323s being leased from those in store at Long Marston to cover for those away and might even be refurbished aswell?

Liam L · 29 Aug 2025

BurtonM said:
Does this mean Northern have no plans to "refurbish" the interiors?

A tender was put out and due to start in September. And some of the ex WMR units have had posters applied inside saying a refurb is coming.

BurtonM · 30 Aug 2025

Oh, wonderful. Looking forward to the 'improvement'.

swt_passenger · 30 Aug 2025

Gordonman said:
Not much point when the class 350's are on the horizon

Or not on the horizon, which seems to be the majority view of the contributors to the 350/2 discussion…

RailKnight786 · 1 Sep 2025

Refurbishment Will be commencing starting from next month realistically. On the 323 Interiors.

Potteries 323 · 1 Sep 2025

Any idea which extra Class 323s will be joining the Northern fleet?

Liam L · 1 Sep 2025

Potteries 323 said:
Any idea which extra Class 323s will be joining the Northern fleet?

As it stands, none I don't think. The tender stated Northern wanted a cost for extra 2 units to be put through incase they lease two extra.

diligentdave · 2 Sep 2025

RailKnight786 said:
Refurbishment Will be commencing starting from next month realistically. On the 323 Interiors.

Not as far as I know.

Liam L · 29 Oct 2025

323221 has finally returned to Long Marston after it's appearance at the greatest gathering.

Jacob Porrett · 29 Oct 2025

Does anyone think the stored 323s will be used again or will they just go for scrap eventually?

Razorblades · 29 Oct 2025

Jacob Porrett said:
Does anyone think the stored 323s will be used again or will they just go for scrap eventually?

Personally, I think the future is bleak and the fate is sealed for the surplus 323s:

Northern is the only viable home for these otherwise non-standard trains
Porterbrook is actively trying to market their much more lucrative/ modern/ higher book value Class 350/2 fleet
1 + 2 = Cinderella fleet

bramling · 29 Oct 2025

Razorblades said:
Personally, I think the future is bleak and the fate is sealed for the surplus 323s:

Northern is the only viable home for these otherwise non-standard trains

Porterbrook is actively trying to market their much more lucrative/ modern/ higher book value Class 350/2 fleet

1 + 2 = Cinderella fleet

Presumably it depends what happens with the 350/2 fleet. If these don’t go to Northern then Northern could, theoretically, be offered the 323s at a bargain rate.

But the leasing companies don’t seem to have a history of doing this, and it’s even less likely whilst the 350/2s are unemployed. Recent history seems to show the leasing companies are fairly happy to scrap stock, which no doubt maintains leasing rates high.

Davester50 · 29 Oct 2025

bramling said:
Presumably it depends what happens with the 350/2 fleet. If these don’t go to Northern then Northern could, theoretically, be offered the 323s at a bargain rate.

But the leasing companies don’t seem to have a history of doing this, and it’s even less likely whilst the 350/2s are unemployed. Recent history seems to show the leasing companies are fairly happy to scrap stock, which no doubt maintains leasing rates high.

Probably speculative, but why can't Future GBR make the Roscos an offer that suits both parties, and buy the redundant stock at scrap + small margin to incentivise them to sell?

Updates On The Ex WM 323s at Northern

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