720s made it to King's Lynn before the Greater Anglia cuts. Although I'm sure it was only ever a 5 coach set*
Theoretically it should be possible to only use the 720s on the Cambridge stoppers (and the Letchworth peak extras), with the Kings Lynn/Ely services all continuing to use 379s - the question would be whether 5-coach 720s (equivalent in length to 6 coaches of a 379/387, but with a high density layout) would provide sufficient capacity on these services, as it wouldn't be possible to use double sets because of the platform issue at Kings Cross that you mention.
Did you forget to finish this sentence? I'm not sure it makes sense.
The GN is fundamentally a railway for 8*20m=160m trains. Class 720s are 5*23m=115m trains, and just don't work in platforms 9 and 10 at Kings Cross, platforms 2 and 3 at Cambridge, at Kings Lynn, or at various intermediate stations, most notably Welwyn Garden City.
The GA trains to passenger trains to Kings Lynn ended before class 720s started on Cambridge line trains, though I think a few class 720s got to Kings Lynn on test trains.
The real solution would be to improve the reliability of the 379s of course, so they stop pulling down the overheads
I definitely agree with this, but would this need any more units/diagrams than now, as I assume it would just be a case of keeping units out all day which are currently only used during the peaks?
Also agree with this. There seems to be some strange 10 v 5 car diagrams throughout the day which I've always assumed is down to lack of units to strengthen the service but then this thread suggests otherwise. Surely the better use is to put all the units to work before anyone thinks about sending them elsewhere?
Not everything that is currently 5 car doubles up in the peaks, surprisingly - so there is scope to improve the utilisation.
Well.... In that case those 350/2s could instead go to a new Stanstead Express service thus freeing up 745s for Liverpool Street to NorwichPerhaps they could go to Northern to replace the 350/2s that are about to go there to replace the 323s
..
Would the 2x5-car work at St.Pancras with 24.2m vehicles?
Southminster trains can run 10 car, such as 1J07 this morning (RTT link)
I'll probably make quite a lot of people unhappy with this suggestion, but given the issues raised about 720s being used on Great Northern (platforming at Kings Cross) sending the spare 720s to EMR as you suggest, and the 360s to Great Northern would seem to fit quite well.
Even without their length they are also 100mph max unless modified whereas the 360s can sprint along at 110.
Makes perfect sense to me. Nobody should want to be popular
If the only outcome is 357s going for scrap as a result, I'm not sure it really makes much sense though, particularly if it results in single 720s replacing a pair of 357s.
I was thinking of complementing the existing fleet, rather than replacing the 357s, to allow for lengthening and service enhancements.
How much spare capacity exists on the c2c network for stabling and operation of more stock? I note that the 302 fleet once stood at 112 4-car units, but not all operated on the c2c routes.
Probably not but it’s going to cost. Why bother when you’ve got a perfectly good fleet that already does the job and has another 15-20 years in service ahead of it? Not only that but it’s now going through an extensive refurbishment.
The 360s are going through extensive refurbishment. And really good it looks too. Why would you want to do the same again with the. 720s?
Haha no not at all. They had a few pointless seats removed to improve passenger flow. Only refurb I can see them having in the medium to long term is to convert a sub fleet of them to airport style to release 745s from Stansted and all WAML duties.
