LM Class 153 units on the Chase Line

[Batman]

But we need to be realistic that Chase Line electrification is still a long way off. The most pressing concern is to sort out the rolling stock shortge.

When the next big 172 order takes place, LM needs at least another two 3 car 172's and three 2 car 172's, with Chase Line platforms extended to 4x23m and Marston Vale platforms extended to 2x23m.

And there should be more four car 170's working the Shresbury line throughout the day. I expect that line to see growth in the comming years with lots of new housing developments planned in the Telford area.

 

[sprinterguy]

When the next big 172 order takes place, LM needs at least another two 3 car 172's and three 2 car 172's, with Chase Line platforms extended to 4x23m and Marston Vale platforms extended to 2x23m.

It is said that London Midland have the option to order an additional twenty six class 172 vehicles as a follow on to the current order, which I envisage as an additional four 3-car units (172346-349) and seven 2-car units (172223-229). I only hope that this option is taken up before the offer lapses and the opportunity is missed.

With that many additional 172s, they could cover the Chase Line services and the Marston Vale line (with some tinkering with platform lengths. particularly on the Marston Vale line), allowing more of the Shrewsbury services to be formed of pairs of 170/5s, released from the Chase line, as you desire and as would generally be sensible.

 

[ainsworth74]

I only hope that this option is taken up before the offer lapses and the opportunity is missed.

I thought it already had? Or at least either the DfT or LM have said it's not being taken up? Then again I could be completely wrong, just a feeling I have...

 

[Batman]

It is said that London Midland have the option to order an additional twenty six class 172 vehicles as a follow on to the current order, which I envisage as an additional four 3-car units (172346-349) and seven 2-car units (172223-229). I only hope that this option is taken up before the offer lapses and the opportunity is missed.

With that many additional 172s, they could cover the Chase Line services and the Marston Vale line (with some tinkering with platform lengths. particularly on the Marston Vale line), allowing more of the Shrewsbury services to be formed of pairs of 170/5s, released from the Chase line, as you desire and as would generally be sensible.

So two of the 7 two car units could be used on the Marston Vale Line (once platforms have been extended), one on the Coventry - Nuneaton Line, four of them could go to the Chase Line (forming two four car 172's, once platforms have been extended), thus releasing four 170/5's to go to the Shrewsbury Line.

All of the 3 car units could go to the Snow Hill lines, with the 2 170/6' being sent to the Chase Line and providing a net increase of one 3 car unit on the Snow Hill Lines.

So that would see the Chase being opperated by two 4 car 172's and two 170/6's.

The Shrewsbury Line would be opperated by 3 four car 170's during the day and a further 2 four car 170's would be available for peak extras.

So that would mean that all 6 170'6's would be used all day (four on the Hereford Line and two in the Chase), and ten 170/5's would be used on the Shrewsbury line (six in the day and four for peak extras).

Asuming the in a fleet of 23 trains, three of them would be needed for maintenance and emergency cover at any one time, that would leave four 170/5's to work the pea extras on the Hereford line.

So ordering those extra 172's and extending Chase Line and Marston Vale platforms, probably would be the answer to capacity problems in the medium term at least.
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And that would also allow all 153's to be casscadded to other franchises.

 

[Simon Poole]

Ordering more Class 172's would be a good idea, but they can free up an few Class 170s for Shrewsbury if London Midland do what East Midlands Trains, Northern Rail, Arriva Trains Wales have done in the past and current, run 2 Class 153 together, i bet the 1639 out of Birmingham New Street to Rugeley Trent Valley there be no one standing since they be an extra 20 seats!

 

[Class172]

All good trying to increase capacity on the Chase and Shrewbury line, but the Hereford line also needs more services (whether that be longer trains or a 2tph service all day.

What about using pacers on the Marston Vale Line - they'd fit!?

 

[Simon Poole]

All good trying to increase capacity on the Chase and Shrewbury line, but the Hereford line also needs more services (whether that be longer trains or a 2tph service all day.

What about using pacers on the Marston Vale Line - they'd fit!?

i know two of the Class 170/6 fleet work the Birmingham to Hereford route, but after Great Malvern the line is Single Track and the ONLY passing loop is at Ledbury and the Class 170's pass there, some services for London Midland terminate at Great Malvern, for the Bedford to Bletchley they might be using the Class 150's that London Midland will be keeping but i think one of the Class 150's might be on the Birmingham to Hereford run

 

[sprinterguy]

I thought it already had? Or at least either the DfT or LM have said it's not being taken up? Then again I could be completely wrong, just a feeling I have...

I reckon that you're probably right, to be honest
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So two of the 7 two car units could be used on the Marston Vale Line (once platforms have been extended), one on the Coventry - Nuneaton Line, four of them could go to the Chase Line (forming two four car 172's, once platforms have been extended), thus releasing four 170/5's to go to the Shrewsbury Line.

All of the 3 car units could go to the Snow Hill lines, with the 2 170/6' being sent to the Chase Line and providing a net increase of one 3 car unit on the Snow Hill Lines.

So that would see the Chase being opperated by two 4 car 172's and two 170/6's.

I believe it would be better to allocate two of the potential additional 172/3s and two of the additional 172/2s to the Chase Line, leaving all of the 170s for use on the Shrewsbury and Hereford services. The other additional 172/3s could make up for the 170/6 diagrams on the Snow Hill lines. Plus two 172/2s on the Marston Vale line and one on the Coventry to Nuneaton line.

With, say, one 170/6 and two pairs of 170/5s on the Shrewsbury diagrams, and two 170/6s and two pairs of 170/5s on the Hereford diagrams, (minus peak diagrams) then, quite frankly, London Midland could probably afford to lose their 170/6 units anyway to XC with more flexible rostering of 170/5s in their place.
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What about using pacers on the Marston Vale Line - they'd fit!?

It would create an unneccessarily small sub-fleet in London Midlands' rolling stock. Admittedly, LM are only going to have a small sub-fleet of 150s remaining after the end of the current cascade, but it would be difficult to justify such a small transfer of Pacers to London Midland for the service. And it would probably be politically unacceptable too, even though that it would be a route well suited to Pacer operation.

 

[Class172]

I should have mentioned the fact that it would be as a result of more 172s being ordered, and therefore all the 150s would have been cascaded. Then a small fleet Of pacers would be no different to one of a 150.

 

[Batman]

I should have mentioned the fact that it would be as a result of more 172s being ordered, and therefore all the 150s would have been cascaded. Then a small fleet Of pacers would be no different to one of a 150.

Then what would happen when the government gets round to ordering the pacer replacement that is due by the end of the decade?

If te government orders 200 or so 172's, the platforms would still need to be extended (or total station redevelopments would be better).

But by then progress would probably have been made on the East-West rail link, and you'll probably find an hourly Oxford - Bedford train running the Marston Vale, opperate by a three or four car 168 under the Chiltern franchise.

I'm guessing that the East-West plans include total redevelopment of Marston Vale local stations, including 4x23m platforms? It would probably be the worst example of short sightendness in modern rail history id they didn't.

 

[DarloRich]

They tend to be hooked up more mon to fri to increase capacity on peak workings. The other place that a 153 can be found is one of the marston vale workings on a saturday

wrong - they run every day of the week ( except Sunday when there is no service). One diagram is a 150, the other a 153. I get one every morning to work.

 

[I like Class 153]

I still want to know what the 153 and 170 diagram is on the Chase Line

 

[Simon Poole]

I still want to know what the 153 and 170 diagram is on the Chase Line

I know the 1606 Rugeley Trent Valley to Birmingham New Street IS a Class 153 with Class 170 so once it goes too Birmingham and back to Rugeley TV would form the 1812 back to Birmingham and once at Birmingham New Street after 7pm, they uncouple the Class 153 off the train so the Class 170 works the 1917 alone to Rugeley Trent Valley

 

[Batman]

I still want to know what the 153 and 170 diagram is on the Chase Line

On weekdays on the current timetable, it's the folllowing departures from Rugeley Trent Valley:

0739, 0942, 1206, 1606, 1812.

From Birmingham New Street:

0627, 0839, 1039, 1307 (Terminates at Walsall), 1439, 1707.

The 153's are not used at weekends on the Chase Line anymore, neither of the 150's.

I reccommend you don't use the 0739 from Rugeley, or the 1707 from New Street, as these are very overcrowded peak time trains.

 

[I like Class 153]

Thank you

 

[Simon Poole]

On weekdays on the current timetable, it's the folllowing departures from Rugeley Trent Valley:

0739, 0942, 1206, 1606, 1812.

From Birmingham New Street:

0627, 0839, 1039, 1307 (Terminates at Walsall), 1439, 1707.

The 153's are not used at weekends on the Chase Line anymore, neither of the 150's.

I reccommend you don't use the 0739 from Rugeley, or the 1707 from New Street, as these are very overcrowded peak time trains.

I did see the 0857 to Rugeley Trent Valley a Class 170+Class 153 combo or as my brother nick named them 'Turbo Sprinters' this morning cross over the A51 Road Bridge but some times they're two class 153's run on the Chase Line, i remember one time in August 2010 waiting for the first 7X80 to pass through (First ScotRail 380 drags to Polamdie) the 2235 to Birmingham New Street (The last Train!) was worked by a single Class 153! but that's now Class 170 working

 

[sprinterguy]

I've seen a few of the late evening Chase Line services formed of a single 153 (Usually while waiting to head back to Birmingham after disembarking from the evening northbound W&S service when it was running), which always sufficed for the fairly small number of people using the service.

 

[Batman]

I did see the 0857 to Rugeley Trent Valley a Class 170+Class 153 combo or as my brother nick named them 'Turbo Sprinters' this morning cross over the A51 Road Bridge but some times they're two class 153's run on the Chase Line, i remember one time in August 2010 waiting for the first 7X80 to pass through (First ScotRail 380 drags to Polamdie) the 2235 to Birmingham New Street (The last Train!) was worked by a single Class 153! but that's now Class 170 working

That 153 would have worked the 21:17 from New Street to Wyrley.

They used to do that back in the days when all trains were formed of combi's on the Chase, so they could be split at New Street.

Nowerdays that isn't possible becuase the unit that was previously split at New Streett is now just a single 170/5.

I think an aditional 170 has to run from Tysley especially to opperate the 21:17 to Rugeley and it's return now.

Whenever I've been on that service recently it's been a 170.