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And let us not forget, this is merely the return of a Class 150 fleet to the line. They first operated these services in 1999. But the new coat of paint obviously makes all the difference.

There was an apology from the train manager on 360120 this morning on its first journey to London regarding the short formation due to failure of the other unit. But then EMR haven't rectified the issue and it's remained short formed for the rest of the day. 11 in service from a fleet of 21, so...

Is there a reason why the drivers of the class 150s used on the Marston Vale have to be part of the larger mainline pool of drivers? I had always imagined incorrectly as it turns out that LNR had a dedicated team who spent all day and every day on the branch line. Surely if this was the case at...

If all 6 diagrams per day are 8-car that requires 12 out of the 21 units in service. Where are the other 9 units for 7 days per week? They can't all be in maintenance surely? I mean it's not as if they've been taken out of use for overhaul and refurbishment. Can someone identify whether some of...

1H00 Corby-St. Pancras was an 8-car this morning. It left Corby late, made up some time but picked up a 20 minute delay leaving Luton, probably due to a technical fault. It was a door fault when I was travelling last week. A unit was declared unserviceable on arrival St Pancras creating platform...

EMR should be putting a few units a day through the wash road at Cricklewood before berthing. But I guess that's all too difficult in this joined up railway with the facilities operated by Thameslink. Every TOC has a Service Quality Regime as part of their contract. It's just that emptying a...

I find it strange that some of the guards on the 360 are now adopting the can't be bothered doing ticket inspection attitude. To be fair, EMR are pretty hot on revenue protection and most do a ticket inspection in the unit in which they travel. But there is a now a growing hard core of 4 or 5...

Northampton appears to do the heavy maintenance but relatively infrequently with a long drag involving diesel traction. The movement is normally via a circuitous route via the North London Line. Daily maintenance is conducted at Bedford Cauldwell, but facilities are shared with Thameslink. And...

Well using the intermediate TSO to extend 2-car class 165 might help GWR alleviate their stock shortage and overcrowding. Lengthening the Turbos could fill the shortfall now the 769s are no longer available.

Would it be possible for the intermediate carriages of 465 stock to be used to lengthen 2-car and 3-car class 165 and 166 DMUs? Making 3-car and 4-car units Turbos for GWR and Chiltern? I believe they have the same body shell but will no doubt have different fixtures.

4-cars on their own would only be of use if they could displace some Class 170 3-car units on other routes. But rather than have lots of 5-car units operating with insufficient seating or have 80% of trains formed of 4+4 or 4+5 formations, it would be better to have 40% running as 8-car to...

I suspect XC tickets for the non-stop service between York and Leeds are already more expensive than a Northern ticket for their local stopping service, but pricing alone is not the solution to overcrowding. Class 221 from AWC and Class 222 from EMR are the only solution. Ideally units should be...

There hasn't been a train service on the Marston Vale for years. The drivers who used to drive the class 230s have had no normal rostered duties unless of course those drivers now drive other stock.

I think the travelling public would question why money is being spent on budget X at all when adequate spending on budget Y would have better outcomes for the customer and the company finances. EMR is a prime example. They spend huge amounts on often misleading marketing showing interiors which...

I'm afraid the last comment about tables and armrests increasing dwell times, because they get in the way of people getting off the train is the biggest lie of all and was spun by the PR merchants at TOCs where the DfT had decided not to install them on cost grounds. Wide doors, 1/3rd and 2/3rd...

If Arriva wanted to find a use for their HSTs or Class 180s, they could operate daily Thames Clyde express and Thames Forth express trains via S&C. Neither would compare to the fast services available from Euston or Kings Cross, but I'm sure they would be welcome alternatives for those who are...

Money well spent. Amazing how much can be wasted on a PR exercise with vehicles intended for the scrap yard, while the regular operation has to continue to suffer from extreme overcrowding and scruffy interiors.

When will the Leeds to York electrification be completed? It seems to be taking ages. I presume Northern would then replace the DMU with an EMU on the local service.

Can the 68s operate with 6 or 7 Mark V coaches rather than the standard 5? Surely running longer trains would be economical? And given TPE Northern route only stops at the larger stations, then platform length should not be an issue.

Thanks for your informative reply. Oh my, what a mess. Too many different types of traction, spread across a variety of depots which doesn't necessarily match the service required. It must be a nightmare, particularly with insufficient staff. Do you have a breakdown of what routes and traction...