387s Cardiff - London

[Xavi]

I will just politely remind you that you yourself described the allocation information in the opening post as "my best guess based on available information" rather than something solid. I'm just adding this so no one is misled into thinking that's a definite plan (it involves dedicating twelve 800/0s to CDF-PNZ, for example)

Yes, thank you. I should have included ‘possibly’. Now edited.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2022 ==

who wouldn’t have the 345s to take on extra services anyway

In which case TfL will have problem operating the peak 4tph to Reading service.

send the redundant 80x for the permanent crack repairs and onto Cardiff Plymouth Penzance to send the worn out and expensive Castle sets packing

Both happening as confirmed by M Hopwood. All the castles won’t be gone in December, of course, but some IETs will need to be released from other diagrams.

An 800 is pretty much as expensive as a castle HST to operate! It also needs a lot of crew training for this to happen at a cost.

By reducing IET services / capacity (9/10 to 5-car) elsewhere or using 387s instead (already happened on Newbury / Bedwyn), you get the castles off lease and save money. DfT (not GWR management) are all for these savings.

 

[Magdalia]

It all depends on where the neutral sections are. I don’t know about the GWML, but there are certainly parts of the ECML where you will encounter a neutral section every 5 minutes.

Indeed. And neutral sections are not at regular intervals either by distance or time. Location is determined by feeder stations and junctions.

 

[Xavi]

I understand that the Angel leased HSTs are staying till 2025

True, and there have also been official GWR statements reducing castle diagrams from December, so there may be an option clause to off-lease some sets at interim dates.

 

[Dai Corner]

140mph EMUs which only had Diesel engines fitted because the routes they were supposed to work didn't get fully electrified ending up on all-shacks stoppers. You couldn't make it up!

 

[JonathanH]

140mph EMUs which only had Diesel engines fitted because the routes they were supposed to work didn't get fully electrified ending up on all-shacks stoppers. You couldn't make it up!

Not quite. The 800/0s were always to be fitted with engines. It is only the 800/3s that were ordered as straight electric (ie to be 801/0s).

 

[Falcon1200]

More likely, the train manager has either directly or indirectly been exposed to the speculation in that thread; taken it as gospel fact and then regurgitated it to whomever brought it up in this thread.

I sincerely hope that is the case ! Nearly 50 years after BR upgraded the GWML for 125mph trains, half the Cardiff/London service to be worked by 110mph suburban EMUs, the modern-day equivalent of the Class 117 DMUs around when the HSTs started - Surely not ?

 

[158747]

I sincerely hope that is the case ! Nearly 50 years after BR upgraded the GWML for 125mph trains, half the Cardiff/London service to be worked by 110mph suburban EMUs, the modern-day equivalent of the Class 117 DMUs around when the HSTs started - Surely not ?

Although the 387s are more closely matched to the IETs than the 117s were to the HSTs. The 387s have superior acceleration to the IETs and a maximum speed only 15mph lower, whereas the 117s had inferior acceleration to the HSTs and a maximum speed 50mph lower.

 

[Bikeman78]

I sincerely hope that is the case ! Nearly 50 years after BR upgraded the GWML for 125mph trains, half the Cardiff/London service to be worked by 110mph suburban EMUs, the modern-day equivalent of the Class 117 DMUs around when the HSTs started - Surely not ?

The same thought occurred to me. As someone that doesn't use first class, I'm not bothered either way. I have little interest in either type of train. If the 387s took longer, it would be annoying, but they get to Paddington as fast an an 800.

 

[FGW_DID]

Next up in the GWR stock swap:

• The Night Riviera will be formed of a 2 car 165 with hammocks strung between the luggage racks.
• The Marlow Donkey will be a 9 car 802 & Class 57 operating in push-pull mode.

Gen! The bloke who sells the Pasties at Reading Station told me.

 

[penguin8967]

Are 12 car formations permitted beyond Swindon yet?

 

[JN114]

Are 12 car formations permitted beyond Swindon yet?

Never not been.

12 car formations still not permitted to call at Newport at present.

 

[physics34]

I like the 387s. One particular advantage is their saloon ambience, which gives a welcome relief from the delights of relentlessly howling aircon that seems to be a popular design feature of some modern traction. It becomes really quite tedious on long journeys, particularly when the racket from the A/C kit is supplemented by the outside air blowing a gale through the roof vents with associated sound effects. Boarding a train and sitting in a near-silent carriage is an absolute joy, and something which seems to have largely vanished from the intercity network with the end of the HST era.

Theyd be great trains with better seats and better ride quality.