Arguably 221s running from Euston to Blackpool entirely under wires aren't suitable rolling stock.
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Blackpool - London - 3rd OAO attempt
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GRALISTAIR
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Yes and even though we are in Speculative section, please no more threads on can we fit a pantograph car to the 221s.
At the moment there's no compulsion to use the overhead wires just because they're there. Indeed some operators aren't using them even where they could be, and Avanti used a 221 for this service in 2019.
If the government would like to amend the criteria to more strongly favour proposals which make substantial use of AC power they could do so, but they haven't.
Trainbike46
Established Member
But it would make the open access operation rather less likely to be financially viable, as diesel units tend to be more expensive to run than electric ones. On top of that, I keep hearing that the 221s are relatively expensive per seat even for a DMU. There is a reason avanti is replacing them with 805/807 trains even though they definitely aren't life-expired yet
It does seem people jump to the extreme ideas first, completely jumping over the more reasonable ones, like using 350/2s that are soon to be replaced. Not saying perfect by the way, just more reasonable than 221s.
Yes, but in other threads people suggest that using 3+2 seated trains for anything is not reasonable (eg people moaning about 166s on routes where a string of local services are combined into one long distance one or 350/2s are used between Liverpool and Birmingham).
If 350s were going to be considered between London and Blackpool, wouldn't it make sense just to extend the existing Trent Valley stopper? You might even get more passengers using that to go to Blackpool than imagining there is some sort of untapped demand in London raring to go to Blackpool.
From what I've been told in the past, there's a reason for the current services, instead of ones that go further. Something about pathing I think, although I may be wrong.
Fundamentally there are few people travelling to or from the Fylde coast who don't want to go to one of the many places which already have through trains; principally Preston, Bolton, Manchester, Wigan, Liverpool, Blackburn, and Manchester Airport. The small handful of people going somewhere not on one of the two branches or the places above are well served by the connections at Preston. It's just not really that important.
Yes they fit at Blackpool North but an OAO would likely have to visit some less popular stations like Kirkham & Wesham - where they don't. Now a 5 car Voyager or 7 car 80x would have much more chance
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