Class 158 to North East

[James_D]

The Northern franchise improvement package announced that the return to a half-hourly service between Middlesbrough, Stockton and Newcastle via Sunderland, and will include the use of Class 158's alongside the existing 156's. Anyone know how many 158's are planned for this route and which TOC/route these will be cascaded from?

 

[northwichcat]

Like I've said in the Northern thread it would appear the brand new DMUs will be split between the North West and Yorkshire, so maybe if an allocation of new DMUs go to Neville Hill, some 158s will transfer to Heaton to free up space there.

Heaton will also lose it's 142s as they'll be withdrawn so some space will be created there.

 

[sprinterguy]

The Northern franchise improvement package announced that the return to a half-hourly service between Middlesbrough, Stockton and Newcastle via Sunderland, and will include the use of Class 158's alongside the existing 156's. Anyone know how many 158's are planned for this route and which TOC/route these will be cascaded from?

There's been no confirmation that the hourly "Northern Connect" service between Middlesbrough and Newcastle and utilising 158s will operate via Sunderland. I suspect that it will operate via Durham, utilising the 90mph capability of the 158s on the ECML. The interactive improvement map for the new Northern franchise does not suggest that more than the current hourly service (though probably extended to Carlisle) will operate from Sunderland.

158s will probably be existing Northern units cascaded in from Neville Hill depot, having been displaced from some of their current duties by new DMUs. York to Blackpool and Leeds/Bradford to Manchester via the Calder vale are two routes where 158s are proposed to be displaced by new DMUs.

I've made the following related posting on the Northern franchise announcement thread:

I've been trying to work out what these franchise commitments will mean for my particular corner of the north east (Durham Coast/Tyne Valley). Taking both of the following together:

Middlesbrough to Newcastle
The benefits are:
•there will be a half-hourly service between Middlesbrough, Stockton and Newcastle, providing 30 trains per day in each direction. The current service is generally hourly
•at least 10 services per day will be Northern Connect services, operated by fully-refurbished, air conditioned Class 158 trains
•today’s service levels will be preserved at intermediate stations, but with earlier first trains and later last trains along the route

Newcastle to Carlisle
The benefits are:
•half-hourly service between Newcastle and Carlisle, providing 28 trains per day in each direction – 13 more than now. Some services will be faster than today, at around 80 minutes
•a minimum of 10 services each way will operate as “Northern Connect” services, operated by fully refurbished trains
•that Carlisle will receive at least two arrivals from Newcastle before 09:00, providing more choice and capacity for those travelling to work in Carlisle. Currently only one service arrives before 09:00
•the MetroCentre will have 42 trains per day to and from Newcastle, 30 trains per day to and from Hexham, 28 trains per day to and from Carlisle, and at least 12 trains per day to and from each of Sunderland and Morpeth
•that MetroCentre and Hexham will become Northern Connect stations, open from 6am until 10pm with free Wi-Fi and refreshments available for purchase

That suggests to me:
HOURLY "Northern Connect" Middlesbrough - Newcastle, using the 90mph capability of refurbished 158s to run via Durham.
HOURLY "Northern Connect" Newcastle - Carlisle limited stop service using refurbished 158s, possibly linked up with the above Middlesbrough to Newcastle service.
HOURLY Middlesbrough - Carlisle stopper via Sunderland and Newcastle, maintaining the current frequency of service at intermediate stops on the Durham Coast and Tyne Valley lines.
HOURLY Morpeth - Metrocentre

With the latter two to use Heaton's existing allocation of 156s, refurbished to DDA compliant standard (this work has already commenced on some units, reportedly).

Heaton currently has an allocation of fourteen class 156s, operating duties comparable to those that will be expected of the 158 fleet (plus other activities such as the Whitby branch): As such, I would suggest that a similarly sized allocation of 158s would be fairly generous, in order to operate hourly Middlesbrough to Newcastle and Newcastle to Carlisle (possibly combined as a through service) services. Though a few more 156s may be required to cover the loss of the 142s.

 

[SeanG]

there will be a half-hourly service between Middlesbrough, Stockton and Newcastle, providing 30 trains per day in each direction. The current service is generally hourly

If it is via Stockton thensurely that means Durham Coast? Can't see them reversing at Stockton

 

[sprinterguy]

If it is via Stockton thensurely that means Durham Coast? Can't see them reversing at Stockton

Nothing stopping them going via Stillington to join the ECML at Ferryhill - I assume that it's still passed for passenger trains having travelled that way on a diversion a few years ago?

The fact that Hartlepool isn't mentioned at all and the fact that Sunderland is only mentioned in the capacity that it will provide the Metrocentre with "at least 12 trains per day to and from...Sunderland" makes me suspicious that the Durham Coast route in general will see more than its current hourly service.

 

[ainsworth74]

As detail is still so thin on the ground for the time being it would probably be best to keep all the speculation to the main announcement thread here. Once there is some meat on the bones then it would be sensible to have some threads discussing different specifics of the new franchise.