Class 195 DMU's future routes on testing?

[MerseyElectric]

I'm fairly new to these forums, so please point me out if I'm posting this in the wrong topic, or if this is already listed somewhere and I just haven't seen it.

Recently I've been wanting to see the new Northern class 195 on testing, and I was wondering if there are any particular planned times and/or dates for when the DMU would be on test in particular areas. If anyone has any information on this, it would be a real help if you could share it!

P.S - If you have the times for when it will be on test at Chester railway station (It will have to at one point or another as they are planning proper services to and from there.), that would be even more of a help.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

From what I can tell, the 195s (and 331s) are based at Edge Hill for commissioning and are being tested on the WCML between Crewe/Warrington and Carnforth.
Once they are certified for use by Northern, they will start crew training, probably mainly from Manchester.
They will also need to be cleared over each planned service route.
Routes for crew training may or may not be those planned for service operation, and may be concentrated on the WCML where there is spare capacity.
Liverpool-Manchester Airport via Warrington Central has been mentioned as an early service route for 195s.

I expect it will be quite a while before they show up at Chester.
Had the new Chester-Leeds service started in May it would have been run by 158s or 170s.
It's going to be as least May next year for the new service, and not yet confirmed, or what trains will operate it.
If I've got any of this wrong, I'm sure there will be someone along in a minute to put me right!
Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[driver_m]

I'd be surprised to see it so quickly at Chester if I'm honest. Liverpool - Runcorn - Crewe is likely to be the place where you've got the best chance of seeing them seeing as Edge Hill Depot is being used to commission them. I'd guess many if not all Lime St drivers now sign the route for the regular ECS moves to Crewe and they can get a fairly clear run to Ditton without encountering too much due to low traffic on the slows. The Chat Moss runs would be more likely to be at Night if they're heading East or North as getting out of Edge Hill into the station to cross over to the slows is not easy in the day.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I'd be surprised to see it so quickly at Chester if I'm honest. Liverpool - Runcorn - Crewe is likely to be the place where you've got the best chance of seeing them seeing as Edge Hill Depot is being used to commission them. I'd guess many if not all Lime St drivers now sign the route for the regular ECS moves to Crewe and they can get a fairly clear run to Ditton without encountering too much due to low traffic on the slows. The Chat Moss runs would be more likely to be at Night if they're heading East or North as getting out of Edge Hill into the station to cross over to the slows is not easy in the day.

Some of those that have run so far have run from Edge Hill via Lime St and then via Earlestown to/from Warrington.
Others have gone via Runcorn and Crewe.
It's still something of a mystery where they will be based with Northern.
Newton Heath never seems to come up in the plans, and yet they are supposed to be based there eventually.
Then there's the other NH (Neville Hill) which presumably will have a hand in the Chester services when they start.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Perhaps confusingly, Neville Hill is NL.

Aren't they building a new shed at Newton Heath for the 195s? If it's not finished that might be one reason why it isn't being used for commissioning.

 

[driver_m]

Don't forget Wigan will be opening soon at Springs Branch .Obviously Allerton has been earmarked for the 331s but it's a pig to get on and off. I'd expect them to have a base on paper but probably be at Springs Branch as it will be the nice new shiny depot that will be the pride of Northern!

 

[Along the bay]

Could they have a few test runs to holyhead and Llandudno ?
Would be useful to check if they fit the route before the transport for wales ones arrive .

 

[MerseyElectric]

Sorry about deleting somebody's post, it was an accident as it appeared in my inbox and i thought it was a separate email.

Update: i didn't delete anything, it just appeared that i did momentarily...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Don't forget Wigan will be opening soon at Springs Branch .Obviously Allerton has been earmarked for the 331s but it's a pig to get on and off. I'd expect them to have a base on paper but probably be at Springs Branch as it will be the nice new shiny depot that will be the pride of Northern!

I don't know about "soon".
They seemed to be just at the site clearance stage when I passed yesterday.

 

[superkev]

Not sure if this is the right thread but in this age of battleship spec trains have the carrage weights been given anywhere.
Interesting to compare with the best in class 158 ~~35t; midrange 170 ~~45t and the lard butt 185s ~55t
K

 

[175001]

A dedicated shed on Newton Heath for 195s, is currently under construction at the Moston end of the shed