Class 332 final week and scrap moves

[MatthewRead]

Are the 332's still going to be fully retired from service on 28th December because the YouTube channel ChooChooPlane says they're sticking around till January.

 

[JonathanH]

Are the 332's still going to be fully retired from service on 28th December because the YouTube channel ChooChooPlane says they're sticking around till January.

The schedules on RTT suggest that the last moves from Paddington to Old Oak Common EMU depot are in the early hours of 29 December.

The 387 thread has comments that the 387s have received approval for operation to Heathrow.

Seems likely that the YouTube channel posting is wrong. If 28 December is the last day then it looks like, over Christmas:

24 December - Three units work tomorrow, with two ending at Heathrow, the other going back to the depot.

25 December - One of these units runs shuttles between the two Heathrow stations on Christmas Day with the other spare.

26 December - These two units work the first services out of Heathrow on Boxing Day returning to Old Oak Common Depot with three others coming from the depot to run the half-hourly service between Paddington and the Airport for the rest of the day. These three then all finish at Heathrow on Boxing Day.

27 December - The service is run with these three units, all three finishing at Old Oak Common EMU Depot

28 December - Three units work half hourly, starting and finishing at Old Oak Common EMU Depot.

Note that paths are in the open data feeds for the service on 28 December to be run by either 332s from Old Oak Common EMU Depot or 387s from Reading as deemed appropriate.

 

[matt_world2004]

Ooh, now there's an interesting question.

I think you'd be touching in on the HEx barriers at Paddington, which may not have a fare to Hayes defined on them.

I've touched in at the hex platforms at Paddington and out at Hayes. (The 3:30am GwR stops there) and I got charge the same fare as going from Paddington to Hayes.

 

[JonathanH]

There were timetabled shuttles between Heathrow Central and Heathrow Terminal 5 stations today but they appear to have been suspended since early afternoon when 2F27 1340 Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 to Heathrow Central arrived at Heathrow Central.

I do wonder whether they had any passengers to carry between 0510 and 1340. How busy is the airport with flights today? It does seem like there were operations at Terminal 5 and Terminal 2 today.

Given there was a spare unit at Heathrow Terminal 5, it doesn't seem like just a unit failure and it seems odd to suspend the service with a unit at Heathrow Central.

 

[MatthewRead]

Won't be getting a last ride on these because of Tier 4 restrictions

 

[matt_world2004]

There were timetabled shuttles between Heathrow Central and Heathrow Terminal 5 stations today but they appear to have been suspended since early afternoon when 2F27 1340 Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 to Heathrow Central arrived at Heathrow Central.

I do wonder whether they had any passengers to carry between 0510 and 1340. How busy is the airport with flights today? It does seem like there were operations at Terminal 5 and Terminal 2 today.

Given there was a spare unit at Heathrow Terminal 5, it doesn't seem like just a unit failure and it seems odd to suspend the service with a unit at Heathrow Central.

They had a spare unit at terminal 5 for if the other unit failed. I wonder what caused the suspension.

 

[JonathanH]

The odd thing is that the unit at Heathrow Central is signalled to leave with the headcode of the next service due to depart at 1350. Signalling diagram nine hours later shown below. I did wonder if they had gone over to some sort of demand-led timetable but TrackIt! shows no movements.

 

[JN114]

They had a spare unit at terminal 5 for if the other unit failed. I wonder what caused the suspension.

Staffing Issues (not drivers). Heathrow Express arranged inter-terminal road transport for customers affected.

 

[Mag_seven]

Can I remind posters that this thread is for discussion of the final days of HEX Class 332 operation and the associated scrap moves.

Discussion about alternative uses for the ex HEX Class 332s can be found here:

(1) Suggestions for future use of Class 332s post-HEx | RailUK Forums (railforums.co.uk)

 

[JonathanH]

So, is today the last day? Despite there being paths available for two of the workings to come from Reading, all three diagrams started at the Heathrow Express depot so are 332s. Tomorrow, the diagrams in the open data feed are shown coming from West Ealing / Reading.

 

[JN114]

So, is today the last day? Despite there being paths available for two of the workings to come from Reading, all three diagrams started at the Heathrow Express depot so are 332s. Tomorrow, the diagrams in the open data feed are shown coming from West Ealing / Reading.

It should be the last scheduled day, yes. They’ll remain available for a few weeks as the 387s bed in.

332008 is on Circuit ‘A’ - 0512 Heathrow T5 to London Paddington
332004 is on Circuit ‘B’ - 0542 Heathrow T5 to London Paddington
332011 is on Circuit ‘C’ - 0525 London Paddington to Heathrow T5

 

[dmncf]

From the Twitter account of Heathrow Expresss: https://twitter.com/HeathrowExpress/status/1343579963484753928

Today we're saying farewell to our Class 332 trains.

After serving us very well over the past 25 years, they are making their final journeys before introducing our new fleet tomorrow.

Wave the 332s goodbye and say hello to the 387s.

 

[D365]

From the Twitter account of Heathrow Expresss: https://twitter.com/HeathrowExpress/status/1343579963484753928

I wouldn’t be surprised if Wikipedia doesn’t accept that as a source

Never mind, it seems that they have.

 

[Murray J]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Wikipedia doesn’t accept that as a source

Never mind, it seems that they have.

Good to hear, unfortunately Wikipedia doesn't seem to accept much as a source, bloody annoying.

 

[Anonymous10]

may i ask a question why is a 20 year old emu being scrapped is there no options of moving displacing older trains conversion ect

 

[Journeyman]

may i ask a question why is a 20 year old emu being scrapped is there no options of moving displacing older trains conversion ect

Please don't go there! There's a whole thread devoted to this. To summarise (a) there's not very many of them; (b) they're in poor condition; (c) they're not fitted with TPWS and therefore can't be used on any other stretch of railway without modification and (c) there's a huge surplus of EMUs in better condition, with standard components and more suitable interiors.

 

[D365]

may i ask a question why is a 20 year old emu being scrapped is there no options of moving displacing older trains conversion ect

Nope. Not economically, anyway. See above.

Most of the AC electric units dating from the 80s are in the process of being withdrawn anyway.

 

[cactustwirly]

may i ask a question why is a 20 year old emu being scrapped is there no options of moving displacing older trains conversion ect

Exactly that, owned directly by Heathrow airport and they need a lot of work to be used elsewhere

 

[Anonymous10]

Please don't go there! There's a whole thread devoted to this. To summarise (a) there's not very many of them; (b) they're in poor condition; (c) they're not fitted with TPWS and therefore can't be used on any other stretch of railway without modification and (c) there's a huge surplus of EMUs in better condition, with standard components and more suitable interiors.

ok only asked im not local to London and never been there so wouldn't know condition

Nope. Not economically, anyway. See above.

Most of the AC electric units dating from the 80s are in the process of being withdrawn anyway.

ok was wondering as from Wikipedia these date from late 1990's

Exactly that, owned directly by Heathrow airport and they need a lot of work to be used elsewhere

ah ok didnt know

 

[swt_passenger]

ok only asked im not local to London and never been there so wouldn't know condition
ok was wondering as from Wikipedia these date from late 1990's


ah ok didnt know

The link in post #69 of this discussion (last Saturday) will take you to getting on for 3 years of explanations, if you haven’t found it yet...

 

[Journeyman]

ok only asked im not local to London and never been there so wouldn't know condition

Sorry, didn't mean to sound critical! The other thread mentioned above will reveal all...it's just turning into bit of a running joke that THESE TRAINS MUST BE SAVED AT ALL COSTS!!!! despite there being major issues that prevent them being used elsewhere.

 

[Anonymous10]

Sorry, didn't mean to sound critical! The other thread mentioned above will reveal all...it's just turning into bit of a running joke that THESE TRAINS MUST BE SAVED AT ALL COSTS!!!! despite there being major issues that prevent them being used elsewhere.

if they could have been viably used then they should have been kept refurbished ect there isnt so they shouldn't im leaving it there. plus 769 was a lesson in the difficulty of doing so i suppose

 

[Journeyman]

if they could have been viably used them should theres isnt so they shouldn't im leaving it there

Exactly, that's where everyone should have left it!

 

[D365]

plus 769 was a lesson in the difficulty of doing so i suppose

Exactly that. On a similar (but off-topic) note, I will await the results of the Class 600 (321 hydrogen conversion) with interest.

 

[Anonymous10]

Exactly that. On a similar (but off-topic) note, I will await the results of the Class 600 (321 hydrogen conversion) with interest.

same im curious

 

[D365]

how much longer are those 332s physically going to be there before HS2 comes knocking?

Good question. Probably we won't know until the low-loaders turn up.

 

[DB]

Good question. Probably we won't know until the low-loaders turn up.

Most of those taken away for scrap so far (except for the first one, which was presumably not in a fit state to travel by rail) have been hauled in pairs to the scrapyard in Newport.

 

[GEC465]

Seems wikipedia needs updating and the 332 page needs less messing about with and how many have been scrapped so far?

 

[Energy]

Seems wikipedia needs updating and the 332 page needs less messing about with and how many have been scrapped so far?

looking through the history of the wiki page there is a long disagreement about using 'is' and 'was' due to the fact not all of them have been scrapped.

 

[JN114]

Seems wikipedia needs updating and the 332 page needs less messing about with and how many have been scrapped so far?

5:-

332002, 003, 005, 012 dragged by rail to Newport

332014 by road at Peterborough