Class 345 progress

[hwl]

... with the ramping up of testing, it would appear that more units are likely to be needed.

It would seem reasonable that the remainder of the fleet not being used for Tunnel testing or passenger service are simply parked at Old Oak Depot spare. I assume that as more units are upgraded to the next software type, there will be a return to operation for them.

There is going to be a big crunch on units in a few months time so they need some luck.

With previous software updates they have learnt the hard way to have a fall back option, in the H&H shuttle case 7car or previous software with 9car in the short term but in the Heathrow case it would have to be the previous version of the software on 9 car units. Hence until they are sure there are no new problems they will probably keep a good number of the 9 car units with the previous software available.

That leads to 2 potential permutations
1. When they have the confidence in the new software (i.e. no need to fall back to 7car again) updating the unused units to the latest software and gradual introduction to Reading to replace the 7 car with 7car units then getting extended to 9 car then get used for core testing, next non core 9car software version testing or 9 car on the eastern side. (probably what they hope)
2. It doesn't get rolled out to reading quickly and some additional 9 car units get used for core testing which then make the logistics of the rest a bit harder which eventually make the logistics of lengthening the 7cars out east when the LST platform works are complete harder as OOC is full.

 

[JonathanH]

Reading services remain 7-car with the new timetable (no actual changes) this morning.

There is a new test / training / something else but it is empty cycle in the timetable from today
5G74 0823 Old Oak Depot to Reading
5G75 1012 Reading to Old Oak Common Engine Sdg
5G76 1109 Old Oak Common Engine Sdg to Maidenhead Carriage Sdgs
5G77 1301 Maidenhead Carriage Sdgs to Old Oak Common Engine Sdg
5G78 1430 Old Oak Common Engine Sdg to Reading
5G79 1555 Reading to Old Oak Depot
which is being worked by 7-car unit 345040.

345059 appears to now be on the list of 9-cars back in service as it seems to have worked Heathrow services yesterday.

EDIT - this diagram (and the one starting with 5G50 1014 Old Oak Depot to Reading) was worked by a 9-car this morning.

 

[PG]

Stumbled across an article entitled Train Divided Metro Train illustrated with what appears to be a 345. Do they know something...

(Picture of an artist's impression of a Class 345)

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Stumbled across an article entitled Train Divided Metro Train illustrated with what appears to be a 345. Do they know something...

(Picture of an artist's impression of a Class 345)

I think that looks much smarter than what we got

 

[kevin_roche]

There is an update from Mark Wild which has been uploaded to YouTube.

Only a passing mention of the software or testing on the 345s though.

 

[Alfie1014]

Platform work at Liverpool Street is due to commence later this month and be commissioned the first week in April. The FLU’s are due to be introduced from 15 May 2021 timetable change. Well that’s the plan!!!

It appears that after the departure of 2C68 2143 London Liverpool Street to Gidea Park tomorrow (20/12/20) there are no services booked to run into platform 18 at Liverpool St. So will this be the last service to use this platform? From Monday (21st) all TfL Rail services are booked into 15-17 and on Thursday (24th) platforms 15-18 are shown with no services (presumably as part of the preparitory works for the abolition of 18 and lengthening of 16/17). At least this will mean in future when I've got a tight connection coming out of the tube I won't find my Clacton train stuck down 18 anymore!

 

[Goldfish62]

Stumbled across an article entitled Train Divided Metro Train illustrated with what appears to be a 345. Do they know something...

(Picture of an artist's impression of a Class 345)

That was the standard image used publicly way back when the trains were first ordered.

 

[JonathanH]

Something appears to be afoot tonight with regard to the reintroduction of 9-car operation on Reading services.

It appears that the opposite of what happened on the evening of 11 June is taking place tonight with the two 7-car units that finished at Maidenhead after the evening peak being swapped with empty units from Old Oak Depot and the other four Maidenhead finishers (9P40 / 9N44 / 9N48 / 9N52 from Paddington) each being swapped for 9-car units at Paddington before their final trips from Paddington to Reading / Maidenhead.

 

[SeaKing]

tiger is showing services as 9 cars.

 

[JonathanH]

Not the best of starts unfortunately with two failures early on.

5P08 0522 Maidenhead Carriage Sidings to Reading was the second unit out. It got to Reading on time but 9P08 0551 Reading to London Paddington was cancelled and the unit ran empty to Old Oak Depot.
5P10 0527 Maidenhead Carriage Sidings to Reading similarly ran to Reading on time but again 9P10 0603 Reading to London Paddington was cancelled and the unit is back in Maidenhead Carriage Sidings.

The unit off 5G70 0549 Old Oak Depot to Maidenhead Carriage Sidings ran to Paddington to pick up the first diagram from 9R18 0658 London Paddington to Reading and a fresh unit went to Paddington for 9P20 0713 London Paddington to Reading.

9P16 0652 Reading to London Paddington has also run 7 minutes late from Langley.

 

[mrchoochoo]

I can confirm 9P28 is being operated by 9 car 345066 - as I’m on it!

 

[Horizon22]

Yes MTR have a safety validation and 345 FLUs are returning to Reading services from yesterday (22nd December)

 

[JonathanH]

Yes MTR have a safety validation and 345 FLUs are returning to Reading services from yesterday (22nd December)

Do you know how soon it will be before the additional cars are transported from Worksop to augment the remaining west side 7-car units up to 9-car? I assume they come by road.

 

[Horizon22]

Do you know how soon it will be before the additional cars are transported from Worksop to augment the remaining west side 7-car units up to 9-car? I assume they come by road.

I do not - I'm just aware the safety case is there so presumably all West services will be 9-cars in time. Would be nice if they could sort out the issue with the erroneous middle doors not opening at Paddington!

 

[Nippy]

I though that was because of the curvature of the platforms at the country end.

 

[JonathanH]

I do not - I'm just aware the safety case is there so presumably all West services will be 9-cars in time. Would be nice if they could sort out the issue with the erroneous middle doors not opening at Paddington!

They already all are 9-car. No 7-cars have been in operation since 345064 reached Old Oak Depot off 9P44 2252 Reading to London Paddington / 5Y44 2356 London Paddington to Old Oak Depot just after midnight on 22 December. First 9-car service with passengers to Reading was 345043 on 9R40 2213 London Paddington to Reading on 21 December.

 

[Horizon22]

I meant all as in all sets not services, but yes get your point that in passenger service everything on the West is a 9-car.

 

[kevin_roche]

Do you know how soon it will be before the additional cars are transported from Worksop to augment the remaining west side 7-car units up to 9-car? I assume they come by road.

This may be a while yet. I think TfL Rail are still running some older trains on the Gidea Park to Liverpool St peak service and may use some of the 7-Cars to replace them until the platform lengthening at Liverpool St is complete.

 

[matt_world2004]

Does this mean 4tph Heathrow running is not far off.

 

[samuelmorris]

This may be a while yet. I think TfL Rail are still running some older trains on the Gidea Park to Liverpool St peak service and may use some of the 7-Cars to replace them until the platform lengthening at Liverpool St is complete.

Not just Gidea Park services, at least two 315 pairs were running to Shenfield on Monday, I was on one of them.

 

[Bigbru]

Does this mean 4tph Heathrow running is not far off.

I'd of thought T4 needs to reopen for this to start

 

[hwl]

This may be a while yet. I think TfL Rail are still running some older trains on the Gidea Park to Liverpool St peak service and may use some of the 7-Cars to replace them until the platform lengthening at Liverpool St is complete.

They will need to keep some 315s till the main 7 to 9 car conversions on the eastern side and need some more 9car units for testing the core so I wouldn't expect to many more 7 cars to go east (they already sent 2 units over).

After Christmas / New Year I'd expect then to lengthen the 7cars at OOC that were on the Reading services to "create" more units for core testing and in advance of the LST platform works completing so there.

 

[matt_world2004]

I'd of thought T4 needs to reopen for this to start

No, currently the trains run out of service to T4 from Heathrow central to cope with the frequency increase in Heathrow express trains. After 20:00 they run to terminal 5 again.

 

[JonathanH]

No, currently the trains run out of service to T4 from Heathrow central to cope with the frequency increase in Heathrow express trains. After 20:00 they run to terminal 5 again.

There hasn't yet been a frequency increase for the Heathrow Express trains so 345s are still running to Heathrow Terminal 5 all day. I can't see that changing whilst there is very little reason for people to travel to Heathrow.

 

[rebmcr]

Do you know how soon it will be before the additional cars are transported from Worksop to augment the remaining west side 7-car units up to 9-car? I assume they come by road.

With further software updates showing up soon, I would anticipate them keeping a fleet of RLUs on standby for now.

 

[JN114]

There hasn't yet been a frequency increase for the Heathrow Express trains so 345s are still running to Heathrow Terminal 5 all day. I can't see that changing whilst there is very little reason for people to travel to Heathrow.

HEx are going back to 4 trains per hour early in the new year - that’s already a done deal. TfL are also itching for 4tph to the Airport, but the only way that works timetable-wise is with HEx only at T5, and TfL only at T4. I’d expect TfL to go over to 4tph soon.

Although recent tier changes may affect it somewhat, footfall at the Airport has on the whole been increasing the past few months. There was talk of Terminal 3 reopening “soon”, and Terminal 4 perhaps in time for Summer.

 

[matt_world2004]

HEx are going back to 4 trains per hour early in the new year - that’s already a done deal. TfL are also itching for 4tph to the Airport, but the only way that works timetable-wise is with HEx only at T5, and TfL only at T4. I’d expect TfL to go over to 4tph soon.

Although recent tier changes may affect it somewhat, footfall at the Airport has on the whole been increasing the past few months. There was talk of Terminal 3 reopening “soon”, and Terminal 4 perhaps in time for Summer.

Tfls 14th December timetable change had their trains terminating at Heathrow central before 20:00 this was in assumption of a frequency increase of hex services.

Edit:I read the TfL rail timetable wrong. They are going to continue calling at terminal 5 before 8:00pm until the 3rd January.

 

[Horizon22]

I still find it odd that everyone - particularly HeX a private business - are so keen to run all these services too the airport (unless they're at risk of losing paths?) on what is surely losing money at the moment.

 

[matt_world2004]

I still find it odd that everyone - particularly HeX a private business - are so keen to run all these services too the airport (unless they're at risk of losing paths?) on what is surely losing money at the moment.

The problem with short term frequency reductions is that in most cases they still have to pay the operator for running the services in question because the operator(GwR) has bid against the full frequency specification set down by Heathrow airport.

 

[43096]

HEx are going back to 4 trains per hour early in the new year - that’s already a done deal. TfL are also itching for 4tph to the Airport, but the only way that works timetable-wise is with HEx only at T5, and TfL only at T4. I’d expect TfL to go over to 4tph soon.

You have to ask why. Does fresh air from all the people not travelling pay well?