Class 395 - other possible uses

[notadriver]

Actually the 305s and Eurostar fleet equalise each other reasonably well - 395s stop more but have quicker acceleration to compensate.

The top speed difference only matters between Ebbsfleet and Ashford (as St Pancras-Ebbsfleet is only 140 anyway)

I personally think the 395s could do with a speed and power boost for the next generation. 374 acceleration nearly matches that of 395s. Since most 395s call at Stratford and Ebbsfleet the actual time they spend at 140 mph is around 60 seconds between those two stations.

 

[HSTEd]

I personally think the 395s could do with a speed and power boost for the next generation. 374 acceleration nearly matches that of 395s. Since most 395s call at Stratford and Ebbsfleet the actual time they spend at 140 mph is around 60 seconds between those two stations.

Well Class 395s follow traditional Shinakansen practice of not motoring the driving vehicles.

Potentially that means their tractive effort could be increased by nearly half again by motoring all vehicles - as has been done on newer Shinkansen sets like the later N700s and the 800 series.

 

[JamesT]

Well Class 395s follow traditional Shinakansen practice of not motoring the driving vehicles.

Potentially that means their tractive effort could be increased by nearly half again by motoring all vehicles - as has been done on newer Shinkansen sets like the later N700s and the 800 series.

Though with both the 395 and 80x they have the pantograph and associated equipment in the driving vehicles. Is it possible in a UK loading gauge to fit that and motors?

 

[Paul Jones 88]

395s could be the 442s of the future on here!

 

[JonathanH]

395s could be the 442s of the future on here!

They really couldn't. The only parallel is that they are a relatively small fleet with a specific purpose. They certainly weren't built with recycled components from earlier trains and aren't going to be displaced by a more modern fleet originally intended for a different route. They aren't going anywhere other than the route they currently operate on.

 

[HSTEd]

Though with both the 395 and 80x they have the pantograph and associated equipment in the driving vehicles. Is it possible in a UK loading gauge to fit that and motors?

On the AGV the motor assemblies are entirely inside the bogies and thus do not intrude on the bodyshell volume

 

[Domh245]

Though with both the 395 and 80x they have the pantograph and associated equipment in the driving vehicles. Is it possible in a UK loading gauge to fit that and motors?

The motors themselves shouldn't be much of an issue, it's the combination of pantograph + transformer + traction electronics + motors that results in lardy vehicles. The Aventra platform has distributed traction in the sense of motors located on different vehicles to the traction equipment, and I believe at least some examples of them do have pantograph vehicles with at least one motored bogie

 

[notadriver]

I’ve worked out that a class 374 has 2000 kW per powered vehicle. A class 395 only has 840 kW from 4 210kW motors in each MS vehicle so there is room for improvement.

 

[JonathanH]

I’ve worked out that a class 374 has 2000 kW per powered vehicle. A class 395 only has 840 kW from 4 210kW motors in each MS vehicle so there is room for improvement.

Isn't the extra power in a 374 required for the gradients in the tunnel where 395s don't operate. Doesn't the power rating need to be compared with the weight of the mass it is trying to move?

 

[notadriver]

Isn't the extra power in a 374 required for the gradients in the tunnel where 395s don't operate. Doesn't the power rating need to be compared with the weight of the mass it is trying to move?

Its probably required for 300 kph operation at a gross weight of 900 tons plus. My point is the motor rating on the 395s could be increased to for a higher top speed and better acceleration.

 

[Mikey C]

A strange question really, considering that the 395s are bespoke trains for the Kent routes, and heavily used anyway

They're high speed commuter trains, hence the 1/3 2/3 doors (albeit single rather than double) and lack of frills inside.

Indeed with the lack of growth in Eurostar services, there surely should be scope for more HS1 domestic services in the future, which would require more 395s or similar.

 

[paul1609]

395s stop too often to really benefit from high speed, and need to gearing for better acceleration more than outright top speed to fit in with the Kent classic services.

This really has implications for Northern Powerhouse Rail I'd have thought. The peak Ashford to Stratford services don't stop for 50 miles and are the fastest start to stop services in the UK. If you superimposed that distance on the current Transpennine route its Manchester Pic to Micklefield.

 

[zwk500]

This really has implications for Northern Powerhouse Rail I'd have thought. The peak Ashford to Stratford services don't stop for 50 miles and are the fastest start to stop services in the UK. If you superimposed that distance on the current Transpennine route its Manchester Pic to Micklefield.

NPR will not be comparable to HS1 in terms of speed, station distribution, traffic pattern or time sensitivity.