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Class 730 LNR & WMR Delivery/test Updates
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cockneyviking
Member
- Joined
- 22 Jun 2015
- Messages
- 291
730227 has finally appeared. 2B00 05:31 Bletchley to Euston (04/08)
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I jinxed it.
Well I suppose we cannot expect a
I planned to visit Euston as I was in town today. But 730227 has done nothing today.
Last night it went to Northampton depot from Bletchley. This morning its first run to Euston plus its exit from the depot were cancelled.
Across midday it instead worked ECS to Bletchley CS.
No not very near Euston at all !.
Anyone know whats wrong with 730227 and how likely it is to give me something to do soon ?.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
730 227 is out today ( with 730 231 ) on the Euston / Tring / Milton Keynes circuit.
Liam L
Established Member
Does anyone know why the Gascoigne Wood Sidings moves are still taking place for 730/0s from Soho? Are the units being shuffled around for storage as they surplus to requirements with the cross city still running a 4tph service?
Modifications
40029 Saxonia
Member
AFAIK 730201, 202 & 204 are still at Derby. Seems a long time since the last one (227) was delivered to BY.
Could do with them now...
People moan about Crosscountry overcrowding but single 730s on Crewe services are just as bad.
wythallpaul
Member
Post No4077 suggests that 730227 moved to BY on 19th June 2026.
Post No4143 confirms it's entry into Service on 4th August 2026 - Around 45 Days Later.
if these Timescales are Replicated by 730201, 730202 & 730204 being Delivered to BY individually, it could (in theory) be that the last one of these 3 to enter Service could be in 2027.
Starting Tomorrow (21/08/2026) there are 133 days of 2026 left to go.
My 1st Ride on a Cl730/2 was 730234 on 21st July 2025 (13 Months ago).
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I think 730227 was at Bletchley much earlier than 19 June 2026 as I thought I saw it (not 100% sure) in the sidings just North of Bletchley station on 24 February 2026. It then might have gone to Gascoigne Wood. I think the date 19 June 2026 might be when it returned from its visit to Gascoigne Wood !.
So it is even worse.
rogercov
Member
Are you sure it wasn't a few weeks before 24th February as I thought it went to Gascoigne Wood on the 16th.
According to my records (correct me if I'm wrong):
730227 was dragged from Old Dalby to Bletchley on 23rd December 2025 but never went into service.
Then on 16th February 2026 it was dragged to Gascoigne Wood.
Then on 19th June 2026 it was dragged back to Bletchley.
It entered service on 4th August 2026.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
You might well be correct. I know I thought I saw it (730227) while travelling South from a visit to Wolverton around February.
And yes it spent an age after first delivery before actually entering services - I had been waiting for it !.
Now 730206 is spending an age not in service after its initial use.
Question/speculation regarding 730201, 202 & 204.
Are they actually the ones originally built as 730/1s before the order was changed ?.
Reason I ask is I seem to recall some were numbered initially as 730/1s. Not necessarily in order but could the three above be adapted from 730101, 730102 and 730103 with 730203 being the first non-converted 730/2 ?.
Just a hunch and the first few of a class can often be the last in service anyway - but in this case a subclass.
50002Superb
Established Member
I definitely saw 730201 as 730101
Pep and co
Member
- Joined
- 17 May 2019
- Messages
- 320
101 and 103 were parked up at Crewe for sometime back then. Never did see 102 though...
Snow1964
Established Member
Anyone know what the series of West Midlands tenders posted today are about eg
example 2
example 2
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Also it says "730 Cascade Stabling" - Are we expecting 7 x 5car 730 units to get cascaded to somewhere ?
Hmm. I noticed that - I wonder if it should be replenishing ?.
Overall I expect it is for out-stabling for services further up the WCML - perhaps Crewe or onwards to Manchester ?.
absolutelymilk
Established Member
- Joined
- 18 Jul 2015
- Messages
- 1,587
There is a thread elsewhere about the extension to Manchester Airport, will try and find it
Clearly interest at Bescot has been completely ended then. Was meant to be the home of 730s was it not?
Given the ongoing issues with tanking and availability of the 730/2s, this needs to be a WCML facility and online ASAP.
Given the ongoing issues with tanking and availability of the 730/2s, this needs to be a WCML facility and online ASAP.
Omnishambles
Member
- Joined
- 13 Jul 2019
- Messages
- 204
Just what I was thinking, although the old school in me would have preferred to see Duddeston brought back into use. Probably totally impractical given the long dilapidated state, likely asbestos and more recently a stack of DU buildings that have been parked at what would be the exit area
trundlewagon
Member
Think that was necessary to accommodate the full /0 fleet in the West Mids, so presumably will still be required in the future when the Cross City goes back to a full service
Coventry is having further works for stabling more Class 730/0 units. This will free up space elsewhere to stable units. Northampton was being looked at for stabling more units, which would be the green ones.......
Stabling shouldn't be the priority though. Need places where they are maintained, cleaned and most importantly, tanked!
Northampton is purely stabling, if only units could be tanked there, it would improve unit availability. Crewe currently isn't classed as a maintenance depot, that is something which needs changing without delay.
Given how long it took to get the 730/2s into service and they have now been in service for 12 months, it's pretty poor that something as basic as emptying the toilet tanks is still an area of concern.
Coventry works will include stabling/tanking and so will Northampton. Maintanance is carried out at Bletchley.
Jacob Porrett
Established Member
Crewe is a maintenance depot. They do plenty of work there for a variety of trains.
InTheEastMids
Established Member
- Joined
- 31 Jan 2016
- Messages
- 1,382
The scope of the works at each site is helpfully outlined on UK Gov Find a Tender service, which to summarise is a procurement of 3 lots
Lot 1 is Coventry: Up to 10 730/0, includes electrification and provision for cleaning and tanking/toilets
Lot 2 is Northampton: Includes tanking/cleaning at the two Riverside sidings (not the Siemens depot)
Lot 3 is works at Tyseley that are obviously unrelated to this thread.
Merle Haggard
Established Member
my bold
Those facilities already exist at the Siemens depot, but presumably taboo for units that aren't maintained by Siemens
Another expense to solve a problem created by the clever money saving idea of replacing 350/2 with 730/2.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I agree, all so fragmented.
BUT at least Siemens can/could bid for the operations at Northampton and if their bid is successful they could execute the tanking/cleaning at the existing Northampton depot. If it is a high enough value job then WMT will not have been allowed to give the work straight to Siemens. Only fair it goes out to tender for everyone to have a look at (and bid).
There might already be obvious answers but due process has to be gone through. It would not be so if it was all in house of course.