Consecutive pairs of units

[FGW_DID]

Soooo close to scoring a triple!

387148 + 387149 + 38715……1

Realtime Trains | 5D50 0541 Reading Traincare Depot to Reading | 19/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 5D50 0541 departure from Reading Traincare Depot to Reading on 19/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Purple Train]

Not quite on topic but tangentially related and (I think) rather fun, although I realise that my definition of "fun" is somewhat broad.

I take two class 345s a day and usually aim for two separate diagrams. Yesterday morning, while waiting for my train - 345013 - I was thinking about this thread and how I never seem to get two consecutive units. Looking at my records, the last time I had two consecutive units was 345019 and 345018 on 26th March. (If the rule only applies in ascending order, then my last time was 345028 and 345029 on 10 December last year.) My evening train was 345014.

Today, while I was still thinking about the coincidence, I got 345045 on the way in, and my usual train home was, you guessed it, 345046.

Annoyingly I missed it by about 30 seconds, so had to settle for 345038.

As an aside, normally the 165 allocated to the Windsor branch changes every day. Very occasionally it's been the same unit twice in a row. It's been 165124 four days in a row...

 

[Omnidekkalover]

158 869+158 870 coupled up together today on Leeds to Nottingham

Realtime Trains | 1Y09 0805 Leeds to Nottingham | 22/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 1Y09 0805 departure from Leeds to Nottingham on 22/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Peter Mugridge]

805 006 + 805 007 are spending much of today together.

 

[RichJF]

About ten years ago i had 377301 + 377302 + 377303 + 377304 as a 12 car in that order on an East Grinstead service. I bet that was arranged by some shunters overnight who were bored and noticed four consecutive units in the depot. It is the only time i have ever seen four consecutive units coupled.

I used to get the 0736 into London regularly when it was 4 x 377/3s. Consecutive units used to turn up semi often!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

805 006 + 805 007 are spending much of today together.

I saw 805 001 + 805 002 together at Euston early afternoon...

...so two simultaneous consecutive pairs in this fleet today!

730 214 + 730 215 have spent the day together as well, and were in fact running parallel with the latter pair of 805s between Harrow and Wealdstone and Euston!!

 

[Class15]

805 006 + 805 007 are spending much of today together.

6 and 7?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

6 and 7?

Am I missing something?

 

[Peter Sarf]

Am I missing something?

"Sixty Severn !"

The latest craze amongst school kids according to my Granddaughter. Is to exclaim "sixty seven" or "six Seven" every time six and seven crop up in conversation etc.

 

[xotGD]

"Sixty Severn !"

The latest craze amongst school kids according to my Granddaughter. Is to exclaim "sixty seven" or "six Seven" every time six and seven crop up in conversation etc.

Best not go bashing on the Cardiff - Manchester turns then!

 

[Peter Sarf]

Best not go bashing on the Cardiff - Manchester turns then!

Ah, yes, well, best keep the GD away from Cardiff Central then !.

 

[Russel]

I had 350 120 and 121 to Euston on Saturday morning!

 

[brad465]

Two different pairs of 465s today are consecutive: 465015+016 are on Sidcup and Hayes' line services, while 465181+182 are on various Cannon St services:

Realtime Trains | 1D10 0503 Gravesend to London Charing Cross | 29/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 1D10 0503 departure from Gravesend to London Charing Cross on 29/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

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Realtime Trains | 2C07 0616 Barnehurst to London Cannon Street | 29/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 2C07 0616 departure from Barnehurst to London Cannon Street on 29/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[pokemonsuper9]

730042+730041 are together today

 

[CR165022]

165001 & 165002 are currently together, albeit with 165020 too.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Not my picture, rather it is a still of from YouTuber known as Southernrailwaysfan, but it’s a rare sight and interesting sight to see two consecutively numbered GWR-liveried 387s (173/174) both forming Victoria services together at Eastbourne:


Image shows two GWR green liveried 387s in adjacent platforms at Eastbourne. The sky is decidedly grey.

 

[stadler]

Not my picture, rather it is a still of from YouTuber known as Southernrailwaysfan, but it’s a rare sight and interesting sight to see two consecutively numbered GWR-liveried 387s (173/174) both forming Victoria services together at Eastbourne:

View attachment 193071
Image shows two GWR green liveried 387s in adjacent platforms at Eastbourne. The sky is decidedly grey.

I wonder if we eventually get a 12car of 172 + 173 + 174 formation once the final one transfers. I would quite like to see that. A 12car formed of entirely GWR liveried stock.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

387125, 387126 and 387127 are coupled together all day today on London Victoria to Eastbourne services.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

387125, 387126 and 387127 are coupled together all day today on London Victoria to Eastbourne services.

Good find; it's a pity 387 125 is between the other two rather than them being in numerical order, but I reckon it definitely still counts.

 

[D1511]

730229 and 730230 are working as a pair on Euston Crewes today

 

[TheSel]

Am I allowed to post an historical one?

My shot below of not just two consecutive units, but consecutive carriage numbers. 142038 / 142039 with cars 55579 attached to 55580. Blackburn 27/8/19.

 

[D6130]

Stretching the definition of 'units' slightly to include single-ended push-pull locomotives which are semi-permanently coupled at either end of a set of coaching stock....I had E464 434 & 435 a week ago today on train RV4103, 11 14 Firenze SMN-Orte, travelling from Arezzo to Attigliano-Bomarzo (en route to Viterbo)

 

[xotGD]

Stretching the definition of 'units' slightly to include single-ended push-pull locomotives which are semi-permanently coupled at either end of a set of coaching stock....I had E464 434 & 435 a week ago today on train RV4103, 11 14 Firenze SMN-Orte, travelling from Arezzo to Attigliano-Bomarzo (en route to Viterbo)

That sounds like the HST power cars, which were initially formed in consecutively numbered pairs on each end of Class 253 and 254 sets.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Discovered a triple I'd seen years ago when going through adding allocations to old photos with RTT+

Don't actually know which pair are in this photo but the formation was 387003 + 387304 + 387305

 

[Strathclyder]

On the ScotRail North Clyde/Argyle electrics, this doesn't happen too often with the BREL fleet as the 318s, 320/3s & 320/4s are all treated as a single fleet and mixed 318+320 formations are a regular thing. Barring the fact that single-unit workings are also fairly common and long-term out of use units, significant gaps exist in the 320/4 fleet (411-418 is the only sizable block of them, with 403-404 being the only other consecutively numbered pair), further reducing the chances of this happening. That's not to say it doesn't happen, just that the chances of it aren't as high when compared to other EMU fleets across the country.

With the 334s you'd have a slightly higher chance of finding this, though it seems units with matching or sequential last numbers are more common from glancing through this week's workings on the Airdrie+Bathgate Line, which is where you'll find most 334s day-to-day. But I digress, one example I have managed to find from the last week is 334017+018 working together this past Monday (8th December).

Realtime Trains | 2H44 0859 Helensburgh Central to Edinburgh | 08/12/2025

Real-time train running information for 2H44 0859 departure from Helensburgh Central to Edinburgh on 08/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

As for ScR 156s, your best bets for this (for now at least) are of course the Glasgow South Western/East Kilbride.

Also on 8th December, 512+513 (in a trio with 504 on the back/front, so all 3 last digits were consecutive; so close too as 514 was paired with 436 that day also on EK duties) worked in the morning rush on EK diagrams before going back to Corkerhill. They emerged later for their evening peak EK turns with 432 taking 504's place:

Realtime Trains | 2J03 0759 East Kilbride to Glasgow Central | 08/12/2025

Real-time train running information for 2J03 0759 departure from East Kilbride to Glasgow Central on 08/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

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Realtime Trains | 2J01 1857½ East Kilbride to Glasgow Central | 08/12/2025

Real-time train running information for 2J01 1857½ departure from East Kilbride to Glasgow Central on 08/12/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[xotGD]

Looks like 331001 and 331002 are keeping each other company today.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Just seen 450 117 + 450 118...

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Just got off 150134+150135 and gotten onto 331017+331018.

 

[Beebman]

Just randomly noticed on RTT that today's 1D74 1650 Paddington-Didcot was formed of 387151 + 387150:

 

[Chris172]

350 101/102 1636 to Euston from New Street