Construction progress: TPE 350/4

[davetheguard]

anyone know what service the first 350/4 wil work on 30 Dec? Im no fan, but even I can appreciate what a huge improvement theyl be over the 185s, quite possibly the worst DMU Ever and would like to be onboard!

Eh? Just shows these things are subjective.

Personally, I'd much prefer to ride across the Pennines in a 185 than in a Pacer, 150, or 156.

However, I'm not sure that the interiors of the TPE 350 and the 185 will be that different from one another, will they? So, you may be disappointed with the new EMUs too. Hopefully not......

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Eh? Just shows these things are subjective.
Personally, I'd much prefer to ride across the Pennines in a 185 than in a Pacer, 150, or 156.
However, I'm not sure that the interiors of the TPE 350 and the 185 will be that different from one another, will they? So, you may be disappointed with the new EMUs too. Hopefully not......

Considering how similar they are internally, 350s and 185s are very different animals to ride in.
It's a pleasure to board a nice quiet 350 (/1), while a 185 soon gets up your nose with the engine noise and fussy stop-starting.
On the other hand, 350/2s are abominable things, just because of their high-density 2+3 layout, with nowhere to put your coffee.
They turn up all too often between Liverpool and Birmingham.

 

[Blindtraveler]

which in itself is mad, given that service could be a 110mph path for part of it. As to 185s getting up your nose, agreed, like by Slateford JN, Having just departed Edinburgh headed for Preston! they are indeed very different. They have also promised a few more creature cumforts for longdistance pax too!

 

[Haydn1971]

I'd happily trade a daily ride on a 14x or 15x for a much nicer 185

 

[Solent&Wessex]

anyone know what service the first 350/4 wil work on 30 Dec? Im no fan, but even I can appreciate what a huge improvement theyl be over the 185s, quite possibly the worst DMU Ever and would like to be onboard!

Haven't got the details immediately to hand but it is the 05 something or other from Manchester Airport to Scotland. The diagram is 2 return trips so there are journeys at more sociable times. Will dig out the details when I get home.

 

[1D53]

The one I saw was:
ECS Ardwick to Airport
0558 Airport to Edinburgh
1008 Edinburgh to Airport
1400 Airport to Edinburgh
1812 Edinburgh to Piccadilly/Airport (date dependant)
ECS Piccadilly /Airport to Ardwick

 

[Solent&Wessex]

The one I saw was:
ECS Ardwick to Airport
0558 Airport to Edinburgh
1008 Edinburgh to Airport
1400 Airport to Edinburgh
1812 Edinburgh to Piccadilly/Airport (date dependant)
ECS Piccadilly /Airport to Ardwick

Sounds right.

 

[ianhr]

I'm keen to sample the 350/4s and the Chat Moss electrification at the lowest possible cost (in conjunction with other trips in the Manchester area). At present Manchester to Wigan is covered by a GM Wayfarer ticket, which also allows Manchester-Warrington (both routes) but NOT Warrington-Wigan direct. Since the end points Man Oxford Rd and Wigan NW ARE within the Wayfarer validity, BUT the Parkside Jct-Wigan NW route is NOT, will TPE accept a Wayfarer ticket for a Man-Wigan and vv journey?

 

[Blindtraveler]

I would have thought no however that, given route changes is a v interesting q which more than one person will ask. think Il go to Carlisle on it, have a nice lunch and return when it comes back up again!

 

[Techniquest]

I'd happily trade a daily ride on a 14x or 15x for a much nicer 185

I'd happily trade in my daily commute on some MCV thing to work and Optare Solo home for almost any train...

185s do grate on my nerves after a while, although compared to someone's example of it being by Slateford Junction on an Edinburgh to Preston journey, I did alright. I got bored of the 185 I was on whilst racing south from Glasgow Central to Manchester Piccadilly, but not until Preston!

I see 30th December 2013 is a Monday, which I may have off (work may be pending, shall see) so I might have to pop up to Manchester for a ride on a 350/4

 

[Starmill]

I have been wondering from day one if GM Rangers will be accepted. I'd expect so, because nobody else will realise the difference.

 

[SeanG]

Do you leave GM on that route?
Shall have to get out a detailled map

 

[WatcherZero]

Yeah you do leave it, however as it doesnt pass through any stations outside the county in between and its a direct service and the quickest service I imagine it would have to be valid in future.

Surely question must have come up before though as Northern ran a non stop high peak service from Wigan NW to Manchester via Eccles?

 

[ianhr]

Yes,although most Northern services go via Wigan Wallgate and there is not validity prob there with GM tickets I believe there are one or two Northern workings to Wigan NW. I assume the validity has never been questioned on these as most Northern services in the area are GM subsidised anyway. Rangers and Wayfarers are ok on ANY TOC Man-Bolton, Man-Warrington (Wayfarers), Man-Stalybrige, Man-Stockport, Man-Airport. Also Wayfarers are valid way beyond the GM area to the south as I assume there is an agreement with Derbyshire & Cheshire, e.g. Hope Valley Line, Buxton, Macclesfield etc.

At the very least we will be able to do Airport-Man Oxford Rd on a 350/4! TPE conductors must be used to these tickets for Airport-Bolton journeys.

 

[northwichcat]

Wayfarers are ok on ANY TOC Man-Bolton, Man-Warrington (Wayfarers), Man-Stalybrige, Man-Stockport, Man-Airport. Also Wayfarers are valid way beyond the GM area to the south as I assume there is an agreement with Derbyshire & Cheshire, e.g. Hope Valley Line, Buxton, Macclesfield etc.

I think it must have been a Greater Manchester decision. I wouldn't understand why either Cheshire County Council or Vale Royal Borough Council would have agreed to Northwich being included but Greenbank not being included - Greenbank station is just within the Northwich town boundary.

 

[Techniquest]

I believe there are one or two Northern workings to Wigan NW.

There are indeed, think it's only one service in each direction, Monday to Friday only. Heading west, I vaguely remember back in the early part of the year that it was 20:xx from Manchester but not certain on that.

At the very least we will be able to do Airport-Man Oxford Rd on a 350/4! TPE conductors must be used to these tickets for Airport-Bolton journeys.

Indeed, or Manchester Oxford Road to Piccadilly. Scored a few 185s that way, and a 175 once

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Yeah you do leave it, however as it doesnt pass through any stations outside the county in between and its a direct service and the quickest service I imagine it would have to be valid in future.

Surely question must have come up before though as Northern ran a non stop high peak service from Wigan NW to Manchester via Eccles?

I can't imagine there being any problem with using GM tickets to Wigan NW on the direct TPE services. The end points are in the GM boundary and there are no stops in between - indeed it doesn't pass any non GM stations either. If you purchased a Manchester - Wigan Single it would still be the standard GM supported fare.

 

[Techniquest]

Surely, since you can continue beyond Wigan North Western to Bryn on a Greater Manchester Rail Ranger, there should be absolutely no question whatsoever about GM Rail Rangers being valid. I'd be beyond shocked if Manchester Piccadilly to Bryn wasn't valid on these new services via Wigan North Western, journey planners are bound to suggest it since it's only one change and no walking involved.

Quite, I intend to leave Bryn to be griced after these new services start as a far superior way to get to Manchester afterwards

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Lancashire Day Ranger map will need redrawing.
It doesn't show a route from Wigan via Chat Moss.
I would be amazed if it was excluded.
It doesn't even show Wigan-Newton-le-Willows, which is a current Northern route if only at peak times.

 

[WatcherZero]

Well I presume TPE will be allocated their fair apportionment of Manchester-Wigan fare revenue though there might have to be some surveys to find out exactly how much of the passenger traffic they are capturing.

 

[SeanG]

Looking forward to going from Hindley - Manchester via Chat Moss

 

[Pumbaa]

Another move planned for tomorrow, this time with 2 x 350.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Another move planned for tomorrow, this time with 2 x 350.

The schedule for today doesn't seem to have been activated.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R06320/2013/11/26/advanced

 

[Class377/5]

The schedule for today doesn't seem to have been activated.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R06320/2013/11/26/advanced

It didn't run last night, I was watching to see.

EDIT:

Now been stated they are coming over tonight instead..

Both 402/403 are the units coming over this morning. They have left Dollands Moor.

 

[bnsf734]

Here is the actual schedule for todays train.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O41655/2013/11/27/advanced

Looks like it has almost arrived at Crewe as I type.

 

[HSTEd]

You know, I said this about those Class 66s and I say it now.

All over grey doesn't look too bad.

 

[Eagle]

You know, I said this about those Class 66s and I say it now.

All over grey doesn't look too bad.

Better or worse that the livery they're going to end up in?

(NB this is not an excuse to start scraping off the vinyls.)

 

[HSTEd]

Better or worse that the livery they're going to end up in?

(NB this is not an excuse to start scraping off the vinyls.)

Definitely better than First livery (although I am one of those people who thinks the only livery since privatisation that doesn't hurt his eyes is GNER's)

 

[387star]

You know, I said this about those Class 66s and I say it now.

All over grey doesn't look too bad.

looks crap

Hoping for the new all over blue HST style paint and similar stripes to the FGW class 180... much better than the current all over vinyl varying shades of blue

 

[Eagle]

It's going to be vinyls. No one is going to repaint a brand new train (especially not an operator whose franchise is going to end in a couple of years).