London Allocations and Spotting

[PHWO]

With passenger numbers increasing a little and more people using the railway for leisure trips at the weekends (subject to engineering works and industrial action etc), I'm hoping to head down there and have a few questions on units allocated:

On a Saturday, how many Class 745 units are required to provide services from Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport and again how many for Liverpool Street to Norwich?

Also on a Saturday, are the Class 710/1 units that run out of Liverpool Street running as single units or pairs?

And finally, looking at a map shows that for Class 345 spotting, the section between Paddington and Whitechapel receives all trains. Has anyone spotted in this section, if so where's best to aim for?

Many thanks!

 

[Snow1964]

Only Paddington was built as a cut and cover station where can see both platforms, all the others to Whitechapel are separate platform tunnels with concourses between so can't really see trains in both directions from any of the others.

Outside the Paddington-Whitechapel section can see trains in both directions at all the stations, but then don't see all the trains.

 

[JonathanH]

On a Saturday, how many Class 745 units are required to provide services from Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport and again how many for Liverpool Street to Norwich?

Five 745s are needed for a half-hourly Liverpool Street to Stansted service and Liverpool Street to Norwich is a five hour cycle, so ten 745s are needed.

Also on a Saturday, are the Class 710/1 units that run out of Liverpool Street running as single units or pairs?

Single units when there is no event at White Hart Lane, pairs when there is an event.

 

[PHWO]

Hi @Snow1964 and @JonathanH , thank you both very much for your information, that's a great help!

Many thanks,

Phil

 

[sharpinf]

And finally, looking at a map shows that for Class 345 spotting, the section between Paddington and Whitechapel receives all trains. Has anyone spotted in this section, if so where's best to aim for?

Many thanks!

There is a footbridge that goes over Westbourne Park (where units terminating at Paddington turn around and where trains enter the tunnel from the Heathrow / Reading direction) that you can use, though the angles may make it hard to see some of the unit numbers

Edit: Also recommending the excellent Partimespotter resource that lists the 345 unit allocations

Part Time Spotter Team

Allocations, Articles & Reports

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