Merseyrail Class 777 introduction updates

[Bletchleyite]

Design-wise the vents in the top of the faux-wood side panels don't seem like the best of ideas as I can see all sorts being stuffed into them.

I would be genuinely intrigued to know what those were designed for. If Merseyrail were that obsessed about people putting their feet on the conduits, they could just specify a rounded top so if you did it'd slip off. It'll also cook your arm when you rest it on the windowsill. A very strange design choice.

Yes, they'll end up full of fag ends and sweet papers, or being pulled off (the shape of the top would be easy to put your fingers inside and pull as the grille is about 2" inside).

The 777 is in my view full of bizarre design errors, but this one takes the entire packet of Hob-Nobs.

 

[Bikeman78]

I have not seen any 777 running today. The 10:13 this morning from Kirkby was a 507/508. I missed a Kirkby train at Liverpool Central by seconds this afternoon and again it was old stock, and the next train was also old stock.

The 20:43 off Kirkby is 508112. Result for me as it means I can clear the whole network for a 507/508 this year.

 

[M28361M]

Reportedly no 777s in passenger service today either, can anyone confirm?

 

[Jamesrob637]

Reportedly no 777s in passenger service today either, can anyone confirm?

Twitter might be a reliable source.

 

[jamesst]

Reportedly no 777s in passenger service today either, can anyone confirm?

Yep software issue, should be back by the weekend

 

[DJH1971]

Heard they have been taken out of service until further notice.

 

[Sam 76]

Heard they have been taken out of service until further notice.

That sounds like a longer term thing then really hope the programme isn’t majorly pushed back

 

[gka472l]

Anywhere I can find the pics of the 313's up North?

There were some on Flickr, however I can't seem to find them now (although I do have them screenshotted for personal use)....there's a shot of 313013 at Southport next to a 502, a double set at Kirkdale (too far away to ID but definitely a 313 as they had a different headlight and the pantographs are visible) and two shots of a double set (313013 leading in one, 313063 in the other shot) near Fazakerley though...

 

[315801]

The class 507 and 508 units also retain their tripcock equipment as a mandatory requirement for operation underground so the 313s retaining their's would not be an issue as there are several above ground stations which gave trip cock equipment aswell as the tpws grid in between the rails

 

[MR-507508]

When were the class 777 units last running this week?
Was it one of these units which broke down on Monday morning at Liverpool Central?

 

[TheSel]

There were some on Flickr, however I can't seem to find them now (although I do have them screenshotted for personal use)....there's a shot of 313013 at Southport next to a 502, a double set at Kirkdale (too far away to ID but definitely a 313 as they had a different headlight and the pantographs are visible) and two shots of a double set (313013 leading in one, 313063 in the other shot) near Fazakerley though...

Page 42 of the book "Merseyside Electrics" BY Jonathan Cadwallader & Martin Jenkins - published by Ian Allan Ltd, ISBN 9 780711 034174 - has the pic of 313013 leading the six car formation by the old signal works at Fazakerley.

 

[Pacef8]

I wonder if these trains develop a similar problem.

First new Tyne and Wear Metro train arrives in UK

It is the first of 46 new trains which will run on the Tyne and Wear Metro network later this year.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Peter Sarf]

I wonder if these trains develop a similar problem.

First new Tyne and Wear Metro train arrives in UK

It is the first of 46 new trains which will run on the Tyne and Wear Metro network later this year.

www.bbc.co.uk

Really this is one for the appropriate thread. But generally there will always be teething problems with any new train/tram fleet. There is nothing sinister about it. It is just that real world use throws up unexpected situations and problems especially as modern trains and their environment are rather more complex than the preceding ones.

 

[InOban]

Is there any information as to why they had to be withdrawn and the likely timescale for their return? Why the silence?

 

[DJH1971]

Heard on Mersey Railways 2.0 Facebook page this morning that they are apparently receiving a software update.

 

[lumitumey12345]

How many 507s and 508s still remain in daily revenue service?

 

[M28361M]

777009 has taken over a Kirkby diagram this afternoon starting with 1648 Sandhills to Kirkby, according to several posters on "Mersey Railways 2.0".

 

[Sam 76]

777009 has taken over a Kirkby diagram this afternoon starting with 1648 Sandhills to Kirkby, according to several posters on "Mersey Railways 2.0".

Just seen it at Sandhills . Guess it’s a good test ground for the new update

 

[gka472l]

How many 507s and 508s still remain in daily revenue service?

507001-5/7-21/23-33 (31)
508103/4/8/11/12/14/15/17/20/22/24-28/30/31/36-39/41 (22)

HTH

 

[Peter Sarf]

507001-5/7-21/23-33 (31)
508103/4/8/11/12/14/15/17/20/22/24-28/30/31/36-39/41 (22)

HTH

Crickey the 508s are fairing less well than the 507s, nearly 50% gone. Why is that ?. Over all that is 21 units gone but I assume nowhere near that many 777s are in service !. There are to be only 53 777s iirc ?.

 

[gka472l]

Crickey the 508s are fairing less well than the 507s, nearly 50% gone. Why is that ?. Over all that is 21 units gone but I assume nowhere near that many 777s are in service !. There are to be only 53 777s iirc ?.

A fair few 508's haven't been on the Merseyrail network since the 1990's/early 2000's mind....12 were with Connex SE and 3 with Silverlink (plus one was burnt out on Merseyside) so of the refurbed fleet, 5 have gone for scrap (508110/22/34/40/43), plus 507006 which was written off after the Kirkby crash

 

[Merseyrailfan]

Crickey the 508s are fairing less well than the 507s, nearly 50% gone. Why is that ?. Over all that is 21 units gone but I assume nowhere near that many 777s are in service !. There are to be only 53 777s iirc ?.

507s more reliable than 508s, for some reason. To be fair, to 508s, Connex and Sliverlink have taken about 20-ish units before Merseyrail began.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Mar 2023 ==

Merseyrail had a surplus of 508s in 90s, where they where put into store, about 1998 13 units when south with connex, and in early 2000s some 3 units where used to assist 313s on Watford DC line on Sliverlink.

 

[Peter Sarf]

A fair few 508's haven't been on the Merseyrail network since the 1990's/early 2000's mind....12 were with Connex SE and 3 with Silverlink (plus one was burnt out on Merseyside) so of the refurbed fleet, 5 have gone for scrap (508110/22/34/40/43), plus 507006 which was written off after the Kirkby crash

507s more reliable than 508s, for some reason. To be fair, to 508s, Connex and Sliverlink have taken about 20-ish units before Merseyrail began.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Mar 2023 ==

Merseyrail had a surplus of 508s in 90s, where they where put into store, about 1998 13 units when south with connex, and in early 2000s some 3 units where used to assist 313s on Watford DC line on Sliverlink.

Thanks. I forgot some 508s were used in the SE (I mean after the 508s initial use on South Western before being ousted by 455s). That makes the old fleet size of 54-61 (74-20ish or 74-10-3) more comparable to the 777s.

 

[XAM2175]

How many 507s and 508s still remain in daily revenue service?

For future reference, these have a separate thread:

Merseyrail legacy fleet updates (Class 507/508)

Hi all, Looked at all other Merseyrail 507/508 fleet discussions but threads have been locked so have created this new thread for the time being. Posted on the Mersey Railways group on Facebook that 508143 will be leaving Kirkdale in the early hours of Tuesday morning and going to Derby R.T.C...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[DanNCL]

I wonder if these trains develop a similar problem.

Really this is one for the appropriate thread. But generally there will always be teething problems with any new train/tram fleet. There is nothing sinister about it. It is just that real world use throws up unexpected situations and problems especially as modern trains and their environment are rather more complex than the preceding ones.

From a software point of view a 777 and a 555 are near enough the same, so a software issue on one would likely affect the other. Indeed with 555001 being on test at Velim for all we know an issue could have been found there and the 777s stopped as a precaution, we don't know.

The 777s and 555s using virtually the same software will with any luck make the introduction of the latter a smoother process than the introduction of the former.

 

[M28361M]

Alighted from a train at Liverpool Central Northern Line this morning. Was in a rush so didn't have time to stop and look properly, but one change I did see is that the signals at the Moorfields end of the platform (ML27 and ML29) have been moved a little further back into the tunnel. "8 car stop" markers have appeared too.

 

[MattRat]

Alighted from a train at Liverpool Central Northern Line this morning. Was in a rush so didn't have time to stop and look properly, but one change I did see is that the signals at the Moorfields end of the platform (ML27 and ML29) have been moved a little further back into the tunnel. "8 car stop" markers have appeared too.

Do you think we'll be seeing 8 car 777s on the Kirkby line soon? Or could they be preparing for the Ormskirk line during the Grand National.

 

[LPJOHN]

According to the Merseyrail website the Kirkby line will return to a normal timetable from Monday 6th March.

All of the trains on the Kirkby line will be 777.

The focus will then shift to the Ormskirk line.

Kirkby

Everything you need to know about Kirkby train station including timetables, ticket prices, maps, facilities and parking

www.merseyrail.org

 

[DJH1971]

Any more news on when Ormskirk will start?

 

[LPJOHN]

Any more news on when Ormskirk will start?

Sorry I don’t, I am just reporting what I have read on the Merseyrail website.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Mar 2023 ==

Sorry I don’t, I am just reporting what I have read on the Merseyrail website.

After I posted the above, I noticed this on the Merseyrail website it relates to changes on the Ormskirk and Southport lines.

Ormskirk

Everything you need to know about Ormskirk train station including timetables, ticket prices, maps, facilities and parking

www.merseyrail.org