northwichcat
Veteran Member
Voyagers? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Oh, wait, I thought you said new 220 vehicles.
I recall once a European order being placed for 180 Coradia vehicles and someone concluded they were getting 180s like FGW!
Voyagers? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Oh, wait, I thought you said new 220 vehicles.
Anyone else feeling this is all a little ridiculous?
Three months since the award of the contract and still no news on the remaining two fleets that are supposed to be in service in 20 months time? It's pretty hard to feel positive about this when there's been radio silence from First group (other than the Hitachi bimode news).
Let us be realistic about such matters. The franchise is only 25 days old and any new trains will take a considerable period in construction before they will be entering service.
First, as a TOC, will make their decision at a time to suit them. Interested onlookers who have contributed no financial input should "remember their place" and not take the view like some journalists and TV "pundits" that they have a divine right to be privy to such knowledge.
Anyone else feeling this is all a little ridiculous?
Three months since the award of the contract and still no news on the remaining two fleets that are supposed to be in service in 20 months time? It's pretty hard to feel positive about this when there's been radio silence from First group (other than the Hitachi bimode news).
Is this not what the Pretendolino is being brought in for (split into 2 rakes and 68 hauled/shoved)?
That's not been officially confirmed either I don't think.
Let us be realistic about such matters. The franchise is only 25 days old and any new trains will take a considerable period in construction before they will be entering service.
If Transpennine want these thirteen trains in service before 2020 then mark 4s are out of the question (the first replacement IEP set for the 225 fleet isn't scheduled to be accepted until late May 2019, and the 225s aren't expected to be off lease until the end of March 2020).More units or Mk4s?
In fact at least one has been seen on Northern services!
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Finally got 185108 yesterday, on a Cleethorpes run (is it confined to South TPE? Not seen the new livery on North TPE). Have to say the new livery looks loads better than Dynamic Lines did.
Was in York this afternoon, came of depot, and worked a service south.
Seems I'm just unlucky then. I live in Stalybridge and I'm often on Manchester bound services too...
Yesterday they went past me at Dewsbury in the space of about 15 minutes between 17:25 and 17:40. Both on the rear of 6 Car TPE services stopping at Dewsbury towards Leeds.
17:20 to Liverpool Lime Street and the 17:30 to Manchester Airport.
An interesting piece of news is that Today's Railways reports an order from CAF of a fleet of 15 5-car rakes of loco-hauled coaches for TransPennine Express, to be hauled by Class 68s provided by DRS. Apparently, however, the contract has not yet been signed.

http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nw1604f.htm
Perhaps this is the "retro" fleet. Will these be Mark 5s like the Caledonian Sleeper coaches?
Adam![]()
Probably, but hopefully not. The Mark 5 length is a slightly unusual 22 metres to ensure they fit into the platforms at Euston in the required sub-formations for the portions to Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen.