Once the DMU cascade is complete...

[tbtc]

Once the DMU cascade is complete (LM/LO get 172s, releases Sprinters to FGW/ Northern, releases Pacers to Northern, releases Sprinters to EMT etc), what do you think (1) should and/or (2) will happen to services?

I know that EMT are going to use the 156s (ex Northern) to run on "shorter" routes (Skeg, Ivanhoe etc) to release 158s to beef up the Liverpool - Nottingham service.

But are there any plans for Northern/ FGW to increase services? New services? Or will the cascaded Sprinters (and ex FGW 142s at Northern) just provide additional capacity on busy routes?

Personally I'd rather see the 150s used to make existing sets "three car" (and 153s tagged on to 155/156s) where possible to beef up capacity, rather than doubling frequencies - we need to give existing passengers seats before we worry about new services IMHO, though you may say otherwise.

(or should Northern just use the additional DMUs to let their existing DMUs get washed?)

 

[MCR247]

Personally, I would like EMT to get more 153s than 156s, but there you go...

 

[tbtc]

Personally, I would like EMT to get more 153s than 156s, but there you go...

I'd agree - EMT have duties suited to single 153s, and no Pacers for "lightly used" services, whereas Northern have Pacers for those kind of services. Would simplify things too to give EMT a load of 153s, even if they use many of them doubled up.

 

[TEW]

On FGW the cascaded trains just replace trains being cascaded away and allow the remaining 158s to be reformed as three carriage trains.

 

[WatcherZero]

On Northern too any extra stock would just be for strengthening, though they are thinking of rejigging some Manchester services changing origin and destination to provide a through service rather than just terminating in the centre.