TFW Class 158/175 future

[Vanmanyo]

Hey, I was just wondering if anyone knew the future of the TFW class 158/175s as I believe they won't be destined for scrap (unlike the class 150s) and was wondering if anyone knows about future operations for these units?

 

[skyhigh]

Class 175 future speculation

I thought I'd make a thread to discuss/post ideas or rumours about where the 175 fleet will end up after they leave TfW. Will the fleet be split between operators? Will it be to one or more of the rumoured suspects (EWR, Northern, GWR, ScotRail, Chiltern, Cross Country), or any other TOC you...

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22 pages of speculation on the future of 175s there and no firm news.

 

[Towers]

158s will be highly sought after, GWR for 'Castle' (HST) replacement is a strong possibility.

 

[anamyd]

Hey, I was just wondering if anyone knew the future of the TFW class 158/175s as I believe they won't be destined for scrap (unlike the class 150s) and was wondering if anyone knows about future operations for these units?

Who said the 150s are going to be scrapped? The 153s they don't keep being scrapped is more likely. And then there's the 769s that will be leaving.

 

[anamyd]

Class 175 future speculation

I thought I'd make a thread to discuss/post ideas or rumours about where the 175 fleet will end up after they leave TfW. Will the fleet be split between operators? Will it be to one or more of the rumoured suspects (EWR, Northern, GWR, ScotRail, Chiltern, Cross Country), or any other TOC you...

www.railforums.co.uk

22 pages of speculation on the future of 175s there and no firm news.

It seems like 175s to Northern, then the Northern 170s converted to 168s and moved to Chiltern would make the most sense.

 

[anamyd]

158s will be highly sought after, GWR for 'Castle' (HST) replacement is a strong possibility.

While the 24 158s would be enough to replace the 12 Castle sets, they can only do 90mph and from my understanding there are sections of up to 110mph on the lines the Castle sets run on - would that be a problem at all?

 

[JonathanH]

And then there's the 769s that will be leaving.

769s reportedly will go later this year (or early next) as soon as the 231s are in service.

 

[Vanmanyo]

Who said the 150s are going to be scrapped? The 153s they don't keep being scrapped is more likely. And then there's the 769s that will be leaving.

That was me guessing! The units are old and I doubt Northern or GWR will want them after they are gone with TFW

 

[Towers]

While the 24 158s would be enough to replace the 12 Castle sets, they can only do 90mph and from my understanding there are sections of up to 110mph on the lines the Castle sets run on - would that be a problem at all?

Shouldn't be, the Castles inter-work with 158s anyway as far as I know.

 

[Vanmanyo]

It seems like 175s to Northern, then the Northern 170s converted to 168s and moved to Chiltern would make the most sense.

Class 175 future speculation

I thought I'd make a thread to discuss/post ideas or rumours about where the 175 fleet will end up after they leave TfW. Will the fleet be split between operators? Will it be to one or more of the rumoured suspects (EWR, Northern, GWR, ScotRail, Chiltern, Cross Country), or any other TOC you...

www.railforums.co.uk

22 pages of speculation on the future of 175s there and no firm news.

I've done some digging and on Chilterns franchise agreement for this years extension it does mention the 175s in the context of conversion to hybrid units. So maybe there is a possibility (or was) that they may be going to chiltern. I'll try and find the screenshot but it's online in the public contract.

 

[Towers]

That was me guessing! The units are old and I doubt Northern or GWR will want them after they are gone with TFW

I'd imagine a fleet of common, reliable and recently refurbished DMUs might well find homes for a few years!

 

[Vanmanyo]

I'd imagine a fleet of common, reliable and recently refurbished DMUs might well find homes for a few years!

I hope so! But then again who would need them? Although they are solid units many operators have perfectly good units. Maybe Northern or GWR could bolster their fleet? Or network rail my employ some of them. I could see them being used as parts for other 150s or DMUs alike.

 

[Trainbike46]

I hope so! But then again who would need them? Although they are solid units many operators have perfectly good units. Maybe Northern or GWR could bolster their fleet? Or network rail my employ some of them. I could see them being used as parts for other 150s or DMUs alike.

There's quite a few operators that could use more DMUs - including GWR (to replace Castle HSTs, 769s or expand fleet), Northern, Chiltern (to replace LHCS) and possibly others - so between them they will undoubtedly find a home for the 158s, 175s and possibly 150s in the short term.

Remember, northern was recently considering ordering civity hybrids. While that is now apparently not happening anymore, the reasons that led to them considering it may well justify taking on some extra 158s for example

 

[Envoy]

Surely, the 175’s would be better than the 165/6’s on the Cardiff to Portsmouth run? (Not ideal because 5 coach units are needed with through gangway).

 

[RobShipway]

I suspect that the class 158's may go to GWR if only to replace the 165/6's on the Cardiff to Portsmouth route. The class 165/6's doing the Cardiff to Portsmouth route would then replace the class 150 units.

Although, I believe that there is plans to refurbish the class 165/6 units to a more class 158 style once the class 769 fleet is in passenger use. So we will have to wait to see what happens.

I think though that the class 175 units would be best suited to either Chiltern or Southern Uckfield/Ashford routes.

 

[MattRat]

That was me guessing! The units are old and I doubt Northern or GWR will want them after they are gone with TFW

Well Northern could use them for capacity boosters at the moment....

 

[Energy]

I suspect that the class 158's may go to GWR if only to replace the 165/6's on the Cardiff to Portsmouth route

I doubt it, 158s used to work that route and struggled with boarding times.

More likely that the 158s replace the GWR castle HSTs, 158s already run those routes or have done previously and the short HSTs are expensive to run.

I think though that the class 175 units would be best suited to [...] Southern Uckfield/Ashford routes.

How? The end doors aren't ideal for Southern and there are too many 175s.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

How? The end doors aren't ideal for Southern and there are too many 175s.

You say that, but there are 27 and Southern had 20 175s until recently, ten of which were four carriages and no 175 is that long. It's not that much of a surplus on what Southern had before the former ScotRail units started to head for EMR.

The 171s are better suited though, particularly with the Dellner couplings and rescue compatibility with 377s.

 

[D365]

You say that, but there are 27 and Southern had 20 175s until recently, ten of which were four carriages and no 175 is that long. It's not that much of a surplus on what Southern had before the former ScotRail units started to head for EMR.

Might want to check your post!

 

[Llanigraham]

Heard a rumour that the 158s will be staying on the Cambrian for atleast another year.

 

[D365]

Heard a rumour that the 158s will be staying on the Cambrian for atleast another year.

Wouldn't surprise me. It's going to take a bit of work to get the Class 197 ETCS ready - debugging and crew training.

 

[anthony263]

Tfw rails board minutes state they due to sign a 2 year lease extension for the 158 fleet

 

[43102EMR]

Tfw rails board minutes state they due to sign a 2 year lease extension for the 158 fleet

Interesting - wonder if that indicates issues with the ETCS-fitted 197s?

 

[Llanigraham]

Interesting - wonder if that indicates issues with the ETCS-fitted 197s?

I would have thought it points more to getting enough drivers and guards trained and trying to run a normal service at the same time.

 

[D365]

Interesting - wonder if that indicates issues with the ETCS-fitted 197s?

As I noted above

 

[43102EMR]

Ah fair enough, thanks both!

 

[RobShipway]

You say that, but there are 27 and Southern had 20 175s until recently, ten of which were four carriages and no 175 is that long. It's not that much of a surplus on what Southern had before the former ScotRail units started to head for EMR.

The 171s are better suited though, particularly with the Dellner couplings and rescue compatibility with 377s.

Could the class 175's have their couplings changed to Dellner Couplings?

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Could the class 175's have their couplings changed to Dellner Couplings?

175s already have Dellners.

 

[43102EMR]

175s already have Dellners.

They have Scharfenbergs, not Dellners.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They have Scharfenbergs, not Dellners.

Dellner is a brand of Scharfenberg coupler (which is often genericised, a bit like if I said I had a Hoover but I actually have a Henry).