The future for EMR Class 360's?

[STINT47]

With the passage of time I'm increasingly loosing hope that will see any refurbishments in the near future. Even in the long run I cannot see much being offered other than new seat covers and, certainly no refurbishment to the standards promised.such as 2 +2 seating

EMR have now been going for three years and in that time they have not refurbished a single train. It wouldn't be so bad but most of the trains they inherited from EMT and those that have arrived were already tatty after years worth of use.

Abellio would no doubt say it's due to the DFT and the DFT will say it's due to cuts from the treasury who would say there's no money left after covid. Regardless it's a poor deal for EMR uses (especially those who now have 360s) even more so when you see the Pendolinos getting a full refurbishment to a high standard.

Perhaps fares can be reduced at Wellingborough to Northampton levels. Same standard of service should mean the same fare levels.

 

[QSK19]

In a weird sense, I’d rather see no refurbishment at all rather than the pitiful offering of just seat cover changes and power sockets. Having just two things done is such an insult to EMR and its passengers that they will serve as a constant reminder of how thoroughly unappreciated and disrespected the region’s railway and its passengers are.

I think that, in a sense, EMR’s rolling stock situation is down to unfortunate timing. To take Abellio’s other franchises, the timings of GA’s and WMR’s stock requirements were perfect and they’ve got super outcomes with loads of gleaming new trains (without inciting a debate of whether we like them or not!); whereas EMR stock seems have come at a time when there were/are seemingly less resources available and have, as a consequence, got a dire (non-IC) rolling stock situation, something that won’t improve if the much-predicted long recession comes. Once that has gone and the economy is bouncing back, other regions in need of stock at that point in time (let’s say, purely for argument’s sake, replacement of Northern 150s & 156s in 5-10 years’ time) will benefit from great timing, more money available and hence new trains/full refurbishments. If this does happen, I fear that EMR/its future iteration will slip through the net - they should be the priority at that point in time given that progress on their situation will have been put on hold; but they will inevitably have been forgotten about and consequently would have the worst non-IC stock situation on the network.

Finally, whilst slightly OT, I’ll take an absolute punt on the 360s’ future: they’ll be replaced in 15-20 years’ time by 720s that, much like the 360s’ last few months at GA, will be run into the ground before moving over to the East Midlands. It would be déjà vu and let’s do the time warp again. Using that prediction to bring this paragraph back OT, I don’t think we should expect any significant Connect improvements for decades unless a miracle happens or unless the rumours of a very light “refurbishment” are not true.