The Lymington shuttle 158

[Drsatan]

Another problem is that 158s have a lot less bike space than the 421s previously used. Would be an issue given there are normally a few bikes on the ferry off the train!

 

[bigyinn]

Given its only 1 intermediate stop and not massive passenger volumes, coupled with the fact there aren't any spare 450s during the week PLUS its a captive diagram it makes plenty of sense to supply a 158 for the run.

 

[Lrd]

Given its only 1 intermediate stop and not massive passenger volumes, coupled with the fact there aren't any spare 450s during the week PLUS its a captive diagram it makes plenty of sense to supply a 158 for the run.

Apart from the fact it's a diesel running over a wholly electrified route.

Perhaps they could bring an Island Line train over? Two car electric train already in the franchise. Perfect.

 

[bigyinn]

As long as they dont expect to be carrying disability scooters!

Diesels running over electrified routes is nothing new. I seem to recall Voyagers do birmingham to glasgow runs daily plus there are 185s doing similar from Manchester too. What about all the diesel hauled freight that could be electric hauled for all or part of its journey?
For such a short route, its hardly the end of the world is it. For the most part most passengers couldn't give a hoot what they are travelling on as long as they get a seat and its not too cold.
I know there is talk about taking over 456's from southern in the future, plus the 458 expansion programme using the former Gat-Ex 460s mean that the situation is likely to change in the future.

 

[starrymarkb]

Yeah the next SW franchise should have DMU reduction built in to it.

Which will probably occur at the point that demand picks up again and all the 158s are needed.

Common sense would have been to order a batch of general purpose DMUs for growth 10 years ago, rather then letting franchises on the basis of No Growth.

Saying that things will be irrelevant when Turbos are released by GWML Electrification, I'm sure a few 165/166s will make their way north (after someone is sent out with a tape measure!)

 

[tbtc]

Diesels running over electrified routes is nothing new. I seem to recall Voyagers do birmingham to glasgow runs daily plus there are 185s doing similar from Manchester too

The TPE services aren't wholly under the wires (when the lines around Manchester are fully electrified then EMUs will replace the 185s).

The Lymington 158 is frustrating (as someone who lives in an unelectrified part of the country which could do with more 158s), but its probably the "least bad" option for Lymington as things stand (until more EMUs are freed up by cascades).

Ideally there'd be an EMU on the shuttle (and the spared 158 could be used elsewhere), but its not worth the cost of bringing a deteriorated 508 out of storage and the hassles of maintaining one non-standard unit just to free up two carriages of DMU.

 

[Greenback]

The TPE services aren't wholly under the wires (when the lines around Manchester are fully electrified then EMUs will replace the 185s).

The Lymington 158 is frustrating (as someone who lives in an unelectrified part of the country which could do with more 158s), but its probably the "least bad" option for Lymington as things stand (until more EMUs are freed up by cascades).

Ideally there'd be an EMU on the shuttle (and the spared 158 could be used elsewhere), but its not worth the cost of bringing a deteriorated 508 out of storage and the hassles of maintaining one non-standard unit just to free up two carriages of DMU.

Agreed. It is by no means an ideal solution, but it is probably the best that can be done in the circumstances.

 

[jopsuk]

From an operational point of view, presumably the ideal class to be running the shuttle would be a 450 (like at the weekends)- there just isn't one available.

 

[NXEA!]

I think a little outside the box thinking could work here though - for instance, why couldn't South West Trains hire in daily a Southern 313? You'd only have to train up Bournemouth drivers and guards on the class, (which is what SWT had to do when they introduced 158's onto the branch in the first place if I remember correctly), or have Southern drivers and guards learn the branch themselves and hand the branch to Southern (although Southern drivers and Guards would also have to learn the route from Southampton-Brockenhurst-Bournemouth as well, so the first suggestion is probably cheaper). It's not like something like this hasn't been done, before the days of One/NXEA/GA, First Great Eastern used to hire a 150/153 every day from Anglia Railways to operate the Sudbury branch, and that was operated by FGE drivers and guards. It's been demonstrated recently that TOC's can sometimes think out of the box, for instance FGW acquiring the two 150/0's to use on the Reading-Basingstoke branch to release 165's, so it can be done if the will is there.

 

[ushawk]

I think a little outside the box thinking could work here though - for instance, why couldn't South West Trains hire in daily a Southern 313? You'd only have to train up Bournemouth drivers and guards on the class, (which is what SWT had to do when they introduced 158's onto the branch in the first place if I remember correctly), or have Southern drivers and guards learn the branch themselves and hand the branch to Southern (although Southern drivers and Guards would also have to learn the route from Southampton-Brockenhurst-Bournemouth as well, so the first suggestion is probably cheaper). It's not like something like this hasn't been done, before the days of One/NXEA/GA, First Great Eastern used to hire a 150/153 every day from Anglia Railways to operate the Sudbury branch, and that was operated by FGE drivers and guards. It's been demonstrated recently that TOC's can sometimes think out of the box, for instance FGW acquiring the two 150/0's to use on the Reading-Basingstoke branch to release 165's, so it can be done if the will is there.

Cant happen because Southern need the 313s for weekday peak workings, only some free on weekends (providing there isnt any football at Falmer).