TPE Mark 5A coaching stock progress

[158820]

Thanks for the link, l had seen it rumoured on another forum but wasnt sure. It is a bit of a scenic route from Portbury to longsight via Holyhead

 

[Pete_uk]

Passing Gloucester

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

According to last night's NWRail notice board (http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm) the ex-Anglesey Aluminium site just outside Holyhead will be used to store new TPE Mk5 sets until entry into service.

Is this the first hint of delayed introduction?
The location is at least well away from the prying eyes of regular TPE customers.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is this the first hint of delayed introduction?
The location is at least well away from the prying eyes of regular TPE customers.

I don't know, I'm sure Mr Hulme's long running website (on which the article you note was found) will get a feature or two about them.

 

[notlob.divad]

Why are they taking them so far? They have just finished utilisng the Leyland sidings as a temporary northern base during the Blackpool blockade. Surely utilising this again would be much more sensible than dragging them all the way to Holyhead.

 

[driver9000]

Why are they taking them so far? They have just finished utilisng the Leyland sidings as a temporary northern base during the Blackpool blockade. Surely utilising this again would be much more sensible than dragging them all the way to Holyhead.

13 sets of 5 car trains won't fit at Leyland plus as I recall the agreements on the planning application were that once Northern finished with it the site would be demolished.

 

[Kieran1990]

With just 13 sets how tightly will they be diagrammed?
Is it 6 sets each to both routes that they are intended for?

 

[BMIFlyer]

With just 13 sets how tightly will they be diagrammed?
Is it 6 sets each to both routes that they are intended for?

Scarborough needs 5 sets. There should be one spare set per day as a minimum.

The Mk5A's should start running with 2 diagrams per day initially on LIV-SCA late this year. That would pretty much equal 6 trains in each direction per day similar to the planned Mk3 diagrams.

 

[CAF397]

Is this the first hint of delayed introduction?
The location is at least well away from the prying eyes of regular TPE customers.

On the contrary, are the Mk5s not actually being delivered earlier than anticipated?

 

[6Gtraincrew]

First coaches have arrived in Holyhead. Came down by road on Thursday and Friday.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

On the contrary, are the Mk5s not actually being delivered earlier than anticipated?

The TPE franchise agreement shows the Mk5 lease start date as 2 November 2017.
Class 397s are set as 2 October 2018, and the 802s as 29 August 2019.
TPE appears to have 12 months leeway on these dates for the whole fleet to be in unrestricted service.
You'd have expected every effort would be being made to bring all the new stock into service as soon as possible.
Parking the trains more than 100 miles from the nearest service location suggests problems to me.
Maybe it's CAF who needs the storage space until the Mk5 sets are accepted for use on NR.

 

[47802]

Looks like now in the event with the various delays that these trains are a waste of time and money may as well just kept al the 185 along with the 802's or wait for a bigger fleet of 802's. Always struck me as somewhat nonsensical decision to have 3 types of train where there was previously 1 and the loco hauled being a single point of failure on a very busy line.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Looks like now in the event with the various delays that these trains are a waste of time and money may as well just kept al the 185 along with the 802's or wait for a bigger fleet of 802's. Always struck me as somewhat nonsensical decision to have 3 types of train where there was previously 1 and the loco hauled being a single point of failure on a very busy line.

Somewhere there's a picture of TPE's first 802 on test at Darlington.
So the first new TPE train to turn a wheel in the UK is the bi-mode option!
It naturally has all the advantage of the prior class 800 testing/approvals, while CAF has had to start from scratch on all 3 of its TPE/Northern fleets.

 

[47802]

Somewhere there's a picture of TPE's first 802 on test at Darlington.
So the first new TPE train to turn a wheel in the UK is the bi-mode option!
It naturally has all the advantage of the prior class 800 testing/approvals, while CAF has had to start from scratch on all 3 of its TPE/Northern fleets.

Well yes but the Loco Hauled stock was supposed to be a quick win and get into service quickly, while an 802 might get into service as quick if not quicker at this rate.

 

[BMIFlyer]

The Mark 5A’s will be in service by the end of 2018. The problem we have is lack of space at the moment to store any further push pull sets as they are being built very quickly.

Have patience!

 

[Kieran1990]

Yes the first 802 ran this week, and as other posters have stated, the Class 800s have been testing in the UK for a while.
The first Mk5a is due to run next week in test- so not bad going for CAF

 

[keith1879]

Somewhere there's a picture of TPE's first 802 on test at Darlington.
So the first new TPE train to turn a wheel in the UK is the bi-mode option!
It naturally has all the advantage of the prior class 800 testing/approvals, while CAF has had to start from scratch on all 3 of its TPE/Northern fleets.

There are videos (up this thread for example) showing that the Mark 5 stock has been turning plenty of wheels in this country ....the sets have been delivered by rail. All indications seem to be that this will be the first of the new stock to enter service for TP.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There are videos (up this thread for example) showing that the Mark 5 stock has been turning plenty of wheels in this country ....the sets have been delivered by rail. All indications seem to be that this will be the first of the new stock to enter service for TP.

That's fine for the basic vehicle, but the DT is the critical part of the set, and its interface with the class 68.

 

[The_Engineer]

That's fine for the basic vehicle, but the DT is the critical part of the set, and its interface with the class 68.

That's why they have been running the MK.5 set with Class 68s out at Velim. That should have cleared most teething problems......

 

[Pete_uk]

Are these adding to or replacing stock in the short term?

 

[Bertie the bus]

The Mark 5A’s will be in service by the end of 2018. The problem we have is lack of space at the moment to store any further push pull sets as they are being built very quickly.

Have patience!

They were supposed to be in service from this summer. Instead of telling passengers to have patience perhaps we should be telling you to honour your franchise commitments.

 

[BMIFlyer]

They were supposed to be in service from this summer.

Wrong. The plan was late autumn 2018.

https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/the-nova-fleets/nova-3

 

[EE Andy b1]

I once said good on TPE for getting on with the job of getting new trains, utilising Mk3s for training on service trains until Mk5s came into operation.
How wrong i was!
Problems not of all there own making but very slow at getting any training done.
Hopefully Freightliner Heavyhaul crews will get these sets tested quickly and then TPE might get on with the job of providing a reliable service with adequate seating for passengers.
Err sorry customers!!

 

[YorkshireBear]

They were supposed to be in service from this summer. Instead of telling passengers to have patience perhaps we should be telling you to honour your franchise commitments.

Mk5s always planned for the autumn...

And everyone going on about the 802s. This is an initial one, i believe the stated plan is for an initial one to allow some staff familiarisation but I don't think a load more 802s are expected soon.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Mk5s always planned for the autumn...

Introduction from Summer 2018 with full service by the end of the year. So not the Autumn and certainly not what is actually going to happen.

 

[jhy44]

Can someone explain to me why TPE have ordered coaches and engines rather than an MU?
What are the advantages/reasons? From my own uneducated point of view I'd have assumed it would have been cheaper for them to simply procure more 802s than order a third type of train, and with the current love of Bi-Modes, seems odd to be ordering Diesel locos to run partially under the ECML wires.

Explanations/wisdom would be greatly appreciated

 

[BMIFlyer]

Can someone explain to me why TPE have ordered coaches and engines rather than an MU?
What are the advantages/reasons? From my own uneducated point of view I'd have assumed it would have been cheaper for them to simply procure more 802s than order a third type of train, and with the current love of Bi-Modes, seems odd to be ordering Diesel locos to run partially under the ECML wires.

Explanations/wisdom would be greatly appreciated

Need new trains quickly - the locos already exists and have the latest technology on board so just need coaches.

All other manufacturers have massive backlogs hence why the 802 units will be the last to arrive next year.

 

[jhy44]

Need new trains quickly - the locos already exists and have the latest technology on board so just need coaches.

All other manufacturers have massive backlogs hence why the 802 units will be the last to arrive next year.

Ah, makes sense, thank you! I hope in due course they replace the Locos with some bi-modes, if such a loco exists.

 

[BMIFlyer]

Ah, makes sense, thank you! I hope in due course they replace the Locos with some bi-modes, if such a loco exists.

The class 88 exists but isn't powerful enough on diesel yet for running to class 68 times on TPE services away from the wires.

 

[transmanche]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the plan was to introduce mk5+68s onto the Newcastle services initially, before cascading them to Middlesbrough/Scarborough/Hull(?) services when the 802s arrive. Is that still the case?