West Midlands Trains 730s - where might they be used?

[Bletchleyite]

With WMT having changed their order around a bit, with more 3-car units and fewer 5s and everything to be 2+2 seated, and with the orange 3s starting off down South, is there potentially a better way to use these units?

It's notable that the south WCML has a new timetable which has almost no 12-car working, and that on plenty of services 5.730 is not going to be anywhere near adequate, but 10.730 potentially excessive.

Could we end up in a situation where it makes sense to work the Cross City with 5.730 fixed formation, and to send more of the 3s down to the WCML, where 6 and 9-car formations may hit sweet spots?

Could we see 5+3 formations out of Euston? This would hit the sweet spot on a lot of services - 8 car but that bit longer.

Should WMT perhaps use a common livery for the units rather than "Sainsbury's" and "Trebor Mints"?

 

[RailWonderer]

The 3 car units only have a 90mph top speed so gearing up to 110mph would be necessary to use them on the WCML or they would lose a chunk of time and hold up Avanti expresses. Either they regear them or they stick to the original plan. From what I know about GA, my local network, they stuck with the original plan with 745/1s on Stansted and 745/0s (identical, but with first class, buffet and tables) on Norwich even when operationally it is inconvenient to have them on the WA and they are already overcrowded on that line as well.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The 3 car units only have a 90mph top speed

Interesting. Given that they do intend to initially use them to substitute for 319s on the south WCML (319s don't go on the fasts) is the argument that their superior acceleration outweighs the fact that they won't be able to do 100 on those bits of the slows where the limit is that high? And if that works for those, 90 may well be OK on services that don't go on the fasts longer term - the only services that do (other than out of hours when everything does) are the Crewes and the services with no stops (or only Watford Jn) until Leighton Buzzard. The slows have varying limits but never above 100, but quite a lot, if I recall, is 90 or below.

The MKC-Euston stopper, for instance, won't run on the fasts other than when a two track timetable is running.

That might leave enough 350s to run 8-car formations on those services that do go on the fasts. Plus some weekday daytime diagrams may be sufficient at 5.730.

I must admit I was surprised at the way the new south WCML timetable has been designed, with almost everything 8 car and a lot of peak extras. I had more expected the same pattern all day, perhaps with one or two extras rather than the large number there area, which would suit using 5.730 off peak and 10.730 peak. I guess it's for operational flexibility at Euston as everything will fit in all platforms, but it is to me very strange.

 

[RailWonderer]

I must admit I was surprised at the way the new south WCML timetable has been designed, with almost everything 8 car and a lot of peak extras. I had more expected the same pattern all day, perhaps with one or two extras rather than the large number there area, which would suit using 5.730 off peak and 10.730 peak. I guess it's for operational flexibility at Euston as everything will fit in all platforms, but it is to me very strange.

I haven't looked at the new timetable but are stopper diagrams kept strictly seperate from the fasts? Last year I was using LNR and I saw on RTT that some Crewe fasts were interworked with Northampton semi fasts. If they keep 730s on the slows and few sections are 100mph then the acceleration will offset the 90mph limit.

That said regearing would be simpler the way they regeared the 350/2s for flexibility. If not, and LNR are not committed to keeping the 90mph 730s on slows, you might see one on a fast lose a load of time on RTT when the new timetale begins.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I haven't looked at the new timetable but are stopper diagrams kept strictly seperate from the fasts? Last year I was using LNR and I saw on RTT that some Crewe fasts were interworked with Northampton semi fasts.

They aren't in the current timetable, but they are from the December timetable change. From Dec Crewes will be self contained, Brum via Northampton self contained, and Tring/MKC stoppers self contained. It's the reason why the Crewe's timings have changed so it can work the service back from Euston. The latter only work fast line in emergency and during 2 track timetables.