What is happening to the 5 Oldham Loop Pacers

[PhilipW]

When the Oldham loop closes this weekend, has it been decided what is happening to the 5 Pacers allocated to that route ?

Are they staying with Northern to releave overcrowding on other services ?

 

[350401]

I dam well hope so....Northern are very short on units, and have been for a while. 5 extra 142's, whilst not a definitive solution, would be dam useful. For a start, it would ensure the 07.55 Crewe-Manchester is not short-formed - it should be 2x142 but whenever a *single* unit fails *anywhere* in the north-west region, that extra 142 is requisitioned and we have fun and games at Chelford. 5x142's would ensure that is sorted, would enable the Hazel Grove trains are always strengthened, and ensure the Mid-Cheshire line has capacity at peak time when needed. Win all round I.e. we need them to give NT essential breathing space. We really need more electrics but looks like it'll be 2013 till they arrive - though am looking forward to the class 319 cascade

 

[PhilipW]

I know that Northern want to keep them and I agree that it would be exteremely sensible for them to do so, but I have not heard an official pronouncement. There was some talk a few months back of the Dft allocating them elsewhere.

Sorry to have spelt 'relieve' wrong in my orginal. Where on earth did I get 'releave' from. I am embarrassed.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Last I heard, DfT want them in Manchester, GMPTE don't, when there is some sort of agreement they might run again. Incidentally, I was lead to believe it was 7 units rather than 5.

 

[Stonesourscotty]

Rumour

3 are staying in the North west i heard and 1 bound for Heaton but thats only a rumour ive heard god knows the other 1

 

[Darandio]

Ooh, one for Heaton. I that the one we were promised up here to relieve overcrowding?

 

[Pumbaa]

Surely these are releasing the 180s back for hire? I swear the hire period is due to end soon.

 

[Oswyntail]

Sling 'em on the back of a Voyager to reduce overcrowding That would be one fun ride, hurtling at megaspeed in a 4-wheel truck.

 

[CJ]

Surely these are releasing the 180s back for hire? I swear the hire period is due to end soon.

Apprently it ends in December 2010, the same time i think Northern get back the 158s from Scotrail and 142s from FGW.

 

[Z12XE]

Should this be 4 spare pacers now that 142016 has today rear ended a Mk4 set?!

 

[tbtc]

Apprently it ends in December 2010, the same time i think Northern get back the 158s from Scotrail and 142s from FGW.

Presumably this is intended to tie in with the Bathgate branch being EMU run from the December 2010 timetable (when the Airdrie link opens, assuming it does on time!), but does anyone know how FGW are going to be able to spare stock?

(too early for the Thames Valley electrification to cascade 165/166s to the West Country to cascade Sprinters to Devon to cascade Pacers north)

 

[poshbakerloo]

Get rid of the 142s...at least get some 150s as they are 'proper' trains not buses...
Really they need something like a 170 but I doubt that will happen!

 

[whoshotjimmi]

May have found what is happening to them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8306097.stm

It is interesting that we have not previously discussed the issues of cost. However, regardless of cost, surely Northern have services that desperately need these carriages? Are Northern, an award winning TOC no less, suffering from a bit of complacency? Passengers are not eternally patient people and, while Northern have improved rail travel across the north massively since 2004, people will notice when they do not take the opportunities they have to improve it further.

 

[Drsatan]

Hopefully the 142s will stay with Northern, since we've had enough of 142s down in Exeter!

 

[tbtc]

The Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) is to pay for the five carriages freed up by the closure of the Oldham Loop Line on 3 October

I hope they mean "five trains" and not just "five coaches"...

 

[CJ]

I hope they mean "five trains" and not just "five coaches"...

Yeah i think he means 5 trains.
142s are all 2 coaches.

 

[furryfeet]

1. why on earth was this not planned out and paid for BEFORE the oldham loop was shut ?

2. Is there any stock lying around in the various MOD sites that could be easily put back into service ? Should be cheap, since all that stuff will be fully depreciated.

 

[Crossforth]

Should this be 4 spare pacers now that 142016 has today rear ended a Mk4 set?!

What happened?!?!

May have found what is happening to them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8306097.stm

It is interesting that we have not previously discussed the issues of cost. However, regardless of cost, surely Northern have services that desperately need these carriages? Are Northern, an award winning TOC no less, suffering from a bit of complacency? Passengers are not eternally patient people and, while Northern have improved rail travel across the north massively since 2004, people will notice when they do not take the opportunities they have to improve it further.

And I would say that I shall stick to TPE when I travel to Manchester but they always seem to pack us in like Sardines

 

[yorksrob]

1. why on earth was this not planned out and paid for BEFORE the oldham loop was shut ?

2. Is there any stock lying around in the various MOD sites that could be easily put back into service ? Should be cheap, since all that stuff will be fully depreciated.

Theoretically true, though because of the vagaries of the system old rolling stock tends to be as expensive to lease as new.

 

[tbtc]

2. Is there any stock lying around in the various MOD sites that could be easily put back into service ? Should be cheap, since all that stuff will be fully depreciated.

In theory, the Pacers and other older stock were pretty much deprecviated under British Rail - doesn't stop the ROSCOs charging an arm and a leg because they know the demand is out there

 

[northwichcat]

1. why on earth was this not planned out and paid for BEFORE the oldham loop was shut ?

There was a disagreement between GMPTE and Northern. Northern wanted funding to use the extra trains for strengthening as they said their use as lengthening existing Calder Vale services brings in less profit than using them on the Oldham Loop. GMPTE said Northern's expenses should be less as the extra carriages would be well used and Northern will use less drivers than when they used them on the Oldham Loop. Now GMPTE have agreed to pay Northern.
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Hopefully the 142s will stay with Northern, since we've had enough of 142s down in Exeter!

And the people up North haven't had enough of them, is it 25 years that they've been on some routes up north and a couple of years on FGW routes, although were briefly used on South West routes when they were first brought in to service.