Where are the 350/2s going?

[XCTurbostar]

Hi all,

Just been reading a Facebook post which showed ROG 37800 dragging 350238 from Northampton EMD to Long Marston.

This one wasn’t involved in the Watford incident (that was 350264 and 350233) or the more recent Liverpool South Parkway incident (that was 350242) so where are they all going?

 

[E_Reeves]

Might be something about the new franchise not wanting them?

 

[sprinterguy]

Might be something about the new franchise not wanting them?

Would the current franchisee really be doing that, though, two months before the franchise even changes hands? And what would London Midland or West Midlands Trains be using in lieu of the 350/2s, which aren't due to go off lease until May 2021?

Whatever this is about, it seems like a very strange course of action to take when London Midland have received no additional stock, and there is already at least one 350/2 out of use for accident repairs (350264). London Midland don't have enough 350s to operate all their London services as it is, hence the 319s, and the Chase line and Bromsgrove electrification projects are going to require more, not less, electric stock, which won't necessarily affect the 350s directly, but does increase demand for something to free up class 323 units from other work around the West Midlands.

 

[Harbornite]

Apparently it's going for corrosion repairs.

 

[Old Hill Bank]

If a 350/2 was dumped in the next few years the new franchise would be in a mess without alternatives coming in. Remember that they are owned by the ROSCO not the TOC.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Apparently it's going for corrosion repairs.

Good grief - they're only 8 years old... they shouldn't be getting corrosion yet should they?

 

[swt_passenger]

Is it absolutely confirmed it is a 350/2? Other sources are reporting a 319 being moved to long Marston today, that would seem far more likely to fit with corrosion repairs...

 

[sprinterguy]

Is it absolutely confirmed it is a 350/2? Other sources are reporting a 319 being moved to long Marston today, that would seem far more likely to fit with corrosion repairs...

Yep, there's a video here (not mine) of it being hauled through Kings Norton en route:

Apparently it's going for corrosion repairs.

Ah, that makes more sense. Though like Peter I am surprised that it needs them after so few years in service.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Someone on Facebook was talking non-sense and saying that this the start of the withdrawals of the 350/2 and that they're being replaced with 20 319s.. wow

 

[D365]

Someone on Facebook was talking non-sense and saying that this the start of the withdrawals of the 350/2 and that they're being replaced with 20 319s.. wow

By any chance, was his first initial A?

 

[XCTurbostar]

By any chance, was his first initial A?

Nope it isn't. The user is heavily defending it stating that he had some knowledge from the Northampton depot.

 

[branchline]

The 350/2 are being converted to 110mph running starting this week. Doubt they are being replaced with 319’s, only a handful of drivers sign them at Bly.

 

[sprinterguy]

Someone on Facebook was talking non-sense and saying that this the start of the withdrawals of the 350/2 and that they're being replaced with 20 319s.. wow

Good grief, that is quite the flight of fancy. Social media has increased traditional industry Chinese whispers tenfold.

 

[Lrd]

The 350/2 are being converted to 110mph running starting this week. Doubt they are being replaced with 319’s, only a handful of drivers sign them at Bly.

Yay even more 350/2s on the fasts

 

[BucksBones]

Yay even more 350/2s on the fasts

At least now when they're on the fasts they'll be able to keep to time!

 

[6Gman]

At least now when they're on the fasts they'll be able to keep to time!

But Crewe to Euston on 350/2 seats is a dreadful prospect!

 

[BucksBones]

But Crewe to Euston on 350/2 seats is a dreadful prospect!

Can't disagree with that, but now the only inconvenience will be the seating, rather than late running adding insult to injury!

 

[Bletchleyite]

But Crewe to Euston on 350/2 seats is a dreadful prospect!

Is it?

Those trains, particularly on weekends, are heavily used by family groups and other similar groups involving children. The groups of 6 seats are very popular with those people, leaving plenty of sets of 2 for others to use. And if the kids sit in the middle they aren't too narrow. Furthermore, the fact that most seats are facing (rather than airline in the /1s and /3s) means more between-seat-backs luggage space.

I would actually diagram 110mph 350/2s onto it at weekends and during school holidays, personally, leaving the 2+2 units south of Northampton where people primarily travel alone.

 

[Ibex]

Is it?

Those trains, particularly on weekends, are heavily used by family groups and other similar groups involving children. The groups of 6 seats are very popular with those people, leaving plenty of sets of 2 for others to use. And if the kids sit in the middle they aren't too narrow. Furthermore, the fact that most seats are facing (rather than airline in the /1s and /3s) means more between-seat-backs luggage space.

I would actually diagram 110mph 350/2s onto it at weekends and during school holidays, personally, leaving the 2+2 units south of Northampton where people primarily travel alone.

I don’t know if it’s still the case but there was a fairly long period where all the Trent Valley services were indeed diagrammed a 350/2 on Sunday’s for those exact reasons (plus they go via Northampton on a Sunday and run on the down slow from Euston to MKC so the 110mph capability isn’t required).

Not sure if the Watford crash scuppered that though.

 

[DenmarkRail]

I don’t know if it’s still the case but there was a fairly long period where all the Trent Valley services were indeed diagrammed a 350/2 on Sunday’s for those exact reasons (plus they go via Northampton on a Sunday and run on the down slow from Euston to MKC so the 110mph capability isn’t required).

Not sure if the Watford crash scuppered that though.

The london Midland services are painful anyway, but with the 2+3 seating and lack of tables, it makes the journey much more painful... Would rather them bulk the 350/1s and 3s to 125mph running, and then drop the annoying stops (Atherstone, Litchfield Trent Valley etc).

The 350/1s and 350/3s could run the fast services from Liverpool (Liverpool, Runcorn, Crewe, Stafford, Nuneaton, Rugby, Milton Keynes, Watford Junc, Euston)

The 350/2s could run the more stopping service via Northampton...

 

[edwin_m]

The london Midland services are painful anyway, but with the 2+3 seating and lack of tables, it makes the journey much more painful... Would rather them bulk the 350/1s and 3s to 125mph running, and then drop the annoying stops (Atherstone, Litchfield Trent Valley etc).

The 350/1s and 350/3s could run the fast services from Liverpool (Liverpool, Runcorn, Crewe, Stafford, Nuneaton, Rugby, Milton Keynes, Watford Junc, Euston)

The 350/2s could run the more stopping service via Northampton...

Aren't the "annyoing stops" the whole reason these services exist? Presumably if they ran them close to Pendolino timings they could charge close to Virgin fares.

 

[FordFocus]

Yep, there's a video here (not mine) of it being hauled through Kings Norton en route:

Ah, that makes more sense. Though like Peter I am surprised that it needs them after so few years in service.

Was the unit braked? Didn't think it would work with the EP brakes.

 

[MCR247]

The london Midland services are painful anyway, but with the 2+3 seating and lack of tables, it makes the journey much more painful... Would rather them bulk the 350/1s and 3s to 125mph running, and then drop the annoying stops (Atherstone, Litchfield Trent Valley etc).

The 350/1s and 350/3s could run the fast services from Liverpool (Liverpool, Runcorn, Crewe, Stafford, Nuneaton, Rugby, Milton Keynes, Watford Junc, Euston)

The 350/2s could run the more stopping service via Northampton...

Hang on, the Trent Valley stations lost their services to enable VHF (overall gain maybe, but not to them) and now you'd like them to lose their (slower, inferior quality) replacement service just so people have a cheaper alternative to the Virgin services? what exactly have they done to you to deserve this?

 

[MCR247]

Was the unit braked? Didn't think it would work with the EP brakes.

I think ROG have modified their locos to be able to brake EMUs. See recent 375 drags they have recently too: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0z3wcu40CDQ/maxresdefault.jpg

 

[The Planner]

More to the point, what services are going to stop? A tilting 350 would be amusing though at 125.

 

[DenmarkRail]

Hang on, the Trent Valley stations lost their services to enable VHF (overall gain maybe, but not to them) and now you'd like them to lose their (slower, inferior quality) replacement service just so people have a cheaper alternative to the Virgin services? what exactly have they done to you to deserve this?

Meh, I'm not too worried... I'll just take the Virgin Train, or hopefully HS2, when the 'Stafford HS2 hub opens' ... Seriously though, I was just thinking that if a 350/2 was used on STOPPERS only, then Polesworth could get a better service

 

[The Planner]

So Stafford station then....

 

[FordFocus]

I think ROG have modified their locos to be able to brake EMUs. See recent 375 drags they have recently too: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0z3wcu40CDQ/maxresdefault.jpg

Thanks!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The london Midland services are painful anyway, but with the 2+3 seating and lack of tables, it makes the journey much more painful... Would rather them bulk the 350/1s and 3s to 125mph running, and then drop the annoying stops (Atherstone, Litchfield Trent Valley etc).

The whole point of them is those stations, and serving them hourly is a franchise requirement. The service does not exist to provide an alternative to Virgin, that's a fortunate side-effect.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hang on, the Trent Valley stations lost their services to enable VHF (overall gain maybe, but not to them) and now you'd like them to lose their (slower, inferior quality) replacement service

TBH I think hourly LM is better than the sporadic occasional VT they used to have, and the fares are cheaper too. Overcrowding is a problem, but once they go 8-car as is planned that will be solved.

As for Atherstone it can hardly complain about what it has now compared to a 153 about every 2 hours.