Class 800 testing in Scotland - Dates?

[Clansman]

Apologies if this has been mentioned in the "Class 800" thread.

With a lot of testing in and around Yorkshire, I was wondering if there has been any dates as to when the Class 800s will begin testing in Scotland - from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness? With the introduction only a year and a bit away it's got to happen at some point soon?

Also, as EGIP is nearing completion, has there been any confirmation as to whether the IEPs will utilise the new wires from Haymarket to Dunblane, and whether or not that route will be limited to Hybrid units only as opposed to the 801 and 225s?

 

[swt_passenger]

ECML trains don't start until some time in 2018, you are a year early.

 

[Clansman]

ECML trains don't start until some time in 2018, you are a year early.

Understood, although I did say "a year and a bit..."

EDIT: Thought VTEC and GWR were getting IEPs at same time

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Apologies if this has been mentioned in the "Class 800" thread.

With a lot of testing in and around Yorkshire, I was wondering if there has been any dates as to when the Class 800s will begin testing in Scotland - from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness? With the introduction only a year away it's got to happen at some point soon?

Also, as EGIP is nearing completion, has there been any confirmation as to whether the IEPs will utilise the new wires from Haymarket to Dunblane, and whether or not that route will be limited to Hybrid units only as opposed to the 801 and 225s?

It's only GWR who get IEP stock in 2017 (launch is planned for December TT change but what that timetable will look like is still a bit up in the air).

IEP introduction for Virgin East Coast is December 2018 and Dunblane electrification doesn't go live until December 2019 (or possibly a little later, given the program is running late now).

The units should be using electric power, whether it's bi-mode or electric units which operate the services from Stirling though would be dependent on diagramming.

 

[leomartin125]

Understood, although I did say "a year and a bit..."

Focus is currently on GWML destined IEP's so until these enter service and are proven to be successful, I doubt you will ever see an IEP North of Durham till that point. Recently a lot of the testing has shifted from the ECML to the GWML with the focus being on testing the Electric Mode of the 800's. Very little activity if any is currently happening at Old Dalby, and consequently testing on the ECML has stopped.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Focus is currently on GWML destined IEP's so until these enter service and are proven to be successful, I doubt you will ever see an IEP North of Durham till that point. Recently a lot of the testing has shifted from the ECML to the GWML with the focus being on testing the Electric Mode of the 800's. Very little activity if any is currently happening at Old Dalby, and consequently testing on the ECML has stopped.

There was a unit out testing on the ECML on Thursday night/Friday morning.

Don't know if it's the same unit which moved to North Pole later on Friday morning.

 

[jimm]

It's only GWR who get IEP stock in 2017 (launch is planned for December TT change but what that timetable will look like is still a bit up in the air).

What do you mean by 'launch' Philip?

GWR said at the Paddington event last month that the 800s will start to enter service in batches of four at a time - so a pair of 2x5 formations - to replace HSTs from July next year. I suppose that PR types would call that a 'soft' launch these days.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

What do you mean by 'launch' Philip?

GWR said at the Paddington event last month that the 800s will start to enter service in batches of four at a time - so a pair of 2x5 formations - to replace HSTs from July next year. I suppose that PR types would call that a 'soft' launch these days.

The timetable change was what I was thinking about, not the gradual introduction of units into service.

 

[leomartin125]

There was a unit out testing on the ECML on Thursday night/Friday morning.

Don't know if it's the same unit which moved to North Pole later on Friday morning.

Well there is or rather now, was, only two IEP sets at Old Dalby. That was 800001 and 800002 so it must have been them on test Thursday night/Friday morning. I have no idea why GBRf or Hitachi decided to send it up to the test track just for one single test, and then immediately send it back down here again, when it wasn't even used for testing on the GWML test site (Scours Lane to Didcot) last night. As shown in my set allocations post in the 'Class 800' thread, at present (today) there are no Class 800's at Old Dalby. Although I expect 800003 will be moved there once testing at Newton Aycliffe is complete (which is taking a very long time considering all things...)

 

[Clansman]

Good to see they've finally come up this way

Virgin Azuma speeds into Scotland for the first time
Virgin's Azuma train, which will run on the operator's East Coast service, stopped at Dunbar in East Lothian on Wednesday during testing.

The Azuma can reach speeds of 125mph and Virgin says it will help cut journey times between Edinburgh and London by 22 minutes to four hours.

Talks are under way for the Azuma, which translates from the Japanese word for east, to have its speed limit increased to 140mph.

The 65-strong fleet, manufactured by Hitachi, will be rolled out next year.

The nine-carriage version which stopped at Dunbar is capable of travelling on both electric and diesel power.

It travelled north of Newcastle for the first time on Wednesday, crossing over the iconic Royal Border Bridge in Berwick-upon-Tweed and then over the Scottish border at 12.45pm.

The train arrived at Dunbar station, where it was met by a piper as it pulled into the platform shortly after 1pm before departing four minutes later to travel south to Doncaster.

Azuma replaces the Intercity 125, which has been in service on the east coast mainline since 1978.

David Horne, Virgin Trains' managing director on the east coast route, said: "The Virgin Azuma will deliver a step-change in services between Scotland and England, taking regular journeys down to just four hours.

"Having the train visit Scotland for the first time as part of testing is a really important moment and reminds us of the excitement it will bring to UK train travel when it is introduced into service."

Karen Boswell, managing director at Hitachi Rail Europe, said: "Passengers and enthusiasts in Scotland will be seeing more of the Azuma trains in the coming months as part of our rigorous test programme.

"Our UK-built fleet harnesses world famous Japanese bullet train technology, giving passengers on the east coast main line the very best in quality and reliability."

https://stv.tv/news/east-central/1395787-virgin-s-new-train-for-east-coast-line-visits-scotland/