Class 387

[cactustwirly]

Isn't the issue that only that awful seat is approved for 125mph use in new stock? In 110mph or slower stock other options exist such as those chosen by Abellio.

No the issue is the DfTs cheap specification

 

[samuelmorris]

Isn't the issue that only that awful seat is approved for 125mph use in new stock? In 110mph or slower stock other options exist such as those chosen by Abellio.

I hear that's true of 125mph, but I'm not sure at what speed the lower limit now applies, 100/110 etc. I suppose if the Kiel seating from 720s is used in 730s then I guess it's 110mph.

 

[spark001uk]

Would anyone happen to have any diagram details for the Reading - Newbury 387's starting Wednesday please?

 

[cactustwirly]

Would anyone happen to have any diagram details for the Reading - Newbury 387's starting Wednesday please?

The 1112 RDG - Newbury is a 387 by the looks
It shuttles until 1555 NBY - RDG, where it's swapped for a 165

 

[cactustwirly]

The 1112 RDG - Newbury is a 387 by the looks
It shuttles until 1555 NBY - RDG, where it's swapped for a 165

The other diagram even hours from Reading shuttles to Newbury all day, and then forms the 1639 Newbury to Paddington, which joins with another service to form the 1819 to Didcot Parkway from London Paddington

 

[JN114]

Would anyone happen to have any diagram details for the Reading - Newbury 387's starting Wednesday please?

They’re in traffic from today:-

06:12/08:12/10:15/11:14/12:11/13:12/14:14/15:10/16:01/17:12/18:12/19:10 off Reading

06:56/09:36/11:12/12:33/13:37/14:12/15:12/16:10/16:48/18:10/19:20/21:12 off Newbury

Tuesday 1st:-

Only 1 circuit is Electrostars:-

11:14/13:12/15:10/17:12/19:10 off Reading

12:33/14:12/16:10/18:10/21:12 off Newbury

I’ll look at Wednesday in a bit and update...

 

[JN114]

Wednesday 2nd/Thursday 3rd

08:06 off Paddington

06:12/08:12/08:43/10:10/11:14/12:11/13:12/14:14/15:10/16:01/16:38 off Reading

05:30/06:56/09:23/09:32/11:12/12:32/13:31/14:12/15:12/15:55/16:48 off Newbury

 

[Kite159]

Wednesday 2nd/Thursday 3rd

08:06 off Paddington

06:12/08:12/08:43/10:10/11:14/12:11/13:12/14:14/15:10/16:01/16:38 off Reading

05:30/06:56/09:23/09:32/11:12/12:32/13:31/14:12/15:12/15:55/16:48 off Newbury

Thanks

16:38 seems to be ECS to the depot and the 16:48 from Newbury goes to Paddington as a semifast from Newbury where it looks like it couples up to a stopper from Reading to form a didcot service?

 

[spark001uk]

1312 off rdg, and 1331 off nby, were both cancelled, OHLE issue apparently. I was waiting for the latter at nby, though the staff there said it was a broken down unit caused the problem.

 

[Kite159]

1312 off rdg, and 1331 off nby, were both cancelled, OHLE issue apparently. I was waiting for the latter at nby, though the staff there said it was a broken down unit caused the problem.

11:12 off Reading (387171) had issues, rescued by 387151 which was on the 12:12 service which was cancelled.

More details from post 8196 on this thread:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/great-western-electrification-progress.83452/page-274

 

[spark001uk]

Aforementioned rescue about to leave Newbury.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

I took a 387 for the first time on the B&H yesterday, the 1K11 which is a semi-fast Newbury to Paddington and was operated by a (usually quite empty) HST until very recently.

It was very quick between Thatcham and Theale (covered easily in 7 mins) and then sat at Theale for what seemed like a very long 3 minutes.

This could only be because it can easily beat the current timetable and needed to wait for the advertised departure time.

Felt so much faster than a Turbo (and an HST, in terms of acceleration and deceleration) on this type of run on the B&H

 

[hassaanhc]

I took a 387 for the first time on the B&H yesterday, the 1K11 which is a semi-fast Newbury to Paddington and was operated by a (usually quite empty) HST until very recently.

It was very quick between Thatcham and Theale (covered easily in 7 mins) and then sat at Theale for what seemed like a very long 3 minutes.

This could only be because it can easily beat the current timetable and needed to wait for the advertised departure time.

Felt so much faster than a Turbo (and an HST, in terms of acceleration and deceleration) on this type of run on the B&H

The same still happens on the main GWML between Paddington and Reading. Arriving at least 1 minute early at most stations and can easily recover delays of 5 minutes. I've had one depart Slough and reach the 90mph linespeed before Langley (next stop was Hayes & Harlington). Turbos often didn't quite that on the 7 or so miles from Maidenhead to Twyford before having to slow down!

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

Are trains on the Reading-Newbury line now all operated by 387s or are 165s still being used on the line?

 

[JN114]

Are trains on the Reading-Newbury line now all operated by 387s or are 165s still being used on the line?

It’s a Mix, see post 5347

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

Is the plan for all Reading-Newbury services to be 387s or will it permanently be a 'mix' of units(387s and 165s)

 

[JN114]

Is the plan for all Reading-Newbury services to be 387s or will it permanently be a 'mix' of units(387s and 165s)

For a given definition of permanent, it will be a mix. The services that aren’t 387-operated now are the ones that are too difficult to unpick from other diesel work.

 

[sprinterguy]

The contract to modify and fit with ETCS the 12 GWR units destined for Heathrow Express duties has been awarded, for completion by December 2019.

Unsurprisingly, Bombardier have been awarded the contract to modify Bombardier units, at Ilford.

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/heathrow-express-emu-fleet-contract-awarded.html

UK: Leasing company Porterbrook has awarded Bombardier Transportation an £11m contract to modify 12 Class 387 Electrostar electric multiple-units for use on the Heathrow Express shuttle service between London Paddington and the airport.

Last year the airport owner outsourced the operation of the non-franchised premium service to GWR under a contract running to 2028.

GWR is to form a dedicated airport fleet by modifying 12 of the EMUs it currently operates on London commuter services, equipping them with ETCS Level 2 as well as improved seating, additional luggage space, on-board TV and fast wi-fi.

Engineering and design work will take place at Bombardier’s Derby site, with fitment at its Ilford depot by December 2019.

Announcing the contract on January 22, Porterbrook said this would be the first time that ETCS had been installed on an existing fleet of UK electric passenger trains. The project would ensure type approval for ETCS to be fitted to all Electrostar fleets.

‘I am delighted that Porterbrook and Bombardier can lead the way in the fitment of digital signalling to Heathrow Express Electrostar trains that connect London to the UK’s gateway to the world’, said Porterbrook CEO Mary Grant. ‘This first-in-fleet fitment will enable us to accelerate ETCS fitment on other Electrostar fleets, as and when our customers require it.’

 

[AlexNL]

Didn't the Electrostar ETCS contract already go to Siemens?

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news...w/view/electrostar-etcs-contract-awarded.html

 

[Fincra5]

Didn't the Electrostar ETCS contract already go to Siemens?

https://www.railwaygazette.com/news...w/view/electrostar-etcs-contract-awarded.html

Maybe they cancelled the contract?

 

[swt_passenger]

Maybe they cancelled the contract?

More likely two separate contracts. The latest is the Heathrow mods to the whole train, to be done in parallel to the ETCS mods which will be a significant but separate contract.

 

[AlexNL]

I thought so too, but the Porterbrook MD's statement seems to indicate that this is about signalling as well:

‘I am delighted that Porterbrook and Bombardier can lead the way in the fitment of digital signalling to Heathrow Express Electrostar trains that connect London to the UK’s gateway to the world’, said Porterbrook CEO Mary Grant. ‘This first-in-fleet fitment will enable us to accelerate ETCS fitment on other Electrostar fleets, as and when our customers require it.’

 

[swt_passenger]

I thought so too, but the Porterbrook MD's statement seems to indicate that this is about signalling as well:

They’d probably still need a separate contract even if Siemens leave the hardware at Bombardier’s depot gate...

 

[Fincra5]

They’d probably still need a separate contract even if Siemens leave the hardware at Bombardier’s depot gate...

That makes sense. Don't Siemens provide most, if not all, of the ETCS equipment on the UK Network?

 

[nat67]

Are some of the GWR 387's still going to Heathrow Express? And when as that should have happened by know.

 

[ATW158Xpress]

Are some of the GWR 387's still going to Heathrow Express? And when as that should have happened by know.

12 GWR’s 387 are due to start operating Heathrow Express services from December 2019 and 387140 had gone for conversion earlier this month.

 

[nat67]

12 GWR’s 387 are due to start operating Heathrow Express services from December 2019 and 387140 had gone for conversion earlier this month.

I thought it was supposed to be December 2018 when the rest of Old Oak closed.

 

[swt_passenger]

I thought it was supposed to be December 2018 when the rest of Old Oak closed.

Not as far as the original announcement shows, it was to replace the fleet 'by December 2019", and vacate the remainder of OOC depot 'by December 2019', as per the first post in the thread about the takeover:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/heathrow-express-gwr-contract.162470/

 

[hwl]

I thought it was supposed to be December 2018 when the rest of Old Oak closed.

No 2019, HS2 have 90-95% of the station box site already and plenty to be getting on with before this December (e.g. clear then pile round most of the edge of the station box and excavate the eastern end of the box.)

 

[nat67]

Not as far as the original announcement shows, it was to replace the fleet 'by December 2019", and vacate the remainder of OOC depot 'by December 2019', as per the first post in the thread about the takeover:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/heathrow-express-gwr-contract.162470/

Thanks that makes more sense.