Abellio Greater Anglia Class 755s (Regional Trains)

[trebor79]

@CockneySparrow yes I noticed the speed restriction on the crossing you mention the other day. In the past I've been dimly aware of it being a bit slow in that area, but the superior acceleration and deceleration of the 755 made it plain where the restriction is. The trains don't stop (at least not in my experience), they just slow down.
I think when I've driven over it it's a skew crossing with half barriers, so that may be the reason for the "T"SR.

It's Attleborough I was talking about in my post. Quite common for the Norwich bound signal not to clear until a stopping train is almost at the signal, I guess to prevent the crossing at the east end of town being down for too long. Through trains always pass at line speed.
What I've never seen before is a Thetford bound train held before the Attleborough LC. Perhaps the signaller went for a PNB?

 

[Railperf]

I'm guessing the 755s have a speed hold / cruise control function..on the open plain between Yarmouth and Acle where there are no trees or buildings to disturb the signsl..my Racelogic GPS equipment is displaying an absolute rock steady 60mph! No more than a tenth of a mile per hour rise or drop in speed. Remarkable.

 

[dk1]

Square wheels already

Yes been a couple that got damaged.

 

[dk1]

There is a speed limit over the crossing that goes over the Thetford to Watton road, would say its a temporary speed limit but been temporary since the boxes were taken out of use in 2012,

The trains stop until the barriers come down then they go again

DK1 will be along in a minute and will let us know what the problem is there

Here I come! Croxton has had a TSR of 40mph on it for around 10yrs now. There is an problem with speeding road traffic that the DfT isn't happy with. Ideas of extra markings, signs & non -slip road surfaces have all come to nothing. An extra minute was added to timings years ago so nobody seems bothered. I've never come to a stand unless cautioned for technical failure with the AHBs themselves.

 

[LowLevel]

Here I come! Croxton has had a TSR of 40mph on it for around 10yrs now. There is an problem with speeding road traffic that the DfT isn't happy with. Ideas of extra markings, signs & non -slip road surfaces have all come to nothing. An extra minute was added to timings years ago so nobody seems bothered. I've never come to a stand unless cautioned for technical failure with the AHBs themselves.

Apparently the plan in the long term is to convert it to an MCB-OD crossing as was done to Chettisham outside Ely North on the Peterborough line but Croxton is more complicated requiring new signals as opposed to the existing auto signals being converted to controlled at Chettisham.

 

[dk1]

Apparently the plan in the long term is to convert it to an MCB-OD crossing as was done to Chettisham outside Ely North on the Peterborough line but Croxton is more complicated requiring new signals as opposed to the existing auto signals being converted to controlled at Chettisham.

That would have been more beneficial at the last resignalling thus breaking up the long section to/from Harling Road resulting in down trains being unable to enter Thetford Station until the preceding service clears. I must agree with Network Rail who refused to spend an extra £million on providing extra signalling for two train operators who insist on running their hourly services ten minutes apart.

 

[delticdave]

I'm guessing the 755s have a speed hold / cruise control function..on the open plain between Yarmouth and Acle where there are no trees or buildings to disturb the signsl..my Racelogic GPS equipment is displaying an absolute rock steady 60mph! No more than a tenth of a mile per hour rise or drop in speed. Remarkable.

I'm sure you're correct, the app on my mobile showed avery constant speed too. When riding near the powerpack the engines were ramping up & down rather than keeping a steady speed on what seems to be level track.

 

[Railperf]

I'm sure you're correct, the app on my mobile showed avery constant speed too. When riding near the powerpack the engines were ramping up & down rather than keeping a steady speed on what seems to be level track.

Now i will get a chance to compare a 156 from Norwich to Cambridge compared to the 755 earlier. I won't see 90mph on this trip!

Edit: whereas a 755 will be doing 75mph before it jas even passed under the London to Norwich main line..this 156 finally hit 75mph before braking for the Wymondham stop. Awfully slow!
@dk1 how on earth do you continue to drive this rubbish! Your turn on the 755's cannot come soon enough!

 

[Railperf]

Here I come! Croxton has had a TSR of 40mph on it for around 10yrs now. There is an problem with speeding road traffic that the DfT isn't happy with. Ideas of extra markings, signs & non -slip road surfaces have all come to nothing. An extra minute was added to timings years ago so nobody seems bothered. I've never come to a stand unless cautioned for technical failure with the AHBs themselves.

Announced by TM aboard my 156 there are issues with a LC in the Attleborough area causing delays ....so it must be an additional problem.

 

[dk1]

Announced by TM aboard my 156 there are issues with a LC in the Attleborough area causing delays ....so it must be an additional problem.

Hargham was playing up earlier. Must be ongoing.

 

[Railperf]

Hargham was playing up earlier. Must be ongoing.

Yes Hargham is playing up. Orange vest in attendance as we crawled past

 

[vinnym70]

Curious as to why there's 755 stop markers at Witham. From everything that's been discussed I wasn't expecting them to operate on that route.

 

[Shunter_69]

Curious as to why there's 755 stop markers at Witham. From everything that's been discussed I wasn't expecting them to operate on that route.

None of the drivers know why they are 755 specific and why they’ve removed the old stop boards, especially with so few in service and only Norwich drivers signing them at present.

 

[Class 170101]

1340/1509 have seen the 755 substituted by a 153 due to driver not signing the new order. Bet that'll be cosy.

1340 looked ok but Norwich / Control were playing Platform and unit roulette again and not telling anyone on the ground. Not sure 418 went out again.

 

[Meerkat]

Here I come! Croxton has had a TSR of 40mph on it for around 10yrs now. There is an problem with speeding road traffic that the DfT isn't happy with. Ideas of extra markings, signs & non -slip road surfaces have all come to nothing. An extra minute was added to timings years ago so nobody seems bothered. I've never come to a stand unless cautioned for technical failure with the AHBs themselves.

Surely a risky level crossing on an A road in open country should have been a priority for a bridge years ago, or does that only happen when the road traffic is inconvenienced rather than the railway?

 

[Buggleskelly]

Curious as to why there's 755 stop markers at Witham. From everything that's been discussed I wasn't expecting them to operate on that route.

Noticed them in Chelmsford too. I wonder what is behind the covered up section underneath.

 

[J@ke]

I *believe* 755 stop markers are also at Kelvedon which is smaller then Witham or Chelmsford (as well as a Stadler ramp)

 

[TRAX]

Even if a train isn’t supposed to stop at a station, it doesn’t mean that it never will do, or will never have to (for example in an emergency, if the line ahead is suddenly blocked, etc.).

 

[rdlover777]

Yes been a couple that got damaged.

how did they get damaged?

 

[AC47461]

Noticed them in Chelmsford too. I wonder what is behind the covered up section underneath.

Probably Class 720 stop boards. They have been appearing, we've got them at Rayleigh.
With regard to why 755 boards are appearing, I would expect it's got something to do with the Lowestoft services eventually running through to Liverpool Street. I can't imagine they'll go non-stop, but would take over one of the Ipswich semi-fast service's paths.

 

[Shunter_69]

The covered up boards are the old stop boards used for 321 etc at most of the stations (if not all).

 

[Wivenswold]

755s will likely have a few scheduled services down to London every day. There are the Lowestoft through services which can only be 755.

Someone mentioned them being slow off from Yarmouth, I assume that's down to the 15mph limit up to the fork where the Reedham/Acle lines diverge. It may of course have changed since my last visit in 2012.

 

[dk1]

how did they get damaged?

Not sure.

 

[Railperf]

None of the drivers know why they are 755 specific and why they’ve removed the old stop boards, especially with so few in service and only Norwich drivers signing them at present.

Maybe to allow flexibility in diagramming all available stock once the 720s are introduced. This does happen when you have a mixed fleet.

 

[Shunter_69]

Maybe to allow flexibility in diagramming all available stock once the 720s are introduced. This does happen when you have a mixed fleet.

Doesn’t explain why the existing stop boards are being removed.

 

[CockneySparrow]

These boards have appeared at Ely

 

[TRAX]

All these boards ... whatever happened to route knowledge...

 

[dk1]

All these boards ... whatever happened to route knowledge...

It's all there still. These idiot boards are enforced upon us. They just help to make stations look a mess.

 

[Meerkat]

As a passenger I find the stopping boards useful as I can see where the train will be.
Obviously this is more applicable to the Waterloo lines where the front of a 12 car is a fair walk from the front of a 3 car!

 

[EE Andy b1]

It's all there still. These idiot boards are enforced upon us. They just help to make stations look a mess.

Agree with that, and some platforms (Man Picc 13&14 for 2) there's that many stop boards it confuses the issue.