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Northern Class 331: Construction/Introduction Updates

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TUC

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What is meant to be the position on the availability of wifi in the new rolling stock? Neither the train I travelled on this morning, nor the one this evening, had wifi available.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Travelled on a 4-car 331 today between Manchester Airport and Crewe, and it was the best-riding CAF unit I have been on so far.
Almost up to 323 standards on the fast bit between Alderley Edge and Holmes Chapel, and good enough so you could enjoy the scenery.
But still not as good as on my next train, a 350 between Crewe and Liverpool.
At least there's hope.
The 331 was displaying "Not in Service" on its PIS.
 

LancasterRed

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Seen a number of 2x3s running through Preston today. Good to see units with appropriate capacity are running
 

jfollows

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My first 331 from Wilmslow yesterday, very annoyingly it called the first station stop "Handfuth". Why can't they use people who know how to pronounce place names correctly to record the announcements? (It's "forth" as in "Forth of Clyde", or at least it has been to me all of my life).

EDIT: I mean "Firth of Forth" of course ..... it would have been clearer if I'd written "Handforth" rhymes with "north" and not mentioned Scottish rivers at all.
 
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jfollows

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My opinion of the my first 331 is that the tables are completely unnecessary and inappropriate for a Crewe-Manchester stopping service, which has never had tables nor needed them since my memories of the AM4s. They make getting in and out of the seats much more awkward than would be the case if they weren't there.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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My opinion of the my first 331 is that the tables are completely unnecessary and inappropriate for a Crewe-Manchester stopping service, which has never had tables nor needed them since my memories of the AM4s. They make getting in and out of the seats much more awkward than would be the case if they weren't there.

Is it not the case that the Class 331 units are meant to be used on a number of services, some of which will benefit from the provision of tables. The fact they are being used on the type of service that you mention above is just ensuring usage of these units on an already electrified line.

You sound like you would prefer a different type of EMU, such as the Class 323 to be used on that particular route, ignoring the Class 319 units as an alternative provision.
 

jfollows

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You sound like you would prefer a different type of EMU, such as the Class 323 to be used on that particular route, ignoring the Class 319 units as an alternative provision.

Yes, the 323 (or even 319 when not breaking down) would be preferable, as I'm sure would be the case from Prestbury to Manchester as well (where I used to catch AM4s from in the 1970s).
 

ValleyLines142

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I also had my first journey on a 331 yesterday afternoon between Stockport and Deansgate. I have to say what fine units they are; I found the seating really comfortable (important for folk like me who suffer from the occasional sciatica), perfect window alignment, perfect legroom and plug sockets which is always a bonus. I particularly like the traction fan whirring up as it goes to depart stations; reminds me of the huge extractor fans found in the doom and gloom of Birmingham New Street. I also felt that they don't have pick up speed quickly. I was really impressed. Quite nice to have a cross-city journey through one of the most congested railway networks in the country.

Just hope that Transport for Wales get some for the Valley Lines, as these are the perfect units (well, 195s anyway). I can certainly see these scooping up passengers in and around South Wales.
 

Bantamzen

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Is it not the case that the Class 331 units are meant to be used on a number of services, some of which will benefit from the provision of tables. The fact they are being used on the type of service that you mention above is just ensuring usage of these units on an already electrified line.

Indeed, and I have to say that the tables are already proving to be popular with at least business commuters on the Aire & Wharfe lines, with laptops being quickly deployed for that extra bit of work on their first/last leg on their journeys, even if that is no more than 45 or so minutes maximum.
 

Razor1967

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I am planning a trip across the Pernnines to Manchester in March to try and see as many 331/0 and 195/0 and 195/1 uniits as possible. I know the 331/0 run through Piccadilly and I am planning more time there (approx 3.5 hours). I also intend to spend about 1.5 hours at Victoria as I assume some of the 195s that call there don't pass through Piccadilly too. I can also see the TPE 68 and 802s there, but they are not so important as they also go through to York where I live. I have slowly been picking up the 195/1 on the York Blackpool service but still need a godd three quarters.

Any idea of the diagrams the 331/0 run on through Piccadilly.

Many thanks.
 
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Llama

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331/1 tend to be on the Liverpool-Crewe via Manchester Airport as far as I know, along with 323s and 319s; 331/0 are more likely to be on the Blackpool-Manchester Airport/Hazel Groves, often in pairs, but what is actually booked and what turns up are very different things. 195s are booked on all the trains between Leeds and Manchester Victoria/Chester via Bradford; 195s are also booked on the Airport-Barrow/Windermere and Airport-Liverpool semi-Express. Again, there may be shortages or failures.
 

palmersears

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331024 the latest 331 to arrive at Edge Hill, leaving just 025-031 to be delivered now.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Had to chuckle when I was on a Blackpool North to Manchester Airport train last Saturday afternoon, comprised of two conjoined 3 car Class 331 units when approaching Preston station, the information screen blithely informed people in part of the rear unit, wishing to depart at Preston, to move forward to do so with the totally fallacious statement that Preston station platforms were too short to accommodate a 6 car unit.....:lol:
 

physics34

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Did my first 331 from Leeds to Doncaster yesterday. Positives, pretty comfortable, decent interior layout and decor, nice livery, ok ride quality.

Negatives, i also noticed that noise coming from the AC or from fans of some sort-quite intrusive, lighting too bright, 'see it say it sorted' played too often, loud door open chimes AGAIN.

At least they are an improvement on whats gone before
 

Bovverboy

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Had to chuckle when I was on a Blackpool North to Manchester Airport train last Saturday afternoon, comprised of two conjoined 3 car Class 331 units when approaching Preston station, the information screen blithely informed people in part of the rear unit, wishing to depart at Preston, to move forward to do so with the totally fallacious statement that Preston station platforms were too short to accommodate a 6 car unit.....:lol:

And, of course, with the ensemble on the move it would have been quite impossible to move from the rear unit to the front one anyway.

Those sort of announcements might be entertaining for the likes of ourselves, but they must (and do) strike panic into the general travelling public, who have no idea how long a station platform might be. I still have vivid memories of how people would react when, having boarded a TPE double 350 at Manchester Piccadilly to make the short hop to Oxford Road, they would suddenly be confronted with the announcement that passengers wishing to alight at the latter station should move to the front four carriages. And that was for real..
 

Llama

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To be fair I've seen the CAF units do this announcement many times but as far as I'm aware I've never seen a CAF unit do it where it would be impossible for passengers to comply, ie by saying that the entire rear unit of two coupled sets would be completely unaccommodated at a platform.
 

scrapy

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Had to chuckle when I was on a Blackpool North to Manchester Airport train last Saturday afternoon, comprised of two conjoined 3 car Class 331 units when approaching Preston station, the information screen blithely informed people in part of the rear unit, wishing to depart at Preston, to move forward to do so with the totally fallacious statement that Preston station platforms were too short to accommodate a 6 car unit.....:lol:
As the ASDO at Preston has to be manually overridden and isn't programmed to arrive at a particular platform the CIS automatically defaults to the shortest platform which in Prestons case is either 3c or 4c bays (even though they can't be accessed from Blackpool the system isn't clever enough to know that).
 

superkev

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According to my records I noted both 331024 and 331025 on Edge Hill Depot on 14th January.
Have any more of the stored or traing units entered service. My last list had:-
3 car 331 004, 012 (skipton trainers), 010, 020, 021, 022, 023, 024, 025 stored EG and 026 to 031 awaiting delivery
4 car all in use 6 each AN and NL.
Thanks in advance.
K
 
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scosutsut

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I had a run on a 331 pairing on Preston to Manchester Airport a few weeks ago, I normally commute daily on ScotRail 385s so I was looking at it from a comparative perspective.

Where I'd say the 331 is superior:
PIS - vastly better than 385s prehistoric looking set up
Seat to window alignment
Seat comfort

Where I'd say the 385 wins:
Overall quality of finish
Interior noise level
Fabric/panel colour choices

Both ride fairly rough but I'd imagine that will settle over time (or we'll just become accustomed to it!)

I'd be intrigued to understand the cost differences for each unit to their respective operators as I think it's assumed the CAF units are cheaper. If they are I wouldn't say the 385s really justify any mark up.
 

D.K.TAYLOR

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Have any more of the stored or traing units entered service. My last list had:-
3 car 331 004, 012 skipton trainers, 010, 014, 020, 012, 022, 023, 024, 025 stored EG.
4 car all in use 6 each AN and NL.
Thanks in advance.
K
Had 014 paired with 018 yesterday Man Picc Salford Crescent
 
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