Class 730 LNR & WMR Delivery/test Updates

[Peter Mugridge]

I don't know if LNWR have plans to have the 730/2 cleared for the Birmingham Diagrams in the future so in case a unit needs to stand in for a 350 on one of those workings

Neither do I, although that would be logical.

The 9th June introduction will be on the Milton Keynes / Tring circuit - but nobody has yet been able to answer the "additional or in place of" question.

 

[AJDesiro]

A new article has been added to the Modern Railways website today, I can't copy all of it out since it's incredibly long, but here's a snippet of the 730/2 bit.

Class 730/2s
The order for the ‘730/2s’ changed during Covid. Mr Doughty explains: “More five-car sets was the plan but there was an overall net reduction of nine vehicles across the ‘730’ order. This was in response to the pandemic.

Regarding the rollout plan, Mr Doughty says: “We are intending to introduce them on the West Coast main line South route [Northampton-London Euston]] first, then rollout on the Euston to Crewe route. That’s the biggest challenge – that has huge growth and is very, very busy so these will offer much needed capacity.

“We are looking at other routes as a temporary measure. What limits are there regarding driver training? There is a short training period for those who already drive the ‘730/0s’ as there is not a lot of difference but about half of the drivers on the WCML drive the ‘730/0s’ and so the rest need training.”

He says the Northampton to Birmingham New Street route will remain Class 350-operated while most of the Crewe trains will be pairs of Class 730/2s. In the short-term there is a desire for the new EMUs to serve Liverpool Lime Street. “Whether they stay there is an open point,” he suggests. Servicing will additionally be carried out by Arriva TrainCare, where sets undergoing testing already stable while LNR Class 350s also visit for servicing.

“All Class 730s also have automatic selective door opening (SDO), so the train passes a beacon which tells the train which side the door will open and the length of the platform. The trains have also got a GPS backup so if they didn’t read the beacon the train will default to GPS which then defaults to the shortest platform.

The senior conductor can still release the doors and we’ve had that working on the routes using ‘730s’ already.” He says there have been a “small number of technical faults” but these have been rectified.

A lot of stuff we already know, but it's interesting to see that they may not serve Liverpool for long...

For those with an MR subscription, the full article can be found here: https://www.modernrailways.com/article/west-midlands-revolution-takes-shape

Neither do I, although that would be logical.

The 9th June introduction will be on the Milton Keynes / Tring circuit - but nobody has yet been able to answer the "additional or in place of" question.

It's been revealed to be in place of an existing 730/0 diagram.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It's been revealed to be in place of an existing 730/0 diagram.

Thank you, I saw that - but also that the poster does not know if it's one of the all day or one of the peak only diagrams - unless I've missed that detail somewhere since...?

 

[AJDesiro]

Thank you, I saw that - but also that the poster does not know if it's one of the all day or one of the peak only diagrams - unless I've missed that detail somewhere since...?

I don't know what the plan is, but I'd imagine it'll be the peak diagram starting with the 06:04 from Bletchley, as that's the shortest mileage of them all. We'll probably see them ramping up. This is merely my own speculation, I am in no way qualified to comment on this!

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Interesting that Cre-Eus will mostly be double sets, platform 12 at Crewe it will be then with the odd single set using 7.

 

[TheNerdCharlie]

730 211 spotted sat in Soho at lunchtime today

 

[PHWO]

MAY 21
37510+730234 on 5Q77 Gascoigne Wood Sidings - Bletchley
(Seen on time at Duffield)

 

[AJDesiro]

It's been reported by Today's Railways on Twitter that the 730/2s will first work the 16:19 Euston-Northampton on the 9th June, with the full diagram, starting with the 06:56 Bletchley-Euston being implemented the following day.

https://x.com/TodaysRailways/status/1925920495410491602

As we reported last week the @LNRailway 730/2s will enter service on 9 June, on this day a 10-car set will operate the 16.19 Euston-Northampton. The full turn starts the following day with a 10-car working the 06.56 BLY-EUS and then 16.19 EUS-NMP, replacing an 8-car 350 turn

 

[mansonlo49]

MAY 21
37510+730234 on 5Q77 Gascoigne Wood Sidings - Bletchley
(Seen on time at Duffield)

Another 5Q77 drag today (May 28)
Gascoigne Wood to Bletchley
Light loco heading over now

 

[Trainman40083]

Another 5Q77 drag today (May 28)
Gascoigne Wood to Bletchley
Light loco heading over now

Did anyone see which 7302** , 37510 was hauling through Duffield today (28th May)?

 

[800001]

Did anyone see which 7302** , 37510 was hauling through Duffield today (28th May)?

This was 730216.

 

[Trainman40083]

This was 730216.

Many thanks

 

[mansonlo49]

This was 730216.

Last Saturday when i was passing through the Sidings on a transpenine towards leeds I saw still have some 730s inside there, anyone know around how many? Thanks

 

[XCTurbostar]

Great to see them finally being introduced. I noted during the interview another push for Manchester Airport and Manchester Victoria extensions, are there any updates about this yet?

 

[Nell01joe]

Interesting video re 730/2 launch and more

 

[Bletchleyite]

Interesting that they're now saying they won't be on Liverpools long term, which is a shame as 5.730 would seem a sweet spot for the half hourly service, 4.350 is usually not enough.

 

[NCT]

First time seeing the interior of the Class 730/2 properly. The 2+2 seating is obviously a lot better than GA's 2+3, which is welcome. It's still a pretty high-density layout, with 12 rows of seats against 5 windows. It's not a bad layout, as there will be plenty of rows with good seat-window alignments. I do feel though 10 or 11 rows of seats with bigger doorways (so the larger panel between the door and the window becomes circulation/standing/perching area rather than a seat with restricted view) might work even better even if this means fewer seats 'on paper'.

The two-window coach ends on these 24m coaches have never worked for me. 4 rows of seats (or 5 at a push) against the 2 windows would work better, again with an enlarged door circulation area. The whole windowless row at the very end would work better as luggage racks IMO.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Interesting that they're now saying they won't be on Liverpools long term, which is a shame as 5.730 would seem a sweet spot for the half hourly service, 4.350 is usually not enough.

It's due to the lack of an agreement with ASDO given the commonly seen level of overcrowding preventing being able to work from inside the saloon.

 

[AJDesiro]

The two-window coach ends on these 24m coaches have never worked for me. 4 rows of seats (or 5 at a push) against the 2 windows would work better, again with an enlarged door circulation area. The whole windowless row at the very end would work better as luggage racks IMO.

In all fairness, some people may prefer to have no window (like those who are working), and, these trains have a far better luggage provision than those they are replacing (the 350/2s only have overhead racks, these have a proper stacks in each coach). On the Crewe services, (the Tring's and MK services are only really busy at peak) every single seat is a bonus, it's not uncommon for the services to be full and standing, and I'd imagine most of the travelling public will be greatful for a seat even if there's no window view. I myself would rather a seat with a proper window view (and I'm very particular about that) but on these services I'd rather these were there than not.

 

[Railperf]

Any news on further diagrams yet apart from what has been posted?

 

[NCT]

In all fairness, some people may prefer to have no window (like those who are working), and, these trains have a far better luggage provision than those they are replacing (the 350/2s only have overhead racks, these have a proper stacks in each coach). On the Crewe services, (the Tring's and MK services are only really busy at peak) every single seat is a bonus, it's not uncommon for the services to be full and standing, and I'd imagine most of the travelling public will be greatful for a seat even if there's no window view. I myself would rather a seat with a proper window view (and I'm very particular about that) but on these services I'd rather these were there than not.

Those windowless seats existing causes no harm I suppose, especially if the alternative is them not being there at all. It's just that from a design point of view it still irks me when luggage racks get better 'views' than seats - Pendolinos are an awful offender on this front.

For things that are full and standing, from my observation having larger doorways may be preferable to cramming in seats - the 'standing comfortably' if you will. Still, the 12-rows-against-5-windows layout isn't awful so I won't lose too much sleep over it.

 

[AJDesiro]

Those windowless seats existing causes no harm I suppose, especially if the alternative is them not being there at all. It's just that from a design point of view it still irks me when luggage racks get better 'views' than seats - Pendolinos are an awful offender on this front.

Thankfully there is only one luggage rack that properly obstructs the windows (former first class section), the rest are at the bulkheads by the doors.

For things that are full and standing, from my observation having larger doorways may be preferable to cramming in seats - the 'standing comfortably' if you will. Still, the 12-rows-against-5-windows layout isn't awful so I won't lose too much sleep over it.

I think they’re hoping that with all the extra seats that the services shouldn’t be as busy as they used to be; with Euston-Crewe going to double 730s vice 8.350 with the odd 12 on a weekend, there’s an increase in seats of 352 from 8.350/1, and 122 from 12.350/1.

 

[Chapeltownveg]

Out of interest how often do they units swap from London side to the west midlands seems to be a daily Euston to Soho and return but each day this week is the same units there and back ?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think they’re hoping that with all the extra seats that the services shouldn’t be as busy as they used to be; with Euston-Crewe going to double 730s vice 8.350 with the odd 12 on a weekend, there’s an increase in seats of 352 from 8.350/1, and 122 from 12.350/1.

I think they're hoping they can then move on to fill those seats at Manchester Victoria.

If the services do end up extending there (and it's mentioned on the above video so clearly still on the agenda) they are going to be VERY popular compared to Avanti's far more expensive service.

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

When the new trains come in, what rolling stock will be used to operate the Euston - Birmingham services via the Northampton loop? I read an article posted on here that said Euston - Northampton would be the new trains and Northampton - Birmingham would be the old. This implies that the service will be split at Northampton, which I can't believe is true, even given the fact that there's dwell time at Northampton. They'd lose a lot of advance ticket sales if they did that.

 

[nigelsporne]

I was watching the diversions at Stetchford this morning and there was a London to Soho working and return both using the same two 730/0s. As stated above a little odd I thought. 730211 was on its usual trip to Rugby and back.

 

[Bletchleyite]

When the new trains come in, what rolling stock will be used to operate the Euston - Birmingham services via the Northampton loop? I read an article posted on here that said Euston - Northampton would be the new trains and Northampton - Birmingham would be the old. This implies that the service will be split at Northampton, which I can't believe is true, even given the fact that there's dwell time at Northampton. They'd lose a lot of advance ticket sales if they did that.

The Euston-Birmingham semifast services will be mostly pairs of 350s, probably with 4 added south of Northampton at some times of day. The service is not being split.

At the moment 730s will be on Tring/Bletchley/MKC to Euston semifast and stopping services plus the Trent, and the video mentions some Liverpools but not long term.

 

[william.martin]

Shall the LNWR 730's operate the St Albans Abbey branch?

 

[AJDesiro]

The Euston-Birmingham semifast services will be mostly pairs of 350s, probably with 4 added south of Northampton at some times of day. The service is not being split.

Worth mentioning that it was stated upthread (post #2861) that we will start seeing the Euston-Birmingham’s become 12 carriages throughout.

I read an article posted on here that said Euston - Northampton would be the new trains and Northampton - Birmingham would be the old.

It’s just the peak time 16:19 Euston-Northampton train, the rest of the services at Northampton will remain 350 operated other than the odd Crewe train that calls there on occasion.

 

[778]

Interesting that they're now saying they won't be on Liverpools long term, which is a shame as 5.730 would seem a sweet spot for the half hourly service, 4.350 is usually not enough.

If they will only be on Birmingham-Liverpool temporarily is there really any point being introduced on those services in the first place if 350s will take over the route again?

I think they're hoping they can then move on to fill those seats at Manchester Victoria.

If the services do end up extending there (and it's mentioned on the above video so clearly still on the agenda) they are going to be VERY popular compared to Avanti's far more expensive service.

Extra units will be needed when the Euston - Crewe services are extended to Manchester. That could be the reason why they will not stay on Liverpool services in the long term. There will not be enough units for both services to be 730 operated.

If/when the Birmingham - Crewe services get extended to Manchester Airport will they remain 350 operated?