Class 730 LNR & WMR Delivery/test Updates

[MalaiseForever]

Just saw a 730 in Crewe carriage sidings with Liverpool Lime Street on the outdoor displays.

 

[rogercov]

Just saw a 730 in Crewe carriage sidings with Liverpool Lime Street on the outdoor displays.

There's a slot booked for a possible test run tonight but not yet activated.

Realtime Trains | 5Q33 0010 Crewe C.S. to Crewe C.S. | 04/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q33 0010 departure from Crewe C.S. to Crewe C.S. on 04/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

There's also a similar one tomorrow night with an additional return journey between LIV and LPY.

 

[tfw756rider]

Correct!

Thanks I'm planning to "pop round" to London to ride on it

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

It may well not be programmed into the Aventras (does anyone know if any Aventras SDO out the front doors?)

720s do this at Elsenham (both directions) and Shelford (northbound)

 

[rogercov]

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 ?

Yes, I'm intrigued too. I thought it was for maintenance purposes but it only stays at Soho for around 20 minutes and then the same units go back to Euston (5G99 and 5A99). Today it was 730005 + 730011.
I see it stops at a few places for "staffing reasons". Perhaps it's a staff train. If so, how common are these?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Yes, I'm intrigued too. I thought it was for maintenance purposes but it only stays at Soho for around 20 minutes and then the same units go back to Euston (5G99 and 5A99). Today it was 730005 + 730011.
I see it stops at a few places for "staffing reasons". Perhaps it's a staff train. If so, how common are these?

Do they use the same run for stock swaps when they do swap units? A 20 minute turnaround time at Soho would seem to be long enough to allow one pair to enter and a different pair to leave?

 

[rogercov]

Do they use the same run for stock swaps when they do swap units? A 20 minute turnaround time at Soho would seem to be long enough to allow one pair to enter and a different pair to leave?

According to RTT it's usually the same pair on the return journey, but last Wednesday it looks like they swapped one of the two units.

 

[800001]

LNWR had a stakeholder launch today for the 730/2 which are introduced from Monday 9th June.
Interesting to see them refer to the train as having level boarding, am I missing something with this?

https://x.com/lnrailway/status/1931015160748990613?s=46&t=JLp3J2Up_Gl_m9cQz-au6w

Built with accessibility in mind – featuring accessible toilets, level boarding, additional priority seating and open spaces, plus clear passenger information systems throughout.
Because everyone deserves a smooth, comfortable journey.

 

[Bletchleyite]

LNWR had a stakeholder launch today for the 730/2 which are introduced from Monday 9th June.
Interesting to see them refer to the train as having level boarding, am I missing something with this?

They are not level boarding. Like all Aventras (but not as bad as the CAFs) they appear to have a higher step than the 350s, indeed.

 

[800001]

They are not level boarding. Like all Aventras (but not as bad as the CAFs) they appear to have a higher step than the 350s, indeed.

Someone needs to tell LNWR that, especially the social media/marketing team, attached is a screen shot from there tweet stating level boarding

 

[AJDesiro]

Someone needs to tell LNWR that, especially the social media/marketing team, attached is a screen shot from there tweet stating level boarding

Maybe they just looked at a list of buzzwords other TOCs have used for new trains...

 

[RealTrains07]

Maybe they just looked at a list of buzzwords other TOCs have used for new trains...

Certainly does feel that way on their twitter and facebook as certain word choices are questionable.

Words like “greener” when they are replacing 36 modern electric trains with 36 modern electric trains? How are they more greener?

“faster” even though the 730 top speed is no better than a 350. (Yes 730s are faster than a 319 but thats not what LNR are trying to sell them against anymore)

It does come across that LNR really are trying to desperately sell this “new era” and provide a lot of fanfare which again in a nutshell (extra carriage, new seats and extra space aside) they are replacing a fleet of modern trains with another fleet of modern trains.

Compared to the 730/0s coming into service which had far less fanfare and yet the upgrade they brought compared to what they replaced was clear as day and significantly better.

Safe to say I’m not yet convinced. I do hope that these 730/2s are as LNR say a “new era”. Especially since the millions spent on them just to cascade away a different fleet of modern train.

 

[tfw756rider]

"Faster" isn't true for at least the top speed of 730/2 vs. 350 (110mph vs. 110mph) but is true for 730/2 vs. "borrowed" 730/0 (110mph vs. 90mph).

Could the 730/2s have quicker acceleration than the 350s?

As for "greener", could the 730/2s have a lower current draw from the OverHead Line Equipment than the 350s?

"Level boarding" is just plain false though, how can they claim that?

 

[SCDR_WMR]

They are not faster in terms of top speed, but they are considerably faster in acceleration than the 350s and door release is quicker too so they will be faster in terms of time. There may need to be a recast of timings at some point, or just leave plenty of slack to tighten up delays.

No idea why the Comms team have put out misleading information, they were never promised to be level boarding even back when the order was placed!

Internally we've been told to expect a new unit entering service every 2 weeks which seems fine for initial introduction. I'm more concerned that we're not expecting all the 730/2s to be in service until end of 2026!

Anyone know the rough timeframe the 730/0 or the 196s took from first to last?

 

[tfw756rider]

They are not faster in terms of top speed, but they are considerably faster in acceleration than the 350s and door release is quicker too so they will be faster in terms of time. There may need to be a recast of timings at some point, or just leave plenty of slack to tighten up delays.

No idea why the Comms team have put out misleading information, they were never promised to be level boarding even back when the order was placed!

Internally we've been told to expect a new unit entering service every 2 weeks which seems fine for initial introduction. I'm more concerned that we're not expecting all the 730/2s to be in service until end of 2026!

Anyone know the rough timeframe the 730/0 or the 196s took from first to last?

Thanks Do you know anything about the "greener" bit? Anything to do with electricity draw, or?

The first 196 entered service on the 17/10/22 and the last 196 is believed by @RUK (on this page) to have entered service on the 28/9/24. That would be 26 units in [707 days] / [1 year, 11 months and 6 days] / [23 months and 6 days] / [101 weeks] (getting on for 2 years).

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Thanks Do you know anything about the "greener" bit? Anything to do with electricity draw, or?

The first 196 entered service on the 17/10/22 and the last 196 is believed by @RUK (on this page) to have entered service on the 28/9/24. That would be 26 units in [707 days] / [1 year, 11 months and 6 days] / [23 months and 6 days] / [101 weeks] (getting on for 2 years).

No idea on the greener angle, I'll drop fleet a message maybe.

I guess the 196s was quite a poor launch with plenty of problems but that makes 18 months seem about right for these then.

 

[tfw756rider]

No idea on the greener angle, I'll drop fleet a message maybe.

I guess the 196s was quite a poor launch with plenty of problems but that makes 18 months seem about right for these then.

Many thanks, especially if you do it but just for the thought

Yeah

 

[ThrowAway10101]

Saw 730233 leaving northampton to rugby where there was another in the terminating platforms.

 

[AJDesiro]

No idea on the greener angle, I'll drop fleet a message maybe.

I guess the 196s was quite a poor launch with plenty of problems but that makes 18 months seem about right for these then.

To be honest, the 196 launch was pretty much finished around mid-late 2023; 196113 and 196114 weren’t in service until late last year though, but all the services meant to be operated by 196s were mostly run by them for a while even without those two units (ironically, 172s are a common site on Hereford services at the moment!).

730/0 introduction took roughly a year, with just the one diagram on Walsall-Wolves (after WCML South launch) for quite a while until they were launched on the X City around 2 months later in April 2024. They didn’t make it to the Chase or other Walsall-Wolves diagrams until later in 2024 (October/November, ish…). So the 730/0s took around a year in total, which isn’t bad for 48 units on my opinion.

 

[Peter Sarf]

To be honest, the 196 launch was pretty much finished around mid-late 2023; 196113 and 196114 weren’t in service until late last year though, but all the services meant to be operated by 196s were mostly run by them for a while even without those two units (ironically, 172s are a common site on Hereford services at the moment!).

730/0 introduction took roughly a year, with just the one diagram on Walsall-Wolves (after WCML South launch) for quite a while until they were launched on the X City around 2 months later in April 2024. They didn’t make it to the Chase or other Walsall-Wolves diagrams until later in 2024 (October/November, ish…). So the 730/0s took around a year in total, which isn’t bad for 48 units on my opinion.

Indeed I was seeing all the 730/0s appear on South WCML services over about one year.

The 196 introduction lost its way perhaps because there were going to be six surplus 196/0s (2car) until EWR needed them anyway. So the last two 196/1s (4car) seemed to be forgotten about. This was coupled with the change made to door procedures that led to the problems with 4car stops at University station. This meant pairs of 2car 196/0s being used instead of a single 4car 196/1 for quite a while.

I am expecting the 730/2s to roll out quite quickly as they are replacing similar 730/0s. So plenty of familiar drivers and an already established type operationally wise. That's jinxed it !.

 

[50002Superb]

Has something happened to 730041?

It’s completely disappeared from RTT and has been gone for a while.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

I am expecting the 730/2s to roll out quite quickly as they are replacing similar 730/0s. So plenty of familiar drivers and an already established type operationally wise. That's jinxed it !.

You say that, but there are plenty of conductors that haven't yet worked 730/0s that are needed for the Trent work (66 at my depot alone). Plus the conversion course for the drivers that have worked the /0s.

Add in the fact that there's not been any public usage of ASDO yet (AFAIK) and there's plenty of unfamiliarity.

 

[swidnod]

Has something happened to 730041?

It’s completely disappeared from RTT and has been gone for a while.

On Soho EMU Depot on Maint/Repair (since 11/03)

 

[hwl]

"Faster" isn't true for at least the top speed of 730/2 vs. 350 (110mph vs. 110mph) but is true for 730/2 vs. "borrowed" 730/0 (110mph vs. 90mph).

Could the 730/2s have quicker acceleration than the 350s?

As for "greener", could the 730/2s have a lower current draw from the OverHead Line Equipment than the 350s?

"Level boarding" is just plain false though, how can they claim that?

No idea on the greener angle, I'll drop fleet a message maybe.

I guess the 196s was quite a poor launch with plenty of problems but that makes 18 months seem about right for these then.

The 730s are meant to be be a reasonable bit more energy efficient.

A 10car 730 is 27.8% lighter than a 12 car 350. (Effectively the same train length).

 

[E6007]

Will it run tomorrow?

Apologies if this is posted elsewhere but tomorrow we have:
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:S37704/2025-06-09/detailed 3W51 14:40 Bletchley TMD to Euston followed by https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:L33507/2025-06-09/detailed 1W51 16:19 Euston to Northampton and return empty to Bletchley TMD.

 

[AJDesiro]

Add in the fact that there's not been any public usage of ASDO yet (AFAIK) and there's plenty of unfamiliarity.

Do you mean on the 730/2s? The 23:50 Birmingham New Street-Coventry is normally a 6 car 730/0 and has ASDO use at Adderley Park, Stechford, and Lea Hall (I’ve travelled on this service). Although having just looked at the sectional appendix the platforms should be long enough to accommodate a 6.730 at Stechford and Lea Hall, but back when 8 car 350s called at these stations UDS had to be used.

The rearmost pair of doors don’t open at several stations on the Cross-City, although that’s apparently a glitch with ASDO.

 

[tfw756rider]

The 730s are meant to be be a reasonable bit more energy efficient.

A 10car 730 is 27.8% lighter than a 12 car 350. (Effectively the same train length).

Thanks, so they're not exactly wrong then

 

[absolutelymilk]

The 730s are meant to be be a reasonable bit more energy efficient.

A 10car 730 is 27.8% lighter than a 12 car 350. (Effectively the same train length).

And has significantly more seats compared to a 12 car 350 with 2+2 seating

 

[hwl]

Thanks, so they're not exactly wrong then

Exactly and WMR should be getting a lower leccy bill at some point in the future (ditto for 323 replacement).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 37 minutes ago ==

And has significantly more seats compared to a 12 car 350 with 2+2 seating

Indeed the per seat metrics are even better but that only matters if you fill the seats!

 

[Amnesiac]

Do you mean on the 730/2s? The 23:50 Birmingham New Street-Coventry is normally a 6 car 730/0 and has ASDO use at Adderley Park, Stechford, and Lea Hall (I’ve travelled on this service). Although having just looked at the sectional appendix the platforms should be long enough to accommodate a 6.730 at Stechford and Lea Hall, but back when 8 car 350s called at these stations UDS had to be used.

The rearmost pair of doors don’t open at several stations on the Cross-City, although that’s apparently a glitch with ASDO.

Stechford can fully accommodate a 730-6 in the Up direction only (Platform 2), hence the 9 door ASDO release as it's the requirement on the down. I'm sure Lea Hall will be programmed out eventually as it still releases all doors in the down direction there and can accommodate a 350x2 easily which is longer.

The first COV-BHM on a Saturday and Sunday is also a 730-6 and previously it used to be a 730-6 Mon - Fri on the 0533 service.

Also, Lea Hall was not a UDS station for a 350x2