Abellio wins West Midlands franchise

ChrisHogan said:

new stations between Walsall and Wolverhampton for a direct service (but no mention of the infrastructure works needed at Wolves to support a reasonably frequent service).

Click to expand...

Wouldnt need any, if the Wolves local gets extended to cover the Potteries as planned then platform 5 is empty. Which it cannot get too, oops...

The Planner said:

I had heard that too, bit of a faff and will need more units too.

Click to expand...

Surely it could run off peak only using the second carriage of 4/5 car services?

The Planner said:

Wouldnt need any, if the Wolves local gets extended to cover the Potteries as planned then platform 5 is empty. Which it cannot get too, oops...

Click to expand...

I remember the difficulties we had to get Centro's Wolves-Walsall shuttle pathed in 1998 in and out of Wolves. In the end the service was combined with the Wolves-Wellington service so that the 153 wasn't always carrying fresh air.

To run a useful service to Walsall (3 tph) needs a platform 7 bay constructed north of platform 4 and an independent line towards Portobello. The eastern approaches to Wolverhampton are virtually full.

Good luck with that....

This is what Abellio are telling Stakeholders, Subject to the usual caveats.

Train services
December 2018
• Major timetable recast, based on improving the performance of Birmingham New Street− currently the highest cause of secondary delay to train services in the whole of the UK
• We will do this by reducing turnround services by up to 50%, freeing up platforms to allow any later running trains to make up time
• This will help all Train Operators including Cross Country and West Coast services.

We will also:
• reduce journey times between Euston and Birmingham and Euston and Crewe
• run new through services between London and Birmingham International to Liverpool and Walsall and between Nuneaton, Coventry and Leamington Spa
• introduce additional services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham and Wolverhampton and Crewe
• provide a new hourly Sunday service between Shrewsbury and Birmingham
• run additional earlier and later services to Hereford, Crewe, Northampton and Liverpool.
December 2019
• We will double the services between Nuneaton and Coventry SX and SU via the Ricoh Stadium after completion of the new bay platform at Coventry. We will replace the single car train with 2 car Class 172 trains. On Saturdays we will run 3 trains per hour
• There are plans to build 7 new stations in the West Midlands, subject to the successful completion of feasibility studies
• Stourbridge Junction terminators will reverse and we have an aspiration to run them to a new station at Brierley Hill, converting the existing double freight lines to two single lines, one passenger and one freight
• We plan to extend Kidderminster terminators onto the Severn Valley Railway, subject to a new station being built at the West Midlands Safari Park.
May 2021
• A new Sunday timetable that runs as many services as Saturdays, doubling the current number ofservices. A new Sunday service will run between Bedford and Bletchley.
December 2023
• We have an aspiration to extend Brierley Hill services to interchange with the new Midland Metro station we have planned for at Canal St.

Fleet
December 2018
•172/0 introduced from GOB 8x2car
•230/2 introduced Bedford-Bletchley 3x2car.
December 2019
•350/4 introduced from TPE 10x4car.
December 2020
•All 15X and 170 removed
•New DMUs introduced, 12x2car and 14x4car.
May 2021
•350/2 removed
•New EMUs introduced, 42x5car and 36x3car.

Station car parks
Number of additional car parking spaces
WCSBU
Bletchley 100
Hemel Hempstead 100
Leighton Buzzard 100
Milton Keynes Central 130
Northampton 110
Nuneaton 70
Tamworth 30
Watford Junction 100
WMSBU
Kidderminster 100
Stone 100
Telford 100
Worcester SH 10
Total 1050

Wow, the new stations at Brierley Hill and West Midlands Safari Park sound promising!

And the 'confirmation' of the use of the LO 172s and the 230s is also very interesting.

"Bletchley 100"

What's the point in that? It's never full as it is, nor anywhere near it. Indeed, LM double-decked the whole thing originally, and on finding nobody was using most of it they removed a section to move elsewhere, Leighton I think.

3 x 2-car D-trains for the Marston Vale is a VERY positive move - having a spare unit at Bletchley will be excellent news for reliability, and I maintain there isn't another line in the country that is such a positive candidate for these trains.

I wonder when we will find out who is building the new MUs. I think we can rule out Stadler due to the number of coaches - sounds to me like they are all going to be 23/24m. I bet on Aventras for the WCML services, but what of the others?

Doesn't specifically mention 323s, but presumably they are replaced by the 36x3-car EMUs.
170s free up for someone else (also 350/2).
It can't be the performance of the 350/2s that is the problem, it's seemingly the policy to go for 5/10-car sets for Euston suburban services, leaving 350/1/3/4 for longer distance services. .

I thought 350/2 were on a particularly costly lease agreement.

Old Hill Bank said:

This is what Abellio are telling Stakeholders, Subject to the usual caveats.

Train services
December 2018
• Major timetable recast, based on improving the performance of Birmingham New Street− currently the highest cause of secondary delay to train services in the whole of the UK
• We will do this by reducing turnround services by up to 50%, freeing up platforms to allow any later running trains to make up time
• This will help all Train Operators including Cross Country and West Coast services.

Click to expand...

I like their optimism, whether they can pull it off is a different matter. I assume they will be looking at joining up the Cov local and International locals to Walsall, Liverpools or the extended Wolves locals to remove the terminators. Something I agree with as New St isn't a terminal station. They better get cracking though as May 18 is offered soon enough.

We will also:
• reduce journey times between Euston and Birmingham and Euston and Crewe

Click to expand...

Crewe we know about, how they reduce Euston to Birmingham times is a different matter unless they start skimming off the Northampton dwells.

• run new through services between London and Birmingham International to Liverpool and Walsall and between Nuneaton, Coventry and Leamington Spa
• introduce additional services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham and Wolverhampton and Crewe

Click to expand...

As above, but not sure how they are going to fit additionals to Shrewsbury.

• We will double the services between Nuneaton and Coventry SX and SU via the Ricoh Stadium after completion of the new bay platform at Coventry. We will replace the single car train with 2 car Class 172 trains. On Saturdays we will run 3 trains per hour

Click to expand...

Nothing new there

• There are plans to build 7 new stations in the West Midlands, subject to the successful completion of feasibility studies
• Stourbridge Junction terminators will reverse and we have an aspiration to run them to a new station at Brierley Hill, converting the existing double freight lines to two single lines, one passenger and one freight
• We plan to extend Kidderminster terminators onto the Severn Valley Railway, subject to a new station being built at the West Midlands Safari Park.

Click to expand...

At least they haven't promised they will build them.

May 2021
• A new Sunday timetable that runs as many services as Saturdays, doubling the current number ofservices. A new Sunday service will run between Bedford and Bletchley.

Click to expand...

Lets hope NR agree to scale back engineering access then.....

LNW-GW Joint said:

Doesn't specifically mention 323s, but presumably they are replaced by the 36x3-car EMUs.
170s free up for someone else (also 350/2).
It can't be the performance of the 350/2s that is the problem, it's seemingly the policy to go for 5/10-car sets for Euston suburban services, leaving 350/1/3/4 for longer distance services. .

Click to expand...

The 323s do go, just missed of the slides at the presentation I suspect. There may of course be some interim plan for EMUs when Chase Line is wired up, lets see but the "Redundant EMU" thread and many others on the traction and rolling stock section may get some comments.

Bletchleyite said:

I thought 350/2 were on a particularly costly lease agreement.

Click to expand...

As far as I can tell from the draft franchise agreement, the 350/1 have to be retained until 23 Apr 2025, and 350/3 until 19 Sept 2018.
Somewhat surprisingly, there is no such date for 350/2 (and presumably 350/4 is the same as 350/3).
It looks like there was a long Section 54 agreement for 350/1, but none at all for 350/2, hence the choices made by Abellio.
It also saves Abellio having to upgrade them to 110mph.

So the "D-Train" project isn't dead then... Thought that was surely off after the fire and all the recent new train orders.

I know this is slightly off topic, but couldn't the off lease 350/2s be broken up, and added to the remaining 350/1/3/4s to create 5 car trains?

And, if the AGA 360s go off lease, couldn't their centre carriages become part of a 5 car 350 fleet?

Another TOC going for seemingly inadequate new 2-car DMUs - will all 12 be 230s (Bedford/Nuneaton etc)?
14 new 4-car DMUs sounds like CAF, similar to Northern (3-car).
No mention of bi-mode anywhere, which would work for Birmingham-Shrewsbury/Hereford.

George Moore said:

I know this is slightly off topic, but couldn't the off lease 350/2s be broken up, and added to the remaining 350/1/3/4s to create 5 car trains?

And, if the AGA 360s go off lease, couldn't their centre carriages become part of a 5 car 350 fleet?

Click to expand...

Wouldn't be useful, the south WCML is set up for 4/8/12 at 20m. The new units will be 23/24m so will be at maximum length at 10.

LNW-GW Joint said:

Another TOC going for seemingly inadequate new 2-car DMUs - will all 12 be 230s (Bedford/Nuneaton etc)?

14 new 4-car DMUs sounds like CAF, similar to Northern (3-car).

No mention of bi-mode anywhere, which would work for Birmingham-Shrewsbury/Hereford.

Click to expand...

I expect the extra DMUs would be Stadler. Although, as you pointed out, I'd have expected some shouting about bi-mode in the press gumph.

I agree with earlier posters - 5 car on WC would be Aventra follow on from Anglia. Hence would make sense for a Stadler BMU follow on too.

Old Hill Bank said:

Station car parks
Number of additional car parking spaces
WCSBU
Bletchley 100
Hemel Hempstead 100
Leighton Buzzard 100
Milton Keynes Central 130
Northampton 110
Nuneaton 70
Tamworth 30
Watford Junction 100
WMSBU
Kidderminster 100
Stone 100
Telford 100
Worcester SH 10
Total 1050

Click to expand...

I note that there are no plans for additional car parking spaces for Lichfield TV, which will probably alarm local MP Michael Fabricant.

With good reason though, the fairly recently laid down additional car park is already regularly full to capacity and the large number of 'executive' housing developments in the city will put even more pressure on parking there.

LNW-GW Joint said:

Another TOC going for seemingly inadequate new 2-car DMUs - will all 12 be 230s (Bedford/Nuneaton etc)?
14 new 4-car DMUs sounds like CAF, similar to Northern (3-car).
No mention of bi-mode anywhere, which would work for Birmingham-Shrewsbury/Hereford.

Click to expand...

I expect the 12x2 will be the same a the 14x4 ie not Vivarail which of course are not 'new' except in Vivarails minds'

You would expect the DMU to CAF after all they essentially a CAF version of a 172, the EMU could well be CAF as well especially if it ties in with a UK plant, or any of the main manufacturers if the they decide to split the order, It doesn't automatically follow that Abellio will go to the same manufacturers as for Anglia after all they went to Hitachi for Scotrail.

LNW-GW Joint said:

Another TOC going for seemingly inadequate new 2-car DMUs - will all 12 be 230s (Bedford/Nuneaton etc)?
14 new 4-car DMUs sounds like CAF, similar to Northern (3-car).
No mention of bi-mode anywhere, which would work for Birmingham-Shrewsbury/Hereford.

Click to expand...

3 x two-car 230s for Marston Vale.

Nuneaton-Coventry gets two-car 172s

Both as stated in my earlier post.

2 Car 172 for Kenilworth? blimey.

In the above lists of car park imrprovements, are the abbreviations WCSBU and WMSBU referring to the separated West Coast and West Midlands "business units"?

The Planner said:

2 Car 172 for Kenilworth? blimey.

Click to expand...

Hate to worry you again, but they also seem to list through trains from Nuneaton to Leamington.

As we've discussed regularly over the last few years!

The Planner said:

As above, but not sure how they are going to fit additionals to Shrewsbury.



..

Click to expand...

The extra Shrewsburys are all off-peak and will presumably use the same spare path as the extra peak hour trains at about xx45 from NS.

Old Hill Bank said:

December 2020
•All 15X and 170 removed
•New DMUs introduced, 12x2car and 14x4car.

Click to expand...

Could I be so bold as to speculate that the 4 car DMUs will be earmarked for the Hereford and Shrewsbury services, given that they will be losing their 170s? I'm rather curious why more 2 car DMUs are being ordered however.

LNW-GW Joint said:

Another TOC going for seemingly inadequate new 2-car DMUs - will all 12 be 230s (Bedford/Nuneaton etc)?
14 new 4-car DMUs sounds like CAF, similar to Northern (3-car).
No mention of bi-mode anywhere, which would work for Birmingham-Shrewsbury/Hereford.

Click to expand...

Class 230's could make an appearance on the Nuneaton branch but only in the short term - as you'll see on the previous page, class 172's will be used not 230's.

Edit: beaten to it

I'm interested whether the 3 x 230/2 for the Marston Vale will lead to any service improvements in addition to the Sunday service announcement.

Currently 2 units are used on an hourly service in each direction.
Will the interval between trains be reduced ?
The third unit supplement during peak periods of the day ?
Does the improved acceleration permit journey time enhancements ?

Class172 said:

Could I be so bold as to speculate that the 4 car DMUs will be earmarked for the Hereford and Shrewsbury services, given that they will be losing their 170s? I'm rather curious why more 2 car DMUs are being ordered however.

Click to expand...

Make 4-car off-peak services on the Snow Hill lines up to 6-cars for the peaks? LM has avoided splitting and coupling during the day and has thus an odd 5 and a 6 running around all day - maybe WMT has a different plan?

LNW-GW Joint said:

As far as I can tell from the draft franchise agreement, the 350/1 have to be retained until 23 Apr 2025, and 350/3 until 19 Sept 2018.
Somewhat surprisingly, there is no such date for 350/2 (and presumably 350/4 is the same as 350/3).
It looks like there was a long Section 54 agreement for 350/1, but none at all for 350/2, hence the choices made by Abellio.
It also saves Abellio having to upgrade them to 110mph.

Click to expand...

Your dates (and assumption about 350/4) are correct. The linked parliamentary question gives the section 54 agreements in place a year ago.
The absence of an agreement for 350/2 could just be that they got the same treatment as later subclasses, in which case the agreement would have expired by now. Maybe it was deemed unnecessary for this order - the recent policy seems to be to use Section 54 only when the order is in the later part of a franchise, to de-risk new stock on very short leases. Although the value of it for class 707 is questionable (I guess it forces the incoming franchise to commission the stock.)