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Chase Line electrification

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DavidGrain

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It is scheduled as a DMU. Is it not more likely to be a route learning movement? Currently Birmingham to Walsall are normally electric via Aston and diesel via Soho. I would imagine that there would be diesel drivers who need to update themselves on the Aston route. This will be especially so as diesels are now being scheduled to operate some services via Aston from May.
 

TheScud

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2T95 16.46 New St - Rugeley TV also booked tomorrow. Should be a 323 for PTI tests. A 350 doing the run on 14.04.19
 

Kite159

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It is scheduled as a DMU. Is it not more likely to be a route learning movement? Currently Birmingham to Walsall are normally electric via Aston and diesel via Soho. I would imagine that there would be diesel drivers who need to update themselves on the Aston route. This will be especially so as diesels are now being scheduled to operate some services via Aston from May.

Diesels operate via Aston at the moment, at least on a Saturday the Rugeley trains do it as a loop to avoid changing ends at New Street.

Also they operate some of the stopping services via Aston (i.e. 1922 Birmingham New Street to Rugeley Trent Valley on weekdays)
 

DavidGrain

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Diesels operate via Aston at the moment, at least on a Saturday the Rugeley trains do it as a loop to avoid changing ends at New Street.

Also they operate some of the stopping services via Aston (i.e. 1922 Birmingham New Street to Rugeley Trent Valley on weekdays)
Thanks for this additional information
 

thecrofter

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IMG_0661.jpg Today (14/04/19) 350368 was the first 350 on the route running as 2T90 16:45 BHM-RGL and return 2T91 17:48 RGL-BHM.

The old and the new seen here at Rugeley Town with 170506 forming 2A87 17:41 RGL-BHM.
 

31160

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Is the a list of the diagrams that are formed of EMUs available or is the situation a bit too new
 

Jamesrob637

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I will be in the area next Wednesday - has anybody a list of EMU diagrams?
 

DavidGrain

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Birmingham Rugeley should all be all EMU
Birmingham Walsall will have some DMUs returning to this service but mainly EMU
 

sean44

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Does anyone know why there isn't much of a reduction in journey time on the new electric timetable? I was expecting at least ten minutes to be knocked off current journey times.
 

Bald Rick

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Does anyone know why there isn't much of a reduction in journey time on the new electric timetable? I was expecting at least ten minutes to be knocked off current journey times.

Why did you expect such a large reduction in journey times? Particularly in a 26 mile journey? Was this advertised anywhere?
 

ForTheLoveOf

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Does anyone know why there isn't much of a reduction in journey time on the new electric timetable? I was expecting at least ten minutes to be knocked off current journey times.
The timetable might be a lot better if it were like the Island Line, an isolated line which interacts with nowhere else (except a ferry). But this is not the case.

The performance of the trains might now be a fair amount better (probably not quite 10 minutes, especially given the frequent stops and the 350s' notoriously slow doors, but still a good few minutes). But it would take a wholesale rethink of the timetable in order to fit in a faster service - no mean feat given that the low-platform New Street timetable is designed around eking out the most of the limited Stour Valley capacity. All now made much more complicated because of the introduction of direct Rugeley to London via Birmingham services, which split and join there.

In short, I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon unfortunately. The benefit of the electric service is going to be better timekeeping and delay recovery for the existing timetable, as well as more capacity, a nicer train and of course the environmental advantages.

The next major rethink of the region's timetable probably won't be until HS2 services start.
 

The Planner

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Does anyone know why there isn't much of a reduction in journey time on the new electric timetable? I was expecting at least ten minutes to be knocked off current journey times.
10 minutes? Its not a rollercoaster!
 

sean44

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That's a fair explanation, cheers. I guess I was being too optimistic. I had read in literally every piece of press over the last few years that the electrification would result in a reduction in journey times and had just presumed that the line speed change from 45mph to 75mph would mean that more than a couple of minutes would be shaved off the 40 minute journey from Cannock to Brum. Oh well. I see that there are much more complicated factors at play.
 

The Planner

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That's a fair explanation, cheers. I guess I was being too optimistic. I had read in literally every piece of press over the last few years that the electrification would result in a reduction in journey times and had just presumed that the line speed change from 45mph to 75mph would mean that more than a couple of minutes would be shaved off the 40 minute journey from Cannock to Brum. Oh well. I see that there are much more complicated factors at play.
The linespeed hasnt gone up to 75mph for a start, that got binned off early on.
 

dangie

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I have an interest in railways but I'm by no means very knowledgeable, so please forgive these simple questions.
  1. Will the 'new' EMU's on the Chase Line be driven by the same drivers who drove the DMU's? In other words is a driver qualified to drive either type of traction?
  2. How many units are required to provide the half hourly service between Rugeley & Birmingham New St. & vice-versa?
  3. Where have all these EMU's come from?
  4. Will the new EMU service on the Chase Line mean a reduction on other lines?
  5. Where have the DMU's gone?
I said they were simple questions, but if you don't ask.....
 

geoffk

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What is the line speed now, as a matter of interest? Surely more than 45 mph. Glasgow - Edinburgh via Shotts has also gone electric this week but there is no reduction in journey times. To do so would mean, as suggested in #289, a complete recast of the timetable over a wide area and no doubt this will happen eventually.
ccccc
 

geoffk

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The linespeed hasnt gone up to 75mph for a start, that got binned off early on.
What is the line speed now, as a matter of interest? Surely more than 45 mph. Glasgow - Edinburgh via Shotts has also gone electric this week but there is no reduction in journey times. To do so would mean, as suggested in #289, a complete recast of the timetable over a wide area and no doubt this will happen eventually.

Can someone delete posts 298 and 299 please!
 
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