The_Train
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These are definitely the best looking of all the new units we have seen in recent times. Got that sleek but menacing look to them
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TPE Class 397 ('Nova 2') construction and updates
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Jamesrob637
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I think it was in Preston around an hour later
driver9000
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Yes it was, same trip again. Should be out all week.
Jamesrob637
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Supposed to be going to Glasgow but not making it past Preston
Jozhua
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Yes! I always drool when I go past them parked at the depot just outside Manchester
Hope the interiors are just as nice as the exterior! Guessing they'll probably have a similar fitout to the MK5A's and 802's, so should be a pretty solid upgrade on the 350's.
Erniescooper
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It has been to Glasgow today, then returned to Liverpool and then uses part of the 5S74 empty stock to Corkerhill to return the train to Preston where it stables at overnight at Croft Street sidings.
397003 and 397007 have now both been handed over to TPE.
What an incredibly ignorant point of view!
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Yes! I always drool when I go past them parked at the depot just outside Manchester
Hope the interiors are just as nice as the exterior! Guessing they'll probably have a similar fitout to the MK5A's and 802's, so should be a pretty solid upgrade on the 350's.
Plenty of tables, massive windows, 100% window alignment or very near to it. Almost certain to be the best of the fleet, and likely to nick a LOT of custom from the WCML operator unless their Pendolino tart-up improves these matters substantially.
Jozhua
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Yeah, those early 2000 era interiors seem to not leave much room for the actual passengers lol. Made even worse when considering the Pendolino has to remain in gauge for tilting.
Passengers only really have the choice between the two from Preston onwards, not that the Manchester crowd will be missing out on much... (at least when the 397's arrive!)
Railperf
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Quite often price comes into choice - and Virgin are sometimes more competitive with TPE on price northbound and even Northern for that matter.
The only train I groan about being on is a Voyager. Otherwise the 350s are my weapon of choice - bigger windows - less cramped, and only a few minutes slower! Unless Virgin's price is ridiculously ow of course.
Bletchleyite
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I often choose 350s on the south WCML over Pendolinos, but not on TPE because they are invariably seriously overcrowded. Hopefully the new units will solve this, but I fear they are not long enough.
Railperf
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Yes, TPE 185's particularly bad for overcrowding with only 3-coaches. TPE WCML services are also well used, and I was very lucky to get a seat. I fear 5-coach trains will only fill up very quickly too. Is there a reason they don't go for 8 or 9 coaches minimum?
sprinterguy
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Cost against known passenger loadings for current services. 8 x 23 metre carriages is also the maximum that the platforms at Manchester Airport can handle.
As noted previously in this thread, the class 397s will have around 80 additional seats compared to the 350s, but I am concerned at how well they will cope with the loadings of services currently worked by a pair of 350s, and how quickly latent demand will fill the additional seats.
There was an option in the TPE franchise agreement to order additional class 397s in 5, 6 or 8 car formations, I assume at least some of which would have been intended for North West - Scotland services.
driver9000
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There have been no booked 8 car 350 workings since November 2018. The only existing workings are transit moves between Glasgow Central and Carstairs on 1M90 04:22 to Manchester Airport. An empty portion is detached to form 06:12 from Edinburgh. An empty set also travels with 1S30 05:00 Manchester Airport to Glasgow Central which detaches at Preston to continue empty to Lancaster.
The 397 software is already futureproof to allow extra vehicles to be added on a "plug and play" basis up to 8 coaches if an option for more is taken up.
sprinterguy
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Ah right, thanks for the correction. I wonder how 4 car 350s are coping in that case.
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Jamesrob637
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Ah right, thanks for the correction. I wonder how 4 car 350s are coping in that case.
Not brilliantly! However a permanent 8-car 397 would just cart fresh air on many services.
sprinterguy
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Yep, agreed. It wouldn't be cost effective from TPE's perspective. At least, for the time being, there's the potential to lengthen these units in the future if required.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Rethinking the service may help. If platforms are long enough at key stations or SDO could be used, it might be better to order more units so there can be an hourly Edinburgh and a two-hourly Glasgow, with it being a 10-car double set every two hours. 5 is probably fine for Glasgow but inadequate for Edinburgh. Or look to up the frequency and order more 5-car sets (and maybe extend to 6 with no doubling up) - run Edinburgh hourly plus Glasgow two hourly.
Rhinojerry
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Was in Carlisle last Wednesday and two 350s arrived.one detached and returned to Manc Airport.The front one carried on to Gla or Edinburgh,
86247
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a 397 just passed at huyton going to Liverpool anyone got any idea's what it could be thanks
driver9000
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That's not a booked move.
driver9000
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It's 397005 on crew training duties.
It’s an incredibly accurate point of view. The vast majority of the public will get no further than ‘new train’ compared to ‘old train’.
86247
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thank u for the reply it didn't half shift through huyton it looked amazing
It's actually 105 seats according to their website, which is around 50% increase in capacity. Plus, the Liverpool-Edinburgh services will surely help shift some of those travelling from Manchester onto another route come December.
Big thing for the North of England now is having big enough platform to fit longer trains. ALthough would be great it TPE could have hourly services to both EDinburgh and Glasgow on the WCML rather than two hourly.
Rhinojerry
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The unit back to mia was unliveried,did not get number.
Right. O.K.
driver9000
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350403.
Test runs for mileage accumulation ramping up this week. Yesterday seen 397005 having a trip to Glasgow. Thursday sees two runs. One from Manchester to Glasgow via Crewe and another 30mins later from Liverpool to Glasgow. So a push on to get the units accepted for a December introduction into service.
driver9000
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Yes. 397004 went to Glasgow on test while 397005 (handed over to TPE several weeks ago now) has been used for Driver Assessor training all this week. There is a Driver Instructor course next week. These units should become a more familiar sight as time wears on.
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