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Northern Class 331: Initial diagrams

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86247

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it was in platform 2 behind my 319 as I was going to st Helens all lights off I thought it might be doing the 20.36 to Blackpool
 

Bovverboy

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it was in platform 2 behind my 319 as I was going to st Helens all lights off I thought it might be doing the 20.36 to Blackpool

Tracing things back on RTT the indication is that whatever was in P2 should have done 1835 Blackpool & 2003 return, but they were cancelled, so the next journey actually undertaken was 2217 Blackpool. The evidence would seem to say that 331005 had been in service throughout the day.
 

Starmill

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Can anyone offer how many class 331 units are out working from Blackpool North, Liverpool Lime Street if any today please? Are any services from Hazel Grove?
 

156420

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The final 331 diagram (for now) has gone over to a 331 this week having been a 319 for a few weeks in the interim.

Currently on the following:

1302 Liverpool-Warrington BQ
1411 Warrington-Liverpool
1515/1713 Liverpool-Wigan
1621/1821 Wigan-Liverpool
1936 Liverpool-Blackpool.
 

oscarthecat92

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What's the latest on the roll out on the Aire and Wharfedale Triangle? Yet to experience a 331 on my commute and there seems to be more 321/2s around than ever (when they have not broken down and the train is cancelled..!)
 

northernchris

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What's the latest on the roll out on the Aire and Wharfedale Triangle? Yet to experience a 331 on my commute and there seems to be more 321/2s around than ever (when they have not broken down and the train is cancelled..!)

The 1626 Leeds - Skipton is a 331, the other diagram seems to work the 1641 Bradford - Skipton but they are the only 2 I'm aware of at the moment
 

BillBlue80

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Managed to time my train from St Helens Central into Liverpool to get a 331, thanks to information on this forum as to the diagrams they are on. Must admit they look great, found the interior attractive and loved the information screens. Great that they highlight which side the platform is on although they changed their minds at both Huyton and LS which even confused the train manager.

Didn’t love the ride though, felt it was very firm, especially over the bogies but even moving to try a few different locations it wasn’t the best. Lots of roll as well! All in all a huge huge improvement on a 319 but I still think the 323 has a better ride from my experiences on the Crosscity line in Birmingham. Delighted though to see that 331 and 323 will become the dominant trains on the Wigan - St Helens Central - Liverpool LS line.

Even more excited to check out the 397, one of which passed through St Helens Central, just 5 minutes before I arrived. They really are good looking trains although I must admit I think the 802’s are better.

Hoping there is a chance I can ride back to Lea Green on MK 5 stock this evening but I’m unsure if they are still working the two diagrams they started on this morning.
 

oscarthecat92

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The 1626 Leeds - Skipton is a 331, the other diagram seems to work the 1641 Bradford - Skipton but they are the only 2 I'm aware of at the moment
There has been at least 1 peak time cancellation every morning this week between Skipton and Leeds due to more trains needing repair at once than usual, here's hoping they get more 331s into service soon...
 

northernchris

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There has been at least 1 peak time cancellation every morning this week between Skipton and Leeds due to more trains needing repair at once than usual, here's hoping they get more 331s into service soon...

There was a 322 parked in the sidings at Wakefield Westgate most of last week, plus a 333 on refurb and one away for corrosion repairs which is obviously putting pressure on the existing fleet. There's now 5 331 diagrams and I've only seen 101/104/106/108/109/110 in service so again there's little slack there either unfortunately
 

Allwinter_Kit

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There has been at least 1 peak time cancellation every morning this week between Skipton and Leeds due to more trains needing repair at once than usual, here's hoping they get more 331s into service soon...

There was a 322 parked in the sidings at Wakefield Westgate most of last week, plus a 333 on refurb and one away for corrosion repairs which is obviously putting pressure on the existing fleet. There's now 5 331 diagrams and I've only seen 101/104/106/108/109/110 in service so again there's little slack there either unfortunately

I have been rattling up and down the Airedale a lot the last fortnight and I have never managed to hit 322s with such regularity. I would say the majority of my journeys have been on those rather than 333s. Sheer bad luck on my part, but their smaller size combined with the cancellations has made the journeys rather snug indeed. Which are the 331 diagrams? Any around the peaks? My only experience of it so far was watching one come past me on the platform last week - empty and on test, of course! Ahead of my actual train which was..... a 322.
 

northernchris

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Which are the 331 diagrams? Any around the peaks? My only experience of it so far was watching one come past me on the platform last week - empty and on test, of course! Ahead of my actual train which was..... a 322.

The 1626 Leeds - Skipton is 331, the other diagram is the 1641 Bradford - Skipton. In the AM peak it's the 0618 Skipton - Leeds, 0710 Leeds - Bradford and 0747 Bradford - Ilkley. The other 333 comes off a Doncaster - Leeds before working 0856 Leeds - Skipton
 

Bantamzen

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What's the latest on the roll out on the Aire and Wharfedale Triangle? Yet to experience a 331 on my commute and there seems to be more 321/2s around than ever (when they have not broken down and the train is cancelled..!)

The 1626 Leeds - Skipton is 331, the other diagram is the 1641 Bradford - Skipton. In the AM peak it's the 0618 Skipton - Leeds, 0710 Leeds - Bradford and 0747 Bradford - Ilkley. The other 333 comes off a Doncaster - Leeds before working 0856 Leeds - Skipton

In the last couple of weeks I've caught the 15:03 Leeds-Ilkley a couple of times, and both times it was a 331 which makes sense because that then returns to Leeds to form the 16:26 up to Skipton.
 

Bovverboy

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Any news of 331s to Manchester Airport or Stockport?

Blackpool to Hazel Grove has been consistently mentioned as being one of the next routes to get them, although I don't have a date. Blackpool to Manchester Airport has been mentioned, too, but not as consistently.
 

js1000

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Does anyone have a general update for the 331 diagrams west side? Seems a bit scattergun at the moment.

Someone on Twitter today inferred a 331 worked on the Manchester-Hadfield route. I heard the 331s are to commence working on the Liverpool to Crewe via Manchester Airport next week.
 

1D53

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Does anyone have a general update for the 331 diagrams west side? Seems a bit scattergun at the moment.

Someone on Twitter today inferred a 331 worked on the Manchester-Hadfield route. I heard the 331s are to commence working on the Liverpool to Crewe via Manchester Airport next week.

Refurbished 323 on the Hadfield.
 

oscarthecat92

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Any update on the east side? Still seems to be only a couple out on Aire and Wharfe and regular peak cancellations due to 'more trains than usual needing repair at one time'
 

Llama

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Blackpool to Hazel Grove has been consistently mentioned as being one of the next routes to get them, although I don't have a date. Blackpool to Manchester Airport has been mentioned, too, but not as consistently.
December timetable change for 331s on the Hazel Grove - Blackpools to the best of my knowledge.
 

broadbander

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2H42 Crewe - Manchester Pic via Stockport was a 331 this morning. Feedback from other half who boarded at Cheadle Hulme "nice to have air con (stops windows steaming up), but had to stand because no seats available - possibly too many tables in the carriages?"
 

Starmill

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I understand they have been working a number of Crewe services. Does anyone know if there are any out on Crewe services (or any other routes from Manchester) tomorrow please?
 

RAPC

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The 06:52 Blackpool North to Manchester Airport is currently a 319 and often standing at Buckshaw or Chorley, and sometimes leaving passengers behind by Lostock.

A couple of times recently it has been announced on the train that it is moving to being 6 carriages instead of 4 from the next timetable. Not sure if this is confirmed elsewhere. Also, are the platforms at all stations all ok to take 6 carriages at the moment? The temporary lengthening that was put in place a few years ago seems to have been reversed at some stations.
 

js1000

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The 06:52 Blackpool North to Manchester Airport is currently a 319 and often standing at Buckshaw or Chorley, and sometimes leaving passengers behind by Lostock.

A couple of times recently it has been announced on the train that it is moving to being 6 carriages instead of 4 from the next timetable. Not sure if this is confirmed elsewhere. Also, are the platforms at all stations all ok to take 6 carriages at the moment? The temporary lengthening that was put in place a few years ago seems to have been reversed at some stations.
Doubt that peak-time 06:53 service will be strengthened to a 6-car service anytime soon. That service is a complete and utter shambles. No point in strengthening for one journey only to skip calls at commuter stations on its 08:43 reverse journey into Manchester as it's just completely wasted peak-time capacity.
 

td97

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From 15th December, the Hazel Groves are pathed as 323s with the Airport's remaining as 319s.
I presume 323 pathing meaning 331s as 331 SRTs don't yet exist, but whether 331s will be in service on the Airport services too hasn't been confirmed
 

RAPC

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Doubt that peak-time 06:53 service will be strengthened to a 6-car service anytime soon. That service is a complete and utter shambles. No point in strengthening for one journey only to skip calls at commuter stations on its 08:43 reverse journey into Manchester as it's just completely wasted peak-time capacity.

On it this morning and it has been changed to a double 331. Advertised on the platform as 8 carriages, but I didn’t get chance to check what it actually was due to making a late dash to the platform to catch it. Whether it is 6 or 8, it is already looking like the front half will be full and standing by Horwich.

Edited to add that it was indeed 8 carriages, with 107 and 112 on duty. The front unit of the train was full with people standing by Blackrod, so even with the capacity it was still busy.
 
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Fedupnorthern

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On it this morning and it has been changed to a double 331. Advertised on the platform as 8 carriages, but I didn’t get chance to check what it actually was due to making a late dash to the platform to catch it. Whether it is 6 or 8, it is already looking like the front half will be full and standing by Horwich.

Edited to add that it was indeed 8 carriages, with 107 and 112 on duty. The front unit of the train was full with people standing by Blackrod, so even with the capacity it was still busy.

How do 8 cars fit into the stations? 6 is the usual limit. SDO for one quarter of the train, hence the imbalance?

I have heard rumors that the 0723 to Hazel Grove was a 3-car 331, so some reallocation of capacity across the space/time continuum. 4-car 319 usually on the service can scarcely cope, and that is with 3+2 seating.

Have they fixed a problem or caused other ones.....?
 
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