Great Western Railway Heathrow Express Class 387 Refittment and Service Updates

samuelmorris · 26 Oct 2019

Nippy said:
They will only be getting 12 units. Need 10 for a full 5x8 car service. I'm pretty sure 12s won't fit at the Heathrow Platforms. They had to extend them to get 9 car 332s in......

That's what I suspected. I can't see 8-car trains being an issue, but then again there must have been a reason for extending the 332s to 5-car in the first place.

RailUK Forums

Failed Unit · 26 Oct 2019

samuelmorris said:
That's what I suspected. I can't see 8-car trains being an issue, but then again there must have been a reason for extending the 332s to 5-car in the first place.

Not sure how the number of seats compare, but the current 9 car trains are often overcrowded in the peak. So I suspect the the 387s will be worse, at least until Cross-Rail opens. Once Cross-rail opens they will lose a lot of passengers so the 8 car 387 will be fine.

** the loss of passengers because cross rail goes to useful places, such as direct to the city. I can't image anyone head to Bishopsgate will want to pay a forturne for HeX and Taxi when they can get a direct train, likewise anyone going further afield can get to more changes with a single change**

hwl · 26 Oct 2019

Failed Unit said:
Not sure how the number of seats compare, but the current 9 car trains are often overcrowded in the peak. So I suspect the the 387s will be worse, at least until Cross-Rail opens. Once Cross-rail opens they will lose a lot of passengers so the 8 car 387 will be fine.

** the loss of passengers because cross rail goes to useful places, such as direct to the city. I can't image anyone head to Bishopsgate will want to pay a forturne for HEx and Taxi when they can get a direct train, likewise anyone going further afield can get to more changes with a single change**

The 387 plan was based on full Crossrail service and through running in 7 weeks time, hence the reduction in HEx capacity would have aligned with losing lots of passengers to Crossrail so there wouldn't have been an issue. Now there potentially is for 2 years. 360 replacement with 9car 345s should help in about 6 months.

T-Karmel · 27 Oct 2019

samuelmorris said:
Were there no plans to run 12-car Hex formations? If not, the new trains will be shorter than those they are replacing, without question.

There will never be 12 car in passenger service, platforms at Heathrow are fit for 9 car 332s which would be equivalent more or less of 10 cars on 387s, with no possibility of leaving out 2 cars outside the platform in the tunnel (and no sense of doing it anyway).

No extention of the tunnel is considered.

3973EXL · 4 Nov 2019

5Q50 Reading - Ilford
37608 387139

RailWonderer · 4 Nov 2019

samuelmorris said:
That's what I suspected. I can't see 8-car trains being an issue, but then again there must have been a reason for extending the 332s to 5-car in the first place.

The first 332s were actually 3 car with one entire coach being business first! They were often overcrowded.

JN114 · 4 Nov 2019

RailWonderer said:
The first 332s were actually 3 car with one entire coach being business first! They were often overcrowded.

They were only 3 because of the short platform at Heathrow Junction station. All units were lengthened once the full service to T4 started in 1998, with most services running as 8 car from day one.

Gagravarr · 6 Nov 2019

Via the blog Head For Points, Heathrow Express management are now saying that the 387s won't be in service until March 2020.

samuelmorris · 6 Nov 2019

From that article:

Heathrow Express admitted that, as they were not built to order, it will be difficult to retain the current high standard of interiors.

which makes me wonder if standard class will have changed much at all.

Mikey C · 6 Nov 2019

samuelmorris said:
From that article:

which makes me wonder if standard class will have changed much at all.

The beginning of the end. HEx may currently charge rip off prices, but it does feel special on board, even in standard, and the trains looks distinctive and stylish too. Once you're in the same 387s operating commuter services, with a mildly upgraded interior, the extra expense will become unacceptable once Crossrail finally opens (or even just the frequent service to Paddington high level)

reddragon · 13 Nov 2019

There have been large numbers of cancellations of local trains booked as class 387s in the last 2 weeks due to train faults.

Is this due to stock shortages since 387s have gone to HEX?

JN114 · 13 Nov 2019

reddragon said:
There have been large numbers of cancellations of local trains booked as class 387s in the last 2 weeks due to train faults.

Is this due to stock shortages since 387s have gone to HEX?

Not that I’ve noticed while running the train service? If stuff breaks and has to be taken out traffic that’s that, but there’s always been spares or options to split stuff to cover up later - the only cancellations on my watch have been down to the train actually being broken or service recovery.

FGW_DID · 13 Nov 2019

reddragon said:
Is this due to stock shortages since 387s have gone to HEX?

No! There is no “stock shortage”.

JonathanH · 16 Nov 2019

387 testing to Heathrow last night

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K15511/2019-11-15/detailed

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K15512/2019-11-16/detailed

Timings suggest that it probably did more than just go to Heathrow and back whilst south of Airport Junction.

fgwrich · 16 Nov 2019

JonathanH said:
387 testing to Heathrow last night

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K15511/2019-11-15/detailed

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K15512/2019-11-16/detailed

Timings suggest that it probably did more than just go to Heathrow and back whilst south of Airport Junction.

What happened there to cause that much delay I wonder?

JonathanH · 16 Nov 2019

fgwrich said:
What happened there to cause that much delay I wonder?

Nothing - that isn't delay as such - the timings beyond Tunnel Junction might well be meaningless - I would imagine that the train operated under one schedule to and from the Airport but then did a number of back and forth tests and the feed only picks up the last pass at a given point - there really wouldn't be any point taking a 387 to Heathrow, doing nothing with it there for four hours then bringing it out again but equally you don't need a (public) schedule once inside the possession.

JonathanH · 16 Nov 2019

In fact, if you look here you can track the journeys made at Heathrow last night which are more than those picked up by RTT.

https://trackit.uppyjc.co.uk/TrackI...toRefresh=False&Estimate=False&DisplayMode=TD

Chris125 · 16 Nov 2019

Any idea if they've fully fitted any 387s with ETCS yet, or would this just be physical checks under a possession?

jimm · 17 Nov 2019

Chris125 said:
Any idea if they've fully fitted any 387s with ETCS yet, or would this just be physical checks under a possession?

At least two sets have been fitted so far - see post 106 by JN114 on the previous page of the thread.

JN114 · 17 Nov 2019

It was unfitted sets in a possession. The two ETCS sets haven’t come back from works/testing yet.

tomglazed · 17 Nov 2019

I pass the HEX liveried units every time I come back from weekends in Exeter and usually manage to catch glimpses inside of them. I recall seeing one which had seats refitted (alas, all still ironing boards) where most are still stripped back to the frame. All I can hope for is the TV’s and a bit of moodlighting but I am certainly not getting hopes up.

JN114 · 17 Nov 2019

None of the units currently at Reading have had interior mods fitted.

tomglazed · 17 Nov 2019

JN114 said:
None of the units currently at Reading have had interior mods fitted.

I said I recall so thought that would clarify this was not of recent times. I could have been wrong but I’m sure at some point of the units at the very least, at minimum, had the seat back fascias refitted or, at most, seat cushions refitted also.

FGW_DID · 18 Nov 2019

387132 still has seat cushions fitted (never had them removed). 130/131 & 140 have them removed.

On the subject of the HX 387s, 387140 is due to head back to Ilford from Reading TCD sometime this week (Wed?)

3973EXL · 20 Nov 2019

FGW_DID said:
387132 still has seat cushions fitted (never had them removed). 130/131 & 140 have them removed.

On the subject of the HX 387s, 387140 is due to head back to Ilford from Reading TCD sometime this week (Wed?)

5Q50 57305 387140

Melancholia · 20 Nov 2019

Why is 140 heading back to Ilford? Internal refit?

spark001uk · 25 Nov 2019

Seen some gen elsewhere that some of these are being hauled to Bristol SPM. Are they having something further done to them there?

Melancholia · 25 Nov 2019

spark001uk said:
Seen some gen elsewhere that some of these are being hauled to Bristol SPM. Are they having something further done to them there?

I suspect they only got dragged there for storage. There's only so much space available at Reading.

JN114 · 25 Nov 2019

Storage and room on Reading TCD is the correct answer.

Mr Fenton · 7 Dec 2019

Confirmed:
Tables every 4 seats, seat back tables every 2 seats

Great Western Railway Heathrow Express Class 387 Refittment and Service Updates

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