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WMR Class 196 Build and Implementation

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the sniper

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I honestly really like the look, the shape of the cab and headlights works surprisingly well, IMO. The only thing I'm not sure about is the contrast with the entirely black gangway door, but I'm not sure what else they could do with it. Maybe the lower half of it being yellow might look better.
 

Bletchleyite

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I honestly really like the look, the shape of the cab and headlights works surprisingly well, IMO. The only thing I'm not sure about is the contrast with the entirely black gangway door, but I'm not sure what else they could do with it. Maybe the lower half of it being yellow might look better.

I can't see why it couldn't be orange. Or purple, maybe.
 

the sniper

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I can't see why it couldn't be orange. Or purple, maybe.

Purple on the front looked awful on the livery initially applied to a 172. But I suppose just the gangway door being done in it might work.

Does anybody know whether the plan is for all the older units to end up in this shade of orange eventually, possibly subject to headlight modifications to bring them up to the standard required to avoid yellow ends? As it is, the livery applied to the 172s (and 323s) is closer to bronze than this vivid shade of orange, which is seemingly being applied to the new Bombardier stuff too.
 

xc170

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These look rather smart, very similar shape to the 380.

I agree about the gangway, the black is too much of a sharp contrast with the orange, it would look better grey, it wouldn't be so obvious...
 

RealTrains07

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These look rather smart, very similar shape to the 380.

I agree about the gangway, the black is too much of a sharp contrast with the orange, it would look better grey, it wouldn't be so obvious...
It was probably originally intended for the units to have identical livery to the 172s but as we know well, plans change
 

Class172

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It's very hard to tell from the quality of the footage but it looks like seat/window alignment may be fairly good on the units.

Here's the press release containing the previously linked video on the WMR website:
Passengers in the West Midlands have been offered a first glimpse of the new, state-of-the-art trains which will arrive in the region next year after on-track testing began. West Midlands Railway has ordered a total of 26 diesel trains - known in the rail industry as Class 196s – as part of its £800m investment in the region’s railway network. The trains - which are being built in two-car and four-car formations – will be used to increase capacity on the busy line between Hereford and Birmingham when they begin arriving in the West Midlands next year. Among the benefits to passengers using the trains will be power points, WiFi and under-floor heating. A total of 80 carriages will be constructed under the project with the first batch now under construction in Europe by manufacturer CAF. They are due to arrive in the UK in the spring, with the remaining trains being manufactured at a purpose-built factory in south Wales. All units will undergo further testing here and in Europe before entering passenger service in the second half of 2020.


Jane Fisher, transition and projects director for West Midlands Railway, said: “The popularity of rail travel in the West Midlands is continuing to grow at a rapid rate, which is why we have pledged to invest £800m to help us keep up with demand. “It is exciting to see that this investment is starting to come to fruition with our new Class 196 trains entering the track-testing stage before they begin arriving in the UK next year. “These smart, modern trains will boost capacity on our network and come with features such as under-floor heating and extra luggage space which I am certain will prove popular with passengers.”
 

pt_mad

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The seats are FISA LEAN which have a cushion shaped almost identically to the Grammer E3000 "Desiro seat" and near identical in comfort. No armrests or gaps between, though, so it'll be a bit like the 2 side of a 350/2, sadly.
This may have been asked already, but are these seats the same as those for the new Greater Anglia mainline units?
 

Bletchleyite

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This may have been asked already, but are these seats the same as those for the new Greater Anglia mainline units?

They're the same as the seats in the FLIRTs apart from having no armrests and being crammed together a bit for a wider aisle.

They aren't the same as the seats in the Aventras which are made by KIEL.
 

Class172

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They're the same as the seats in the FLIRTs apart from having no armrests and being crammed together a bit for a wider aisle.
I am looking forward to seeing these units in service, though I do have concerns about the lack of armrests; surely some slimline ones would've fit without taking up too much aisle space.
 

pt_mad

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I am looking forward to seeing these units in service, though I do have concerns about the lack of armrests; surely some slimline ones would've fit without taking up too much aisle space.
Especially since the 170s they are replacing have them.
 

RealTrains07

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As far as we know. 1. Being tested as we speak.

It’s unknown exactly how many are in the factory at the moment.

ill ask and see whats up and update this post once I know.
 

DannyMich2018

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is it me or does having a 2 and 4-car fleet seem strange? Surely all should have been 3 or a mix of 2 and 3s? The 2-cars would struggle on their own much of the time with the 4s having too much capacity, more flexibility of 2 or 3 cars, due to platform lengths etc a 4-car couldn't work with a 2-car?
 

Class172

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For a while now there has been a chronic need for increased capacity on the Hereford services, which have mainly been 2 and 3 carriage workings in the past. WMR promised that all services would be extended by at least 1 carriage which seems to imply 4-car sets (whether 2x196/0 or 1x196/2) as minimum for services - if this turns out true will be a welcome relief for regular travellers.
 

RealTrains07

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Do any of the current WMR services split at all. 2 x 196/0 could be good for that?
 

sprinterguy

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is it me or does having a 2 and 4-car fleet seem strange? Surely all should have been 3 or a mix of 2 and 3s? The 2-cars would struggle on their own much of the time with the 4s having too much capacity, more flexibility of 2 or 3 cars, due to platform lengths etc a 4-car couldn't work with a 2-car?
There's 12 x 2-car and 14 x 4-car units replacing 17 x 2-car and 6 x 3-car 170s (Plus a handful of 153s): It's a fair uplift in capacity, and various of the Hereford and Shrewsbury services currently operate as 4 cars as a pair of 170/5s or a 170/6+153, so the 4-car units are a good fit, and represent an increase in capacity over services currently operated by a single 3-car 170/6.

I would have thought, but don't know, that the 2-car units would permit some services to be formed of 4 cars during the peak and then split at New Street and 2 cars go back to Tyseley during the off peak as at present.
 

Llama

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As a slight aside, Northern's official training literature for the 195s had been amended somewhat recently to state that they could couple to class 196s for assistance and rescue purposes "because the control voltage is the same [at 24v DC]". Someone has had to point out to the Northern bods who produce the 195 course content that although the mechanical part of the couplers is the same, the electrical connection box on the 196s is below the coupler whereas on the 195s it is above the coupler.

I hope that WMT have better training materials for their units than the incoherent shambles produced for the 195s/331s.
 

VT 390

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There's 12 x 2-car and 14 x 4-car units replacing 17 x 2-car and 6 x 3-car 170s (Plus a handful of 153s): It's a fair uplift in capacity, and various of the Hereford and Shrewsbury services currently operate as 4 cars as a pair of 170/5s or a 170/6+153, so the 4-car units are a good fit, and represent an increase in capacity over services currently operated by a single 3-car 170/6.

I would have thought, but don't know, that the 2-car units would permit some services to be formed of 4 cars during the peak and then split at New Street and 2 cars go back to Tyseley during the off peak as at present.
I don't know about Shrewsbury services but the Hereford ones need to be at least 3 carriages all day as some off peak 2 carriage services are as packed as some peak services which means splitting them at New Street for off peak services would not be a good idea.
I also thought that some 196's were for Stratford upon Avon services but am not sure if this is the plan any more?
 

Domh245

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That said, I expect the 196 and 197 will be able to couple for assistance and rescue, which would be good as those two will be meeting.
 

OffThePacer18

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Shrewsbury-Bham’s vary as they can be a 2 car, 3 car or a pair of 2 cars.
As of the new timetable, I'm almost certain there are 5 diagrams BHM-SHR, 4 of which have 4 carriages and 1 which has 3. No longer any with 2 - not sure about the Hereford line.
And so why order 2 car trains? One benefit perhaps being if one in a pair forming a 4 carriage service develops a fault the other can still run?
 

TH172341

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The reasoning for having two car units is to enable 6 car formations to run for peaks. Not sure on platform lengths on the Shrewsbury line in particular but Hereford line should not be an issue considering GWR's IETs running that way and where ASDO will come into play. Certainly if they get utilised on Snow Hill line diagrams which I expect they will do, it will be handy.
 
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RealTrains07

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The reasoning for having two car units is to enable 6 car formations to run for peaks. Not sure on platform lengths on the Shrewsbury line in particular but Hereford line should not be an issue considering GWR's IETs running that way and where ASDO will come into play. Certainly if they get utilised on Snow Hill line diagrams which I expect they will do, it will be handy.
Plus considering the 172s already work as 6 car diagrams too

plus with the gangway connecting the 196s together it will be even more beneficial having 2x2 diagrams
 

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