All the important stuff is already underway. By the time the merger is likely to have had any impact, the bulk of Aventra orders will have been completed. With bimode orders firmly going in Stadler and Hitachi's direction at the moment and TfL having finally gone elsewhere, any further business going Bombardier's way was already pretty unlikely. It's only when Crossrail 2 comes around that Alstom are likely to be in the picture for UK stock orders.
Yes, definitely. A glance at page 1 of this thread explains all...
Depends. In terms of service impact on PPM I disagree, most services will still run. What is most likely to happen, however, is that a large number (potentially all) peak services dropped from 12 to 8-car. By the time the 360s have left, most of the Norwich 745s should be in service so there should only need to be one or two services routinely running with 321s, much as now. StanEx will be run with 317s, possibly with some ex-LO 317s drafted in to work the displaced Cambridge services if some LO 710s are ready by the time the 379 lease ends (I can't remember when that is). In terms of overcrowding it'll be pretty hellish, but let's face it, we all knew this was coming!
Because 5/10car @24m is far cheaper to purchase and run?
The 720s will be running Clacton when deployed. Diagrams will need to be modified as they go where necessary due to replacement of exactly that sort of splitting/joining arrangement. My comments about 720/1s running off-peak Clacton services only applied to when the fleet was deployed. I agree that the most complex diagrams, logically, would stick to legacy units the longest for that reason, but that's not necessarily how things pan out in practice. If the relevant drivers are trained first, or GA management want to make more of an impression in that area than another, they'll go there earlier, and no doubt there'll be some rostering issues along the way.
Do you have cost quotes? Train lengths are equivalent and seating is increased in the new Aventras.
Seats don't cost much. Cabs and all the associated gear certainly do, as does having an extra transformer and pantograph, not to mention less work for drivers moving individual units around, joining them up etc.
So, assuming that Corby electrification is complete by December, you reckon DfT and Abellio will suffer the embarrassment of not having any trains for it? I don’t - my money would be on the 360s moving regardless and GA having to cop the flack for short forms. Keeps the problem in one place on a TOC that is already suffering negative PR.
The current 379 lessors Marquarie have off loaded there rail leasing business to Akiem today https://www.akiem.com/en/press-rele...e-europe-rails-rolling-stock-leasing-business and given the 379's are a fair chunk of the assets they must have a long term home.
I suspect it's possible we may have a similar scenario to when the LO 172s moved to West Midlands, a short extension but eventually enough is enough and they'll go regardless, especially if the DfT don't extend the PRM dispensation. Presumably there will still be other TOCs who fail to meet the 2020 deadline?
And 4 fewer bogies.
Or Macquarie wanted an exit. They bought most of it from Lloyds TSB's rail leasing who probably sold it at discount to downsize the bank in hurry after buying HBoS by mistake. The 66s are the big asset not the 379s!
DofT will extend the deadline and SoS will spin another whinge at the industry in not getting its act together otherwise they risk a much bigger backlash from commuters. They can clearly demonstrate to the disability community that the trains are being built rather than an hollow promise.
Of course, 5 and 10 is simpler, as long as they manage the transition properly. Electronics are cheaper and 4 coaches are too short for most services anyway so the lengths aren't a problem in the long term.
You wouldn't be saying that if you were a user of the line. I believe the idea is to bring it to parity with c2c which has 4tph to Southend. Off-peak the number of paths isn't quite as severe as it is during the peaks where Southend gets 6tph and as far as I know that isn't changing. Whether the 4tph to Southend even happens is up in the air though as apart from the new stock, pretty much every franchise commitment made by GA has either been ignored or scrapped, so I'll believe it when I see it.
mind you they are so long overdue from the Manufacturers !
What's the best recording for a 700? Wikipedia gives the weight of a 345 at 264t, not sure if that's a 7 or 9-car but given the reference is from 2012 I'll assume it refers to Crossrail itself therefore a 9-car. If we add 20% for the extra length and then maybe another 10% on top for the extra seats, carpet, toilets etc we come out at around 350t, compared with a 700 at 410t for 240m. Like the 700s, the 720s will apparently have 50% powered axles, though I seem to recall Aventras using 225kW traction motors versus Siemens' 250s, so 85% the weight, 90% the power?
I have examined a number of schedules and i do not see any differences. Please give me some examples of where some 360 schedules are quicker than 321's and any differences in dwells. Happy to be corrected if i have missed something . Performance wise a 360 will be at least 30 seconds quicker than a 321 due to the superior acceleration every time. And going forward the 720's will probably be quicker still. I had a 755/4 in pouring wet conditions and suffering wheelslip at 70 mph causing power reduction - managing to post one of the fastest times between Colchester and Manningtree - despite those conditions. Sub 7 mins - where both 321's and 360's are currently allowed 8 mins plus station dwell! A 360 in the dry will also post a sub 7 minute time! If the 720's have 50% axles powered and similar performance to the 345's they will probably do Colchester Manningtree in 6 minutes despite the gradients. And accelerate most station to station timings.