WMT class 730 distribution in the future

Stephen Lee · 16 Mar 2020

36 x Class 730/0 are ordered, 26 of them will replace 323s in Cross-City Line and Wolves-B'ham-Walsall route, how about the extra 10? Are they gonna be used for providing extra capacity in other routes in West Midlands as well as the reopening of Wolves-Walsall line via Darlaston James Bridge/Willenhall?
For the Class 730/1 and /2 I know they will be replacing 319s and 350/2s in WCML stopping services as well as providing extra capacity in WCML.

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the sniper · 16 Mar 2020

Doubling everything on the Cross City accounts for most of them.

Jorge Da Silva · 16 Mar 2020

730’s will be used on CrossCity routes as six cars, on the Suburban routes out of Euston to replace 350/2 and 319’s

Stephen Lee · 17 Mar 2020

Jorge Da Silva said:
730’s will be used on CrossCity routes as six cars, on the Suburban routes out of Euston to replace 350/2 and 319’s

What rolling stock will the Wolves-Walsall route use when the Darlaston James Bridge/Willenhall are reopened?
And does anyone have ideas if 350s are being approved for use in Abbey Line?

Jorge Da Silva · 17 Mar 2020

Stephen Lee said:
What rolling stock will the Wolves-Walsall route use when the Darlaston James Bridge/Willenhall are reopened?
And does anyone have ideas if 350s are being approved for use in Abbey Line?

at the moment we don’t know

Jorge Da Silva · 17 Mar 2020

It’s unlikely to reopen until 2027

Stephen Lee · 17 Mar 2020

Jorge Da Silva said:
It’s unlikely to reopen until 2027

I heard the stations will reopen next year......

Jorge Da Silva · 17 Mar 2020

Stephen Lee said:
I heard the stations will reopen next year......

oh maybe i am outdated then. my bad. I have heard they maybe using 350's.

Stephen Lee · 17 Mar 2020

Jorge Da Silva said:
oh maybe i am outdated then. my bad. I have heard they maybe using 350's.

Only if Class 730/1 or /2 cascaded them from WCML.

the sniper · 17 Mar 2020

Stephen Lee said:
What rolling stock will the Wolves-Walsall route use when the Darlaston James Bridge/Willenhall are reopened?

Wasn't the original plan that they'd be served by one of the trains per hour between Shrewsbury and BHM? At least initially. Plans may well have changed though.

Stephen Lee · 17 Mar 2020

the sniper said:
Wasn't the original plan that they'd be served by one of the trains per hour between Shrewsbury and BHM? At least initially. Plans may well have changed though.

“The proposed timetable for the line would be an hourly Wolverhampton to Walsall service as well as an hourly Wolverhampton to Birmingham service calling at Willenhall, Darlaston and Tame Bridge Parkway. ”

The Planner · 17 Mar 2020

Stephen Lee said:
“The proposed timetable for the line would be an hourly Wolverhampton to Walsall service as well as an hourly Wolverhampton to Birmingham service calling at Willenhall, Darlaston and Tame Bridge Parkway. ”

Wikipedia is talking out its posteria, its a Shrewsbury service via Bescot that is planned.

MarkWiles · 5 Apr 2020

It's a shame the Walsall to Wolverhampton service isn't being started back at Rugeley, as a lot of people who live in Cannock and Rugeley work in Wolverhampton and the road between Cannock and Wolverhampton is dreadful, not helped by it taking some M54-M6 north traffic. Even better would be a turnback siding and platform near to i54 allowing a service to run through Wolverhampton and reverse off the main line whilst serving the site. Could even add park and ride.

VT 390 · 6 Apr 2020

the sniper said:
Doubling everything on the Cross City accounts for most of them.

If they will be doubled on most Cross City line services is there a reason why some or all of the WMR 730's were not ordered as 6 carriage sets?

Bletchleyite · 6 Apr 2020

VT 390 said:
If they will be doubled on most Cross City line services is there a reason why some or all of the WMR 730's were not ordered as 6 carriage sets?

Depot space, I believe.

Lozzy0603 · 11 Aug 2020

Why would WMR order the two fleets to 90mph spec and 110mph spec? Is it a huge cost difference or is there a technical reason?
I wonder if the 90mph ones won't just end up being upgraded to 110mph in the future as happened with the class 350 project.

brick60000 · 11 Aug 2020

No engineering experience whatsoever, so a complete guess. I’m sure I’ve read something about trains geared for higher speeds sometimes having slower acceleration. So perhaps the lower speed on the Cross City units gives them better acceleration?

Lozzy0603 · 11 Aug 2020

Yeah, I was aware of that, windings and gears and such, but I had thought with a modern electronic traction motor if all that had become a thing of the past? Hence I'm wondering about the other technicalities; control software, pantograph tension, plus pantograph type for working in multiple and counteracting the wave at different speeds. Maybe some breaking software? I don't know what else mechanically there could be?
The only other thought is that it's two entirely different power ratings of traction motor between the sub classes. Would that be a silly thing to specify from a maintenance point of view and interoperability of the sub classes?

Bletchleyite · 11 Aug 2020

There is no need for interoperability in that sense, you're never going to want to send the WM units down to Euston any more than you send 323s there now.

Lozzy0603 · 11 Aug 2020

They will be type cleared on all routes though? And surely a driver would be cleared on both sub types?
Can't even tempt you? Covering stock out of use? Emergency workings? Rescue? Future route changes after HS2? No takers?

southern442 · 21 Aug 2020

I am puzzled as to why they are even being classified as one class and not 730 and 731 for example, since they will be essentially two separate fleets.

WMT class 730 distribution in the future

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