Class 155, what lines do they work?

[61653 HTAFC]

If you want to avoid the 155s on the Calder valley services (as i do) try to board one of the Blackburn to Manchester Victoria services because I have not seen once 155 doing these services once, not sure if they are cleared for them.
Sam

155s are mainly West Yorkshire units I think, they used to be Metro-Train/WYMet red and white. They only run to the Calder Valley from Manchester IIRC. I think it'd be unusual to see one in Oxford Road (might have happened a long time ago?), and very unlikely at Piccadilly. As an aside Blackburn is usually 150 or 156.

I used to see a lot of 155s on the Calder Valley but I haven't as much lately - it's usually one out of 155(+153), 144, or 158(+153). It's never a 142, 150 or 156.

Best bet is Leeds IMO.

They are cleared for most of Manchester-Todmorden-Blackburn, with the possible exception of the Tod curve. The main issue would be crews not signing them.
They are formerly Metro-owned, hence them not being split into 153s unlike the other 30 were. When they were sold to Porterbrook along with the 10 144 MS vehicles part of the deal was that they would stay on predominantly West Yorkshire routes throughout the length of the current Northern franchise.

 

[childwallblues]

Blackburn to Victoria will be a Newton Heath or occasionally a Heaton unit.
In the 1990s 155s used to appear in Liverpool on services from York.

 

[DarloRich]

I have seen a copy of the diagrams but missed York on Saturdays as well. Although the OP just asked for Mondays to Fridays..

i normally see them at York on Harrogate line services (and occasionally "locals" to Leeds via Church Fenton) during the week and Leeds on a weekend - not sure if that is on a diagram but they seem to appear there fairly regularly

 

[PHILIPE]

i normally see them at York on Harrogate line services (and occasionally "locals" to Leeds via Church Fenton) during the week and Leeds on a weekend - not sure if that is on a diagram but they seem to appear there fairly regularly

I have re-checked the diagrams and they are only DIAGRAMMED to York at weekends.

 

[lejog]

155s are mainly West Yorkshire units I think, they used to be Metro-Train/WYMet red and white. They only run to the Calder Valley from Manchester IIRC. I think it'd be unusual to see one in Oxford Road (might have happened a long time ago?), and very unlikely at Piccadilly. As an aside Blackburn is usually 150 or 156.
I used to see a lot of 155s on the Calder Valley but I haven't as much lately - it's usually one out of 155(+153), 144, or 158(+153). It's never a 142, 150 or 156.

Best bet is Leeds IMO.

Perhaps I've been lucky but since the May 2014 timetable change I've mostly traveled on 155s and 158s on Calder Valley services through Hebden Bridge with a very occasional 150, but never a Pacer. Yes I've been on rush hour trains with a 153,150 or a Pacer strengthening to four car, but I've been able to choose not to travel on those units. I also last week (horror of horrors) saw a bus seat 142 at Leeds set to run to Victoria as the fast service, but luckily I was changing to a X Country service. I certainly wouldn't call the current allocation random.

Before that change Pacers weren't uncommon, especially on the Dewsbury stoppers or as convoys on nighttime services. 156s also seemed to disappear at that time.

Its different with Rochdale/Todmorden stoppers and the more recent Blackburn services which are obviously on different diagrams - these were always Pacers/150s but in the last few months have had some 156s.

With the Leeds/Bradford/Huddersfield I've seen 142s, 144s. 150s, 155s and 158s running, but on the half a dozen times I've travelled on these since May last year Northern have kindly laid on a Sprinter for me.

 

[DarloRich]

I have re-checked the diagrams and they are only DIAGRAMMED to York at weekends.

agreed - my point is that the diagram needs to be taken with a pinch of salt

 

[PHILIPE]

agreed - my point is that the diagram needs to be taken with a pinch of salt

Going back to the OP, the question was just "Where do they work". It didn't ask where are they diagrammed to work,. In fact, seemed to wonder if they had diagrams at all. Still a good cross section of answers as to where they work whether diagrammed or not.

 

[Eboordna]

I travel on Calder Valley most days, my regular trains are 155+153 and 158+153 (on a Friday I usually come home early and have a single 150!). They are often changed or shortformed, but I'd say 80% of the time I get the same stock on the same service.

We typically see pacers on Sundays, but rarely on weekdays (except the 07:39 HBD-LDS which is usually 158+144).

But for an interesting insight, here's what I've seen on the Calder Valley (various LDS-MCV or return trains) today:
158 (2 car)
142
155
158 (3 car)
142+150
158+153
155+153

Not sure there's many other combinations even possible!

 

[lejog]

i normally see them at York on Harrogate line services (and occasionally "locals" to Leeds via Church Fenton) during the week and Leeds on a weekend - not sure if that is on a diagram but they seem to appear there fairly regularly

Can I ask what you mean by the York to Leeds "locals" (whether they stop at Church Fenton or not). As far as I can see from the timetable there are only 4 York to Leeds "locals" Monday to Friday - 7.40, 20.20, 22.13 and 23.13, 4 evening trains on a Saturday and 1 on a Sunday. The rest are Blackpool trains which are almost invariably 158s. It would hardly be surprising if 155s are freed up to form these evening services, but not having traveled on or seen these services recently, I wouldn't know.

While I'm not one to make extravagant claims based on personal experience, I would put a small wager on the OP seeing 4 or 5 of the 7 155s on Victoria services if he stationed himself at Leeds for the 3.5 hours or so it takes for diagrams to repeat on a weekday off peak. And since the other 155s are supposed to work on West Yorkshire services, I would say there's a fair chance that they would show up at Leeds in this time.

 

[DarloRich]

Can I ask what you mean by the York to Leeds "locals" (whether they stop at Church Fenton or not). As far as I can see from the timetable there are only 4 York to Leeds "locals" Monday to Friday - 7.40, 20.20, 22.13 and 23.13, 4 evening trains on a Saturday and 1 on a Sunday. The rest are Blackpool trains which are almost invariably 158s. It would hardly be surprising if 155s are freed up to form these evening services, but not having traveled on or seen these services recently, I wouldn't know.

While I'm not one to make extravagant claims based on personal experience, I would put a small wager on the OP seeing 4 or 5 of the 7 155s on Victoria services if he stationed himself at Leeds for the 3.5 hours or so it takes for diagrams to repeat on a weekday off peak. And since the other 155s are supposed to work on West Yorkshire services, I would say there's a fair chance that they would show up at Leeds in this time.

I refer to both the "local" trains between Leeds and York and the Blackpool trains rather than the TPE or Harrogate line trains as they also stop at local stations such as Garforth/East Garforth etc. It is normally a week day that i am at York rather than a weekend.

I would reiterate what i said earlier. Hang about Leeds station for a bit and 155's will present themselves for your enjoyment

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

155s used to, back in Regional Railways days, make it as far east as Hull. Then they stopped turning up for years and years and now have managed to make an escape back to Hull as I travelled from Selby back to Hull after watching a non-league football match and as we pulled into Brough, a 155 was heading in a York/Leeds direction.

 

[darloscott]

I travel on Calder Valley most days, my regular trains are 155+153 and 158+153 (on a Friday I usually come home early and have a single 150!). They are often changed or shortformed, but I'd say 80% of the time I get the same stock on the same service.

We typically see pacers on Sundays, but rarely on weekdays (except the 07:39 HBD-LDS which is usually 158+144).

But for an interesting insight, here's what I've seen on the Calder Valley (various LDS-MCV or return trains) today:
158 (2 car)
142
155
158 (3 car)
142+150
158+153
155+153

Not sure there's many other combinations even possible!

Yes you will see all sorts of random combinations as the units end up all over the place at Northern

If we take Leeds-Bradford Int as an example... in the evening peak (say 1630-1900) there is...
1635 2W81 Huddersfield - 144
1651 2M56 Victoria - 155
1705 1B30 Blackpool - 3 car 158
1718 2M20 Victoria - 3 car 158
1735 2W83 Huddersfield - 144+158
1751 2M58 Victoria - 3 car 158
1805 1B32 Blackpool - 3 car 158
1818 2M21 Victoria - 155
1835 2W85 Huddersfield - 155
1851 1G60 Victoria - 153+158

 

[Rick1984]

A 144 + 158 combination sounds very odd.

 

[northernchris]

Yes you will see all sorts of random combinations as the units end up all over the place at Northern

If we take Leeds-Bradford Int as an example... in the evening peak (say 1630-1900) there is...
1635 2W81 Huddersfield - 144
1651 2M56 Victoria - 155
1705 1B30 Blackpool - 3 car 158
1718 2M20 Victoria - 3 car 158
1735 2W83 Huddersfield - 144+158
1751 2M58 Victoria - 3 car 158
1805 1B32 Blackpool - 3 car 158
1818 2M21 Victoria - 155
1835 2W85 Huddersfield - 155
1851 1G60 Victoria - 153+158

The 1735 Huddersfield is usually 2x144, although the 1723 Manchester Victoria is booked 158+142

 

[darloscott]

A 144 + 158 combination sounds very odd.

Yeah the 1723 to Vic (via Dewsbury) is a 142+158. 142 comes off the Selby-Hudd circuit and 158 off Leeds-Vic
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The 1735 Huddersfield is usually 2x144, although the 1723 Manchester Victoria is booked 158+142

Woops! Cheers amended my working out!

 

[northernchris]

No worries, Northern's diagramming is quite complex!

 

[Crossover]

Last year, I did 3 days on this service (just over a year ago)
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y32319/2015/09/08/advanced

It produced 155347/346/344 on the consecutive days I did it, before joining up with the ex Goole at Leeds and going off to Neville Hill

For anyone still interested, 2J04 0731 Huddersfield to Leeds appears to be still a 155 - 15346 was on duty yesterday (29/12)

 

[mervyn72]

Attached are the diagrams from previous timetable. I doubt that there is much change though since current timetable began...

 

[childwallblues]

I use the 0748 MCV-BDI on a weekly basis and it is always a 155. A check on the posted diagram confirms that it is part of NL135.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

I don't know about the other six, but 155344 appears to be personally diagrammed on whatever service I catch in the Calder Valley!

And that includes this morning on the 07:20 Rochdale to Manchester Victoria - first NR train of 2016...

 

[Wolf]

They used to be regular-ish on Penistone services, but I'm not sure if the crews that cover that route still have traction knowledge of them these days. They're unlikely to head to South Yorkshire much but they may do so on occasion. They'll only turn up in Manchester on Calder Valley services and I doubt they can still work to Blackpool, again due to crews not having them on their cards. Though in theory anyone who signs 153s could sign 155s, there's probably some reason that that isn't the case. Can't help on the Knaresborough to York question, but as they do enter York via the Garforth route I'd have thought York crews (assuming Northern have a staff depot in the city) would sign them.

Only crews to sign them now are Leeds, Huddersfield, Harrogate, man vic and York. In theory they could and occasionally do go to random places like Sheffield, Blackpool, hull , clitheroe but the danger of sending them to those places Is unless the same crew is bringing it straight back it may end up being stuck there.

 

[SeanG]

What a game of chance that would be to play...

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I don't know about the other six, but 155344 appears to be personally diagrammed on whatever service I catch in the Calder Valley!

And that includes this morning on the 07:20 Rochdale to Manchester Victoria - first NR train of 2016...

A little something I have arranged with Northern for you

 

[Darren R]

Only crews to sign them now are Leeds, Huddersfield, Harrogate, man vic and York. In theory they could and occasionally do go to random places like Sheffield, Blackpool, hull , clitheroe but the danger of sending them to those places Is unless the same crew is bringing it straight back it may end up being stuck there.

Class 155 do turn up from time-to-time on the York to Blackpool North route, but only normally when it's all gone pear-shaped somewhere for whatever reason and a unit-swap has taken place. And, as you say, it sometimes leads to the return to God's Own Country from Blackpool North being cancelled because there's no crewe to bring it back again. I've never (ever!) seen a 155 going to Clitheroe (despite years of living alongside the route) - I think it would be a cold day in Hell before I did, tbh!

 

[childwallblues]

Class 155 do turn up from time-to-time on the York to Blackpool North route, but only normally when it's all gone pear-shaped somewhere for whatever reason and a unit-swap has taken place. And, as you say, it sometimes leads to the return to God's Own Country from Blackpool North being cancelled because there's no crewe to bring it back again. I've never (ever!) seen a 155 going to Clitheroe (despite years of living alongside the route) - I think it would be a cold day in Hell before I did, tbh!

I don't think Huddersfield crews sign to Manchester Victoria via Stalybridge. Crews from Manchester Victoria, Wigan Wallgate and Liverpool Lime Street operate the route with 142/150/156.

 

[Loop & Link]

Class 155 do turn up from time-to-time on the York to Blackpool North route, but only normally when it's all gone pear-shaped somewhere for whatever reason and a unit-swap has taken place. And, as you say, it sometimes leads to the return to God's Own Country from Blackpool North being cancelled because there's no crewe to bring it back again. I've never (ever!) seen a 155 going to Clitheroe (despite years of living alongside the route) - I think it would be a cold day in Hell before I did, tbh!

I remember one going up there a few years ago it has indeed happened! Only Vic sign Clitheroe so not an issue.