Class 230 units training/introduction on the Borderlands line: updates

[Bob Price]

Logical thinking. Be interesting to know how far the other two units are progressing

 

[DavidGrain]

There's a huge amount work to get the 230's up & running a full service by the summer timetable, especially with the covid training restrictions.

I've not seen any on the borderlands line, for a long time.
I wonder if they have a few mechanical gremlins, which always happen with new rolling stock ???

I have looked at RTT for the 230s on the Marston Vale Line and most have been cancelled with bus replacements but I think that is shortage of crews rather than mechanical problems.

 

[Wyrleybart]

There's a huge amount work to get the 230's up & running a full service by the summer timetable, especially with the covid training restrictions.

I've not seen any on the borderlands line, for a long time.
I wonder if they have a few mechanical gremlins, which always happen with new rolling stock ???

AIUI the 230006-008 have been handed over to TfW and are now stored until TfW commence their training programme next year. Presume that Vivarail will hand over 009 and 010 to joi, but I expect Vivarail are focusing on the 484s as a priority.

Wonder if TfW have a driver manager trained on 230s to take them out for an occasional spin to keep the bearings round. Presume the engines are antifreezed for the winter.

 

[sw1ller]

AIUI the 230006-008 have been handed over to TfW and are now stored until TfW commence their training programme next year. Presume that Vivarail will hand over 009 and 010 to joi, but I expect Vivarail are focusing on the 484s as a priority.

Wonder if TfW have a driver manager trained on 230s to take them out for an occasional spin to keep the bearings round. Presume the engines are antifreezed for the winter.

Two instructors are currently being trained and will resume mileage testing soon. There are some issues to do with the brakes. If I remember correctly, if you isolate one car, the brakes won’t release on any of the others. So that’s one issue that needs sorting. Apparently the company who made the wiring loom went into administration half way through the build.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Apparently the company who made the wiring loom went into administration half way through the build.

Will the wiring loom problem pose much difficulty in terms of resolution?

 

[sw1ller]

Will the wiring loom pose problem much difficulty in terms of resolution?

Not a clue. I’m sure someone can read the schematics and get it sorted. Might even be sorted already, it’s just what I read in a Facebook group from someone in the know.

 

[Bob Price]

230 009 was out today on long runs but seems to have been cancelled at Honeyborne at 10.50

Some pictures from the factory showing 010 and 009 on a run. This might explain why the run was cut short.

https://twitter.com/tobythetram/status/1335000438664540161?s=19

 

[Bob Price]

230009 approved for use by the ORR https://twitter.com/railandroad/status/1346515059535716355?s=19

 

[6Gtraincrew]

230007 has been out and about for the last two days. Two trips to Wrexham and back.

 

[Bob Price]

I wonder when 009 will be delivered. There seem to be no test runs in the schedule this week from Long Maston.

 

[6Gtraincrew]

230006 did Birkenhead North to Wrexham General today......on battery power only.

 

[Bob Price]

It had a trip to Chester today. Possibly for fuel?

 

[PHILIPE]

It had a trip to Chester today. Possibly for fuel?

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That would be it.

 

[6Gtraincrew]

It had a trip to Chester today. Possibly for fuel?

007 today though.

 

[Mogz]

230006 did Birkenhead North to Wrexham General today......on battery power only.

Is the plan to run them to Birkenhead North when they’re in service? This would make great sense as then it’s only a single change for New Brighton as well as Liverpool and West Kirby.

 

[TheSel]

Is the plan to run them to Birkenhead North when they’re in service? This would make great sense as then it’s only a single change for New Brighton as well as Liverpool and West Kirby.

Oooohhhhhh - don't let the Wrexham-Bidston Rail User Group hear you say that - they'll go mad. That's the last thing they want - it'll detract from their vision to run through to Liverpool.

 

[Mogz]

Oooohhhhhh - don't let the Wrexham-Bidston Rail User Group hear you say that - they'll go mad. That's the last thing they want - it'll detract from their vision to run through to Liverpool.

Oops! Mea culpa!

Surely at present the on board diesel
engine would prevent that, wouldn’t it?

Perhaps a battery and third rail bi-mode version would fulfil their wish without having to electrify the Borderlands line?

 

[TheSel]

Oops! Mea culpa!

Surely at present the on board diesel
engine would prevent that, wouldn’t it?

Perhaps a battery and third rail bi-mode version would fulfil their wish without having to electrify the Borderlands line?

Pretty much, yes. And, quite possibly the first photos of it reaching anywhere beyond Neston will be taken by a flying pig.

 

[Ribbleman]

Pretty much, yes. And, quite possibly the first photos of it reaching anywhere beyond Neston will be taken by a flying pig.

If the forthcoming trials with a battery fitted 777 are successful then Neston and perhaps Shotton are likely to be targeted as destinations for a through service from Liverpool.

 

[markymark2000]

Oooohhhhhh - don't let the Wrexham-Bidston Rail User Group hear you say that - they'll go mad. That's the last thing they want - it'll detract from their vision to run through to Liverpool.

Surely time permitting, it's a good short term solution. Yes longer term direct to Liverpool but is there no short term aims as Bidston isn't the best for accessibility.

 

[TheSel]

My understanding is that their view of any option to extend to Birkenhead North would make it more difficult to then press for through services to Liverpool.

I can see their point - if you've got a cross-platform connection onto an 8tph service (standard pre-covid weekday daytime service), it would need a VERY convincing business case to get any further. Thus such a "short term solution" becomes set in stone for a very long time.

 

[DavidGrain]

Are the test runs actually passing through Birkenhead North station, and in revenue service could they reverse there considering the MerseyRail traffic? The reason that they are at Birkenhead North is that they are in the depot there which is a MerseyRail EMU depot. They are just stabling the stock there and, I expect, paying rent for the use of the depot. This gives TfW a facility that they would otherwise have to find space for at one of their own depots. The intention is that the 230s will have their own depot which I presume has not yet been built.

 

[TheSel]

Are the test runs actually passing through Birkenhead North station, and in revenue service could they reverse there considering the MerseyRail traffic? The reason that they are at Birkenhead North is that they are in the depot there which is a MerseyRail EMU depot. They are just stabling the stock there and, I expect, paying rent for the use of the depot. This gives TfW a facility that they would otherwise have to find space for at one of their own depots. The intention is that the 230s will have their own depot which I presume has not yet been built.

Q - Are the test runs actually passing through Birkenhead North station
A - No. The EMU depot (which is where the sets are stabling) is west of the station - i.e. the Bidston side.

Q - In revenue service could they reverse there considering the MerseyRail traffic?
A - Theoretically, yes. The service used to terminate there, from January 1971 (when, on weekdays it was diverted away from New Brighton - Sunday service similarly diverted to Birkenhead North from January 1976) until October 1978 (when the whole service was cut back to start/terminate at Bidston), and a cross over and starting signal on Platform 2 (south face of the island platform) were provided at Birkenhead North for that purpose. However, these were swept away during (or possibly before?) the re-signalling of the 1980s/1990s. It would be technically possible to reinstate the crossover, and to operate Liverpool bound trains from Platform 1 (the north face of the island platform) either permanently, or at least while a 'Wrexham' unit was in the platform. Line capacity might be an issue, though, with 8tph Monday - Saturday daytime between Birkenhead North and Bidston East Junction, pre-covid at 5, 10, 5, 10 ... minute intervals, you'd want the service to be pretty reliable in order to avoid conflict with the busy Merseyrail system. Remember, one of Merseyrail's prime advantages is that it has very little interaction with any other operators. Only at Chester (where virtually nothing else uses "Merseyrail's" Platform 7, Bidston (where TfW's Wrexham service briefly blocks the West Kirby bound platform once an hour), and at Hunts Cross West Junction (where the Merseyrail service crosses the Liverpool - Warrington 'Cheshire Lines' route) is there any conflict. OK - in theory Northern's DMUs can use the electrified Platform 3 at Southport, but that's very rare!

Most things are POSSIBLE - that doesn't mean they're easy or cost-effective, even before people start playing politics.

 

[6Gtraincrew]

230009 on route

Realtime Trains - 527G 1510 Stourbridge Jn Goods Loop to Wrexham General

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Bob Price]

So just 010 to go. I wonder if they will hold back and wait until lockdown is lifted and push on with the 484's

 

[PHILIPE]

230009 ran from Birkenhead to Long Marston yesterday for some rectification work.


www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K56463/2021-02-19/detailed

 

[Pacef8]

Dee marsh just past the biofuel plant has lots of rail and sleepers deposited by the flyover and track inspection going on.

 

[PHILIPE]

A 153 has often been running out and back from Chester to Birkenhead North Depot and doing trips to and from Bidston recently. I would like to suggest this is for Route Learning to and from the Depot prior to Class 230 introduction. Perhaps somebody could confirm if this is the case, please ?

 

[Liverpool 507]

A 153 has often been running out and back from Chester to Birkenhead North Depot and doing trips to and from Bidston recently. I would like to suggest this is for Route Learning to and from the Depot prior to Class 230 introduction. Perhaps somebody could confirm if this is the case, please ?

Yes it’s for TfW drivers to learn the route from Bidston to Birkenhead North E.M.U.D. and vice versa.

 

[PHILIPE]

Yes it’s for TfW drivers to learn the route from Bidston to Birkenhead North E.M.U.D. and vice versa.

Cheers, thanks. Not that it is a great distance but has to be done