• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Class 319 st Albans Abbey branch line .

Status
Not open for further replies.

warwickshire

On Moderation
Joined
6 Feb 2020
Messages
1,884
Location
leamingtonspa
Last week 319005 was operating the st Albans Abbey to Watford Junction shuttles.
However was told that 319s on the st Albans Abbey branch will still remain until further work is done for the 350 upgrade till may.
Does anyone know any further information on this.
Which would be much appreciated.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

221101 Voyager

Established Member
Joined
17 Nov 2019
Messages
1,421
Location
Milton Keynes
Last week 319005 was operating the st Albans Abbey to Watford Junction shuttles.
However was told that 319s on the st Albans Abbey branch will still remain until further work is done for the 350 upgrade till may.
Does anyone know any further information on this.
Which would be much appreciated.
I’ve also heard the same thing, apparently they need to do work on stop car boards so they can be seen more easily I’ve heard, also there is apparently a sighting issue at Watford North and I’ve heard they might need to do some work there to improve visibility, I think it’s something to do with the level crossing.
 

warwickshire

On Moderation
Joined
6 Feb 2020
Messages
1,884
Location
leamingtonspa
I’ve also heard the same thing, apparently they need to do work on stop car boards so they can be seen more easily I’ve heard, also there is apparently a sighting issue at Watford North and I’ve heard they might need to do some work there to improve visibility, I think it’s something to do with the level crossing.
Yes been on 319220 today on a couple off evening shuttles and again sighting has confirmed. Been informed a method has been agreed by the union.
However looking like may timetable change before 350 comes into action on the st Albans Abbey branch line.
However also got told more work especially in detail for sighting needs to be done. Come may don't be to surprised iff a 319 still show's.
Also been told that during the previous blockage. Blockage took place but no work done due to covid.
 

Silverlinky

Member
Joined
3 Feb 2012
Messages
680
Just to update this thread, there is currently a reduced service on the Abbey line and there is a gap in the early afternoon. That gap will be used to swap the 319 off and put the 350 on, meaning that 2F29 the 1545 Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey service on Monday 17th May is planned to be the first scheduled revenue earning service on the route, thereby ending 319 ops on the branch line.
 

221101 Voyager

Established Member
Joined
17 Nov 2019
Messages
1,421
Location
Milton Keynes
Just to update this thread, there is currently a reduced service on the Abbey line and there is a gap in the early afternoon. That gap will be used to swap the 319 off and put the 350 on, meaning that 2F29 the 1545 Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey service on Monday 17th May is planned to be the first scheduled revenue earning service on the route, thereby ending 319 ops on the branch line.
Thank you for this update. :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Bedpan

Established Member
Joined
4 Feb 2010
Messages
1,286
Location
Harpenden
Thanks. So just to be clear, the last 319 will run to Watford at lunchtime, possibly 12.15pm.Is that right is that right?
 

Silverlinky

Member
Joined
3 Feb 2012
Messages
680
Thanks. So just to be clear, the last 319 will run to Watford at lunchtime, possibly 12.15pm.Is that right is that right?
According to the diagrams for Monday, 2F13/2F14 (0930 WFJ-SAA and 0952 SAA-WFJ) are the last ones....Unit is then booked to come off the Abbey Line and run to Euston as 5B14 to reverse before heading to Bletchley Carriage Sidings arriving at 1137.
Then 5F29 (350) will depart Bletchley C/S at 1353, arriving at WFJ at 1420, before going onto the Abbey for 1431 in readiness for the first service at 1545.
 

Bedpan

Established Member
Joined
4 Feb 2010
Messages
1,286
Location
Harpenden
Ah thanks. I hadn't noticed that some of the services in the timetable were a rail replacement bus.
 
Last edited:

221101 Voyager

Established Member
Joined
17 Nov 2019
Messages
1,421
Location
Milton Keynes
According to the diagrams for Monday, 2F13/2F14 (0930 WFJ-SAA and 0952 SAA-WFJ) are the last ones....Unit is then booked to come off the Abbey Line and run to Euston as 5B14 to reverse before heading to Bletchley Carriage Sidings arriving at 1137.
Then 5F29 (350) will depart Bletchley C/S at 1353, arriving at WFJ at 1420, before going onto the Abbey for 1431 in readiness for the first service at 1545.
Is the abbey line running on Saturday? As I was going to go for my last trip then. :D
 

Silverlinky

Member
Joined
3 Feb 2012
Messages
680
Is the abbey line running on Saturday? As I was going to go for my last trip then. :D
All "day" service every 45 minutes......first one is the 0901 from Watford to St Albans, last one is the 1816 from Watford, 1837 back from the Abbey and finished.

Bus service all day Sunday.....
 

warwickshire

On Moderation
Joined
6 Feb 2020
Messages
1,884
Location
leamingtonspa
Is the abbey line running on Saturday? As I was going to go for my last trip then. :D
Also I did the late afternoon early evening shuttles and 319218 is doing the honours.
And its good sound in the motor car.
Still looking quite good internal inside
With its ex first capital connect interiors
 

221101 Voyager

Established Member
Joined
17 Nov 2019
Messages
1,421
Location
Milton Keynes
All "day" service every 45 minutes......first one is the 0901 from Watford to St Albans, last one is the 1816 from Watford, 1837 back from the Abbey and finished.

Bus service all day Sunday.....
Thanks for confirming that. :D

I shall be on it!

Also I did the late afternoon early evening shuttles and 319218 is doing the honours.
And its good sound in the motor car.
Still looking quite good internal inside
With its ex first capital connect interiors
Thanks for the heads up. :D

Certainly is.
 

D365

Veteran Member
Joined
29 Jun 2012
Messages
11,397
350 seems a bit much for what is a long sidding from watford junction
What else would you suggest when the 319s are stood down? SWR use 450s on Lymington; no point maintaining a microfleet.
 

Class455

Established Member
Joined
19 May 2016
Messages
1,394
So what services are LNW 319’s booked for if they’re no longer on the Abbey line?
 

Kite159

Veteran Member
Joined
27 Jan 2014
Messages
19,157
Location
West of Andover
At least it's a route where the 350/2s are suitable for!

Hopefully it will mean the guard being able to do revenue duties as they are not limited to doing the doors from the back cab.
 

Egg Centric

Member
Joined
6 Oct 2018
Messages
873
Location
Land of the Prince Bishops
At least it's a route where the 350/2s are suitable for!

Hopefully it will mean the guard being able to do revenue duties as they are not limited to doing the doors from the back cab.

Is that the case though? This evening after they had pulled into Watford North the guard certainly got out of said cab to watch what was going on (not much). It may have been out of habit / lack of anything else to do, but it may also have been because it remains guard only.
 

Kite159

Veteran Member
Joined
27 Jan 2014
Messages
19,157
Location
West of Andover
Is that the case though? This evening after they had pulled into Watford North the guard certainly got out of said cab to watch what was going on (not much). It may have been out of habit / lack of anything else to do, but it may also have been because it remains guard only.

I would imagine it will be out of habit. Unless there is some cases where they are not allowed to do the doors from say the 3rd coach.
 

Ibex

Member
Joined
23 Jan 2010
Messages
779
At least it's a route where the 350/2s are suitable for!

Hopefully it will mean the guard being able to do revenue duties as they are not limited to doing the doors from the back cab.
It had an army of RPIs on it yesterday evening!

Is that the case though? This evening after they had pulled into Watford North the guard certainly got out of said cab to watch what was going on (not much). It may have been out of habit / lack of anything else to do, but it may also have been because it remains guard only.
The guards have to manually plunge the level crossing from the platform at Watford North so it was most likely that.
 

Chriso

Member
Joined
7 Dec 2006
Messages
330
In my past experience from Silverlink days guards mostly only checked tickets from St Albans Abbey and rarely from Watford Jn
 

Silverlinky

Member
Joined
3 Feb 2012
Messages
680
In my past experience from Silverlink days guards mostly only checked tickets from St Albans Abbey and rarely from Watford Jn
The thinking behind that was that passengers boarding at Watford travelling towards St Albans had either come through the barriers at Watford, or Euston, Hemel, Bushey etc and therefore already had tickets, Very few travelled from say How Wood to Park Street.
Coming the other way of course there were no ticket offices at St Albans or any of the stations, so it was a "pay train" and commission-wise it was more lucrative to sell tickets from St Albans/Park Street/How Wood etc to London than it was to get a child single from Watford North to Garston!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top