Seems like testing has begun on the GWML, was sitting away typing on my laptop and saw a 345 go past my house http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/F27586/2018/03/05/advanced looked lovely!
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Class 345 progress
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Yes 345020 was out on driver training runs today. Currently planned in for the rest of the week to operate on the same runs, 5Z40 - 5Z45.
samuelmorris
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013 out and about in service this evening. 2W48 I think.
This afternoon I had a brief glimpse of the unit (or another 345) crossing Maidenhead Railway bridge heading to Maidenhead sidings. I was on a bus going the other way on the road bridge, so no photos.
It was the same unit again, it’ll be out till Friday this week on the same pathing.
dp21
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Yup, according to my informers this was accepted on 28th Feb and filled the last gap in the 005 - 017 range. Not sure if 18 and 19 will arrive as 7 or 9s. Does anyone know? I'll also be interested to see when 1-4 turn up. I imagine 1 will be one of the last to actually arrive as seems to be tradition with testing etc.
samuelmorris
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I'm sure I recall reading that units after 17 would be 9-car but if true that means several 315s will still be needed in service until the GE side is connected to the core.
swt_passenger
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The potential problem with no more 7 car units is that they may also be needed for the temporary solution on the western branch, with short trains needed for TfL operated Hayes & Harlington short workings.
http://www.railway-centre.com/march-2018.html TRC website's picture of the day is 345020 passing Taplow taken by Jim Tucker.
A video of driver training runs on GW at night by Adam Richman:
A video of driver training runs on GW at night by Adam Richman:
345001 - 345018 we’re supposed to be all 7 car units but 001 has 2 cars from 022 in to make it into a 9 car for full etch & cbtc testing. 022 has been delivered to Old Oak this evening as a 7 car unit. This will now undergo mods and fault free running prior to being sold.
iphone76
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I'm interested to see what is happening today (Thursday 8th March) and if any will be running. I notice on NR it says disruption is due all day due to more trains than usual needing repair at the same time. Last time this meant the 345s were withdrawn.
samuelmorris
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315 substitution on 2W31 and westbound service only, eastbound services agenta running at all. I'll have a look at Ilford when we go past and see how many are in there.
https://www.essexlive.news/news/updates-train-breaks-down-on-1312477.amp?__twitter_impression=true
This presumably can't be related given the time of your post?
700007
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Several cancellations this morning. I haven't seen any 345s in service, but I can spot 5 345s and 2x2 315s including 855 and 858 having just passed Ilford depot. Have the 345s been stood down again?
700007
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Update, an announcer at Stratford has stated that there was an operational incident at Harold Wood this morning. I assume the fire, no matter how small, was probably real at this point? Apparently a 315 unfortunately was involved.
Still haven't seen any 345s.
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samuelmorris
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Yeah none seen in service between Brentwood and Liverpool Street - spotted 10 laid up, 1 at Gidea Park, 7 at Ilford and 2 at Aldersbrook but that may not be all of them.
matthewmacleod
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2C37 also an uncomfortably full 315. It’s interesting to see how much more pleasant a 345 is on the exact same service, which every other one this week has been.
iphone76
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None running today except for some empty test trains first thing. Not sure what the problem is now.
700007
Established Member
Not surprised. Will 315855+315858 still make the move to Wolverton (they were supposed to yesterday but they still seem to be in Ilford depot) or will they be recruited to fill in?
dp21
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There are a number (I can't confirm at this point) of 315s being held onto longer than initially thought and various reliability mods are being done to specific units to keep them going to match that requirement.
Wrong side failures I think.
The honeymoon period for initial failures is drawing to a close. Given the time since the first of these trains left the factory, Bombardier really don't seem to have got a grip with so many issues pulling them back out of a very limited service. They are lucky that TfL are so keen make a grand entrance when the core opens and are willing to undermine the existing TfLrail service on the GEML causing so much disruption.
samuelmorris
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In principle I'd agree with that, but things were beginning to improve until today's announcement.
Nonetheless, the grand opening of the core section to Abbey Wood currently looks most at risk from the point of view of train availability rather than infrastructure. Numerous fleets have had defects that cause very low availability when first entering service but I'm not sure I recall a new fleet being grounded wholesale on two separate occasions.
Nonetheless, the grand opening of the core section to Abbey Wood currently looks most at risk from the point of view of train availability rather than infrastructure. Numerous fleets have had defects that cause very low availability when first entering service but I'm not sure I recall a new fleet being grounded wholesale on two separate occasions.
dp21
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Is anyone aware of the scale of the problem? It may be a minor tweak or it may be a substantial issue. Latest I heard, rumours were of TfL bringing withdrawn 315s back to cover.
samuelmorris
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If any further issues manifest themselves they'll have to or enable the bus diagrams to Newbury Park during weekdays, which I'd imagine would be fairly chaotic.
Just for a bit of context, the 707s also suffered some wrong side failures with their AWS and TPWS systems which saw them grounded at one point, and that was with just the one safety system instead of the three on the 345s.
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