Class 345 progress

[physics34]

gave them my second spin today and can i just confirm how load and irritating the door open chime is. Even an older lady opposite me nearly jumped 3 feet in the air when hearing that piercing sound.

I still regard the seats as too hard and the ride quality being worse than 315s. I still sort of like them though!

 

[spark001uk]

Last Thursday (5th) 345027 was on test on the GWML, and I also saw 345003 over the back of OOC, coupled up to ROG 37608.

 

[lordbusiness]

345022 at.Shenfield this afternoon. Didn't catch which service it was on though.

 

[Domh245]

022? I thought that only 001-019 were being delivered as 7 car trains?

 

[Buggleskelly]

022? I thought that only 001-019 were being delivered as 7 car trains?

That's what I thought, until last Thursday morning when I boarded it at Romford going towards Shenfield.

 

[Aventra]

022? I thought that only 001-019 were being delivered as 7 car trains?

That's what I thought, until last Thursday morning when I boarded it at Romford going towards Shenfield.

022 is a 7 car, it's donated 2 of it's vehicles to 001 for testing purposes.

 

[Buggleskelly]

022 is a 7 car, it's donated 2 of it's vehicles to 001 for testing purposes.

Ah, that explains it then. Thanks for solving that mystery. Speaking of 001, can we ever expect it and sister units 002-004 to join traffic any time soon, or are they just for testing purposes only?

 

[Wivenswold]

345 003 was dragged to Ilford a few days ago from Old Oak Common.

 

[33021]

003 is in passenger service already, 022 replaced 004 as the 15th and last 7 car, was going to be 345003-017

 

[Aventra]

Ah, that explains it then. Thanks for solving that mystery. Speaking of 001, can we ever expect it and sister units 002-004 to join traffic any time soon, or are they just for testing purposes only?

I’m not too sure on the current plan with 002 & 004 but as stated 003 is in service over on the east side now. They’ll be a few RLU units heading over to Old Oak in the coming days / weeks ready for the service that will start in May between Paddington and Hayes Bay. Once the testing has been completed on the Heathrow branch the FLU’s will enter passenger service and take over the full Paddington to T4 route. 019 is the unit currently on test on the Heathrow branch.

 

[Kite159]

I did notice a couple 345s floating around today on the GWML, I suspect driver training?

Anyhow it was good to see on Monday a good portion of the off-peak Shenfields were 345s

 

[spark001uk]

345 003 was dragged to Ilford a few days ago from Old Oak Common.

That'll be what I saw hooked up to 37608 then.

 

[spark001uk]

021 + one other at Abbey Wood just now. 021 has a driver and ready to go by the looks.
(I was going to say ready to go West, but it's not exactly going to go east is it! )

 

[reddragon]

There were 3x class 345s active on the GWML yesterday. 020 was leaving Maidenhead, 024 was moving at OOC plus another at Slough, didn't catch number.

 

[paulravuslante]

I did notice a couple 345s floating around today on the GWML, I suspect driver training

Yes there are two diagrams which run variously between Paddington, Friars Loop, West Ealing Loop and Maidenhead sidings.

 

[spark001uk]

Yes there are two diagrams which run variously between Paddington, Friars Loop, West Ealing Loop and Maidenhead sidings.

That's right, and last week when I saw one at pad it was oddly booked into p7, which is a hex platform. Although it didn't actually go there in the end, it used 12 I think.

 

[paulravuslante]

That's right, and last week when I saw one at pad it was oddly booked into p7, which is a hex platform. Although it didn't actually go there in the end, it used 12 I think.

I was on one last week and the instructor said we weren’t to go into platforms 6 or 7. On that day we changed ends at the gantry signals beside Royal Oak.

 

[lordbusiness]

345030 in the sidings at Wembley yesterday.

 

[zephyr]

345032 doing testing at Crew last night

 

[spark001uk]

I see there's quite a few units in old oak now, assume once full they'll start filling Maidenhead? I heard a while back Maidenhead was going to be filled first, but I guess not now.

 

[matt_world2004]

Just saw a class 345 go through Perivale I guess on the way to old oak. It looked very small though almost as if one carriage or part of a carriage was being towed,

 

[spark001uk]

Just saw a class 345 go through Perivale I guess on the way to old oak. It looked very small though almost as if one carriage or part of a carriage was being towed,

Yes that was 345014, hauled by 37601.

Edit: 37 has now left it in reception lines.

 

[matt_world2004]

Yes that was 345014, hauled by 37601.

Edit: 37 has now left it in reception lines.

Any idea why it looked smaller?

 

[Aventra]

Any idea why it looked smaller?

Because it’s only 7 cars. It’s one of the RLU’s going over to Old Oak to run the May timetable. 345017 will be heading over tomorrow, again hauled by a 37 from ROG.

 

[mrmartin]

So what is the overall state of rollout on the Shenfield route? I take it a fair bit and it's still pretty rare to get a 345 in my experience?

 

[samuelmorris]

I wouldn't say rare, it's 40/60, sometimes in favour of 315s, sometimes 345s.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

345 030 at Old Oak with barriers and VSOE liveried 67 024.

 

[AM9]

I wouldn't say rare, it's 40/60, sometimes in favour of 315s, sometimes 345s.

Are they being allocated to specific diagrams or are they being shifted around to get exposure to different traffic conditions?

 

[samuelmorris]

I haven't really used the line since the end of March but I used to get the same service each day on a few occasions and it was always a different unit - as far as I know they are continuously rotated - some of the original eastern units have now gone west in prep for the Heathrow services, with more recent arrivals replacing them.

 

[700007]

Are they being allocated to specific diagrams or are they being shifted around to get exposure to different traffic conditions?

Tends to be the same diagram but it is normal for a 315 to fill in for a 345 - as was the case again this morning. No point giving diagram lists as the line is so short it should only be a few minutes wait before a 345 turns up. Same with the 315s.

There's going to be about 3 or 4 7-cars going Old Oak from Ilford from May to supplement the new West London TfL Rail. As a result, more 315 duties will come back.