Anyone seen a update of how the core testing is going with the 345?
Is core testing, while clearly important, even the primary concern at the moment given that the line won't be open for at least eighteen months? It appears ongoing - wasn't the idea that there are a huge number of scenarios to work through as and when there is access to the tunnels? There appear to be periodic swaps of the units involved to and from Old Oak Depot so it hasn't stopped.
It would be good to see them working successfully on Heathrow services first. Two trips lost yesterday due to 345s being taken out of service (although many run without delay).
9P61 1252 Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 to London Paddington lost ten minutes at Airport Junction with the unit being taken out of service on arrival at Paddington with the next round trip uncovered.
9P85 1552 Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 to London Paddington didn't run. The unit going empty to Old Oak Depot with a replacement for its next trip from Paddington.
9P93 1652 Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 to London Paddington was seven minutes late from Airport Junction
9P29 2122 Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 to London Paddington was fourteen minutes late from Heathrow Terminal 5 with a knock on impact on the next service from Paddington
Overnight testing to Reading has continued this week and seems to be timetabled for next week too.
It appears that once again, same as 30/31 October and two weeks previous, testing tonight at Heathrow involves a unit being dragged to Hayes & Harlington Loop then a possession on the Heathrow branch. Presumably the unit involved has some kind of upgrade that means it can't operate under its own power between the depot and the Heathrow branch? It would be interesting to know what this is about. It seems to be the third time this has happened - almost as if there is currently a two week testing schedule in place on the main line side of the test plan.
0V73 1730 Leicester L.I.P. to Old Oak Depot
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/71986/2020-11-13/detailed
2242 Old Oak Depot to Hayes & Harlington Loop
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K03021/2020-11-13/detailed
0028 Hayes & Harlington Loop to Heathrow Airport Terminal 4
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K00150/2020-11-14/detailed
0415 Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 to Hayes & Harlington Loop
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K00151/2020-11-14/detailed
0515 Hayes & Harlington Loop to Old Oak Depot
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K03022/2020-11-14/detailed
0712 Old Oak Depot to Wembley H.S.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R03363/2020-11-14/detailed
7-car operation very much still in place on the west side to Reading / Hayes & Harlington. No daytime testing of 9-cars to Reading has happened yet, despite the overnight trips there for the last five weeks.