Close, but no cigar. While it might be true that Gerland & Blancarde don't know how to service a Velaro, the 374s are needed for services to the Netherlands and Germany as they have different signalling & train protection systems, as well as more pantographs.
Same company, similar names, my apologies.
It's to do with the loading gauge I think. Given that they're to a British loading gauge, I think there was a problem with fitting ETCS into them. At least the photographs don't need changing as the French 1.5kv is also used in the Netherlands.
For Germany there is also the slight issue that the 373s don’t have 15kV AC capability.
So I was told by a E* engineer, there was just no more room on the cab drivers desk or in the power car for any more signalling equipment! Otherwise they would've used them in the Netherlands.
Very true. You'd have thought they would've fitted 15kv ac to the 374s form the outset to be ready/compatible.
The build was rather complicated with vehicles built at various sites around Europe (including Washwood Heath) and the sets were formed up either in France or at Washwood Heath.
No they were stored down that chord for a bit.
Interoperability to the South of France and to the Alps.
Is four years and two months a record for longest time between post and reply?
Yes, got me scratching my head. Then I finally remembered that this was the original reason for this thread !.Is four years and two months a record for longest time between post and reply?
Maybe they can be shortened and sold? They could TuneIn France, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Czech &Slovak Rep with some modification.
That is a good idea.
Think we have explored that before, in this very thread. Also the few 373s that are left will be needed for some of the services that go beyond Paris as 374s cannot go there I seem to recall. That is if those services survive.
i believe these south of France services can now be covered by 374's as they are now approved for LGV Sud
It's a terrible idea! Flog newly refurbished assets on a whim in a downturn removing permanently any future ability to run to a significant chunk of your network? Notwithstanding any actual demand for them from the places mentioned (which are also in a pandemic).
Where can 373s run to that 374s can't?
South of France, allegedly, but even if they solved that, my logic still stands. It's a fairly arbitrary suggestion that they get rid of a significant portion of their planned long term fleet based on a dip in demand when nobody really knows how soon it will recover. So even if it is not a geographical limitation, a fleet that is too small creates an identical problem.
no im saying they are already running the 374's on that route acording to VagonWeb
www.vagonweb.cz
The UK network, provided AWS/TPWS is still fitted. 374s don't have it.
Well, the NOL sets could - I'm not sure about the rest.
Every type of Eurostar has operated on domestic UK rails and every 3 cities set has been on them at some point, due to them originally serving Waterloo.
Fair enough, but that isn't "the UK network" though is it? The combination of their length and power requirements means that a large part of the UK network would be off limits. In any case, the original statement I was responding to was that Eurostar were a risk of losing "a significant part of of their network".
The Three Capitals sets have had their 3rd rail shoes removed and couldn't run on the UK domestic 25kV infrastructure - unlike the NoL sets.
i think they have the capability too as exact same power cars just the limitation of single power car operation would be the main issue
Yes I initially wanted to ask about why an old set was stored on the Fawkham jct link after observing it while in the area, then a couple of other threads were started on either that subject or on the 373 withdrawal generally, where before long they were all merged into this single thread. I originally titled it something like "What's this Eurostar set doing here?", after the merging of multiple threads it adopted its current name.
While there is no intention or need to make 374 sets operate anywhere off HS1 and associated stations, I believe they are also built to a higher European gauge level (not sure which classification), so unlike 373s, 374s won't fit on most of the domestic network here.
