Class 373: My ideas for life after Eurostar

[Rick1984]

as I've said before; re-attach shoe gear, shorten and use on Lymington branch.

 

[ainsworth74]

as I've said before; re-attach shoe gear, shorten and use on Lymington branch.

Why shorten? At full length people could just walk through the train to their destination...

 

[D365]

The electronics side of the traction package could well be what decides when they get scrapped, many electronic components such as transistors have a finite number of times that they can operate before they fail

You don't think Alstom will have realised this when designing the TMST for a certified lifespan?

 

[fowler9]

The 373's are going to get scrapped, that is their future. Trying to find other things for them to do in the UK is like trying to find things for Easyjet to do with all the Airbus A340's that got retired at a very young age. Very nice aircraft, probably a lot of life left in them and like the 373's soon to become obsolete and not very much suited to anything other than what they were designed to do.

 

[XC90]

Maybe an Open Access operator could take them on for a service between .....

Edinburgh - York - South East - Paris

 

[D365]

Edinburgh - York - South East - Paris

Good luck.

 

[jayiscupid]

The 373's are going to get scrapped, that is their future. Trying to find other things for them to do in the UK is like trying to find things for Easyjet to do with all the Airbus A340's that got retired at a very young age. Very nice aircraft, probably a lot of life left in them and like the 373's soon to become obsolete and not very much suited to anything other than what they were designed to do.

There was talk a few years ago about untapped market potential for a Transmanche Metro providing a stopping service between London and Paris. Whether the business case is still viable or not I don't know but a few sets could be retained for a service calling at:

London St Pancras, Stratford Int, Ebsfleet Int, Ashford Int, Calais Frethun, Lille, TGV Haute Picardie & Paris Gare Du Nord.

It should be possible to market it as a budget Eurostar (no need for expensive refurbishments with wifi, etc)
Alternatively Eurostar could prevent sales of full London to Paris journeys so as to stop passengers travelling end-to-end and therefore not stealing revenue from regular Eurostar operations.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

There was talk a few years ago about untapped market potential for a Transmanche Metro providing a stopping service between London and Paris. Whether the business case is still viable or not I don't know but a few sets could be retained for a service calling at:

London St Pancras, Stratford Int, Ebsfleet Int, Ashford Int, Calais Frethun, Lille, TGV Haute Picardie & Paris Gare Du Nord.

It should be possible to market it as a budget Eurostar (no need for expensive refurbishments with wifi, etc)
Alternatively Eurostar could prevent sales of full London to Paris journeys so as to stop passengers travelling end-to-end and therefore not stealing revenue from regular Eurostar operations.

Calling at Calais Frethun or TGV Haute Picardie (wherever that is) will never happen. It's already been mentioned in another thread (possibly the one about the Eurostar to Marseille) that the UK Border Agency won't provide staff to check passports at any more stations. You'd also have to build brand new extensions or new stations as well to have the secure area needed for international travel

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Edinburgh - York - South East - Paris

Which you can't do because you can't run the sets on the ECML at 125mph without losing compatibility with HS1/CT/LGV. There's almost no chance of obtaining 110mph paths on the ECML now, your best bet might be a 110mph route via WCML and out of the UK that way, following just behind the Sleeper, but that's going to be an almighty journey on a train.