Class 387

[JonathanH]

There's every possibility that the full fleet of 45 will be available by January. Initially they won't be heavily utilised, as the numbers must allow for services on additional routes such as Newbury, Oxford, Henley, Windsor in due course.

Some of the 387s are effectively currently covering future 'Crossrail' services to be worked by 345s. Those are the ones which are freed up for Newbury and other destinations in the future.

Having traced the diagrams using RTT, I think that the number in use from January could take up almost all of the 45-strong fleet. It is a bit difficult to work out what is 4-coach and what is 8-coach (are there any 12s?). It does seem that it won't be like the current situation where all 387 workings on a weekday are 8-car.

(I also reckon that LTV turbo diagrams are down to 27 from January, not allowing for maintenance spares.)

 

[absolutelymilk]

(I also reckon that LTV turbo diagrams are down to 27 from January, not allowing for maintenance spares.)

How many are there currently?

 

[Filton Bank]

Having traced the diagrams using RTT, I think that the number in use from January could take up almost all of the 45-strong fleet. It is a bit difficult to work out what is 4-coach and what is 8-coach (are there any 12s?). It does seem that it won't be like the current situation where all 387 workings on a weekday are 8-car.

1748 & 1818 Padd to Didcot will be 12 car from Jan. Rear 4 on each will split off at Reading.

 

[JonathanH]

1748 & 1818 Padd to Didcot will be 12 car from Jan. Rear 4 on each will split off at Reading.

Obviously the Network Rail feed to RTT could be wrong but...

I can understand the 1749 being 12-car as it comes from West Ealing Emu sidings, although I seemed to have it splitting at Didcot for 2P77 (8-car which splits again at Paddington for 2R71 and 2N46) and 2P80 (4-car). There is no ECS working shown at Reading and the following arrival in platform 12 at Reading appears to be the slightly obscure 1R06 1757 London Paddington to Reading which is formed of a Turbo right at the height of the peak as it arrives at Paddington from Newbury.

Platform allocations at Paddington imply that the 1819 to Didcot is formed off a stopper arrival from Reading which doesn't seem to be the sort of thing that is going to be a 12-car given current platform lengths.

On the other hand, there is time on both workings for a split at Reading. I guess it shows how difficult it is to try and second guess diagrams.

 

[Kite159]

Obviously the Network Rail feed to RTT could be wrong but...

I can understand the 1749 being 12-car as it comes from West Ealing Emu sidings, although I seemed to have it splitting at Didcot for 2P77 (8-car which splits again at Paddington for 2R71 and 2N46) and 2P80 (4-car). There is no ECS working shown at Reading and the following arrival in platform 12 at Reading appears to be the slightly obscure 1R06 1757 London Paddington to Reading which is formed of a Turbo right at the height of the peak as it arrives at Paddington from Newbury.

Platform allocations at Paddington imply that the 1819 to Didcot is formed off a stopper arrival from Reading which doesn't seem to be the sort of thing that is going to be a 12-car given current platform lengths.

On the other hand, there is time on both workings for a split at Reading. I guess it shows how difficult it is to try and second guess diagrams.

Could it be that the inbound for the 1819 Didcot is formed of 12 coaches with the rear unit locked out of use?

 

[Siemens Staines]

Maybe all 12 cars go through to Didcot with the rear 4 locked out of use from Reading so 12 to Reading, 8 forward would still be true. There are some turbo diagrams at the moment that run with the rear set out of use - the 4-car that goes to/from Banbury in the evening springs to mind. Admittedly locking out a non-gangwayed unit is a lot simpler than locking out a gangwayed unit.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Admittedly locking out a non-gangwayed unit is a lot simpler than locking out a gangwayed unit.

Only if you consider turning a carriage key 90 degrees in a lock to be difficult

 

[APUK002]

Only if you consider turning a carriage key 90 degrees in a lock to be difficult

It’s easy to do

 

[FGW_DID]

Having traced the diagrams using RTT, I think that the number in use from January could take up almost all of the 45-strong fleet. It is a bit difficult to work out what is 4-coach and what is 8-coach (are there any 12s?). It does seem that it won't be like the current situation where all 387 workings on a weekday are 8-car.

(I also reckon that LTV turbo diagrams are down to 27 from January, not allowing for maintenance spares.)

How many are there currently?

Currently 45 Diagrams (SX) for the 50 LTV Turbos.

 

[ATW158Xpress]

Currently 45 Diagrams (SX) for the 50 LTV Turbos.

(SX) means weekday diagrams only if I’m right?

 

[FGW_DID]

(SX) means weekday diagrams only if I’m right?

Yes, you are correct.

 

[swt_passenger]

Some of the 387s are effectively currently covering future 'Crossrail' services to be worked by 345s. Those are the ones which are freed up for Newbury and other destinations in the future.

Yes of course, there's that as well. But then they'll get the Hayes shuttle stock back from May 2018, is that 4 units at the moment? So the first part of next year until May will be "peak 387" for a while...

 

[reddragon]

Currently 45 Diagrams (SX) for the 50 LTV Turbos.

Why are so many diagrams now being operated by just a 2 car 165s instead of 3 car 165/166s on the Reading / Oxford locals? Huge overcrowding, delays and stop skipping has been going on for about 2-3 weeks now! A right pain!!

 

[JN114]

Why are so many diagrams now being operated by just a 2 car 165s instead of 3 car 165/166s on the Reading / Oxford locals? Huge overcrowding, delays and stop skipping has been going on for about 2-3 weeks now! A right pain!!

It’s not relevant to this thread; but the answer to your question is because a number (7?) of the 166s are now in the West. There are thus only 30 3 Car Units including maintenance/spare sets in the East.

 

[D1009]

I have had my first long ride on a 387 today and agree that they are a huge step up overall from the Turbo.

The seats are OK up to half an hour but then bum-numbness does start to settle in!

I may be an oddity, but I don't get a numb bum riding a Southern unit all the way from Bletchley to East Croydon (about 2 hours), and those use the harder flat cushions.

It varies hugely from one person to another. I tend to get a numb bum after sitting on any seat for a significant length of time. I only notice it if I'm trying to assess how comfortable a seat is.

 

[samuelmorris]

Yes I've noticed that too. The longitudinal seats in 345s tend to cause discomfort regardless but most firm seats only cause issues if I think about them. I've done long stints on 345 transverse, 387s and 700s and all of them have been fine.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Why are so many diagrams now being operated by just a 2 car 165s instead of 3 car 165/166s on the Reading / Oxford locals? Huge overcrowding, delays and stop skipping has been going on for about 2-3 weeks now! A right pain!!

I've noticed that too. It's a right pain!

Interesting though. There are often some seats available, yet they're going to go and make the trains on that route up to five times longer by adding ten coaches to those services at peak! Oh well, I'm not complaining.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Currently 45 Diagrams (SX) for the 50 LTV Turbos.

Are these on services going to Oxford/Newbury or are they annoying and under the wires (London - Reading/Didcot stoppers)

 

[JonathanH]

Are these on services going to Oxford/Newbury or are they annoying and under the wires (London - Reading/Didcot stoppers)

Huh? The wires aren't usable beyond Maidenhead yet. As soon as they will be, ie the turn of the year, the Turbos are being replaced by Class 387s. There are (almost) no workings which use Turbos solely under the wires from January and certainly no full diagrams.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Ok thanks. I meant from January actually but I should have made that clear.

 

[JonathanH]

Ok thanks. I meant from January actually but I should have made that clear.

Ah, perhaps off topic, but I make the broad Turbo allocation from January
5 for the Thames Branches (1 x Greenford, 1 x Windsor, 2 x Bourne End / Marlow, 1 x Henley)
2 for Basingstokes
7 for North Downs (3 Gatwick cycles, 3 Redhill cycles and the Shalford peak unit)
5 for Kennet Valley (3 Bedwyn cycles, 2 Newbury stoppers)
7 for Didcot / Oxford / Banbury / Cotswold Line (including limited work on through services to Paddington)

 

[hassaanhc]

On Wednesday, 387169+387168 were delivered to Reading depot behind 37601. My photo of them at Maidenhead: https://flic.kr/p/21KWQqy

 

[bengley]

Apparently GN are to start 'block ending' their units (not opening the gangways between coupled units)

Does anyone know why? This seems to be a strange backwards step to be taking.

 

[APUK002]

Apparently GN are to start 'block ending' their units (not opening the gangways between coupled units)

Does anyone know why? This seems to be a strange backwards step to be taking.

Says who,wouldn’t make sense,there designed to be opened when in multiple?

 

[AS43]

Says who,wouldn’t make sense,there designed to be opened when in multiple?

The reasoning is that it negates the need to specifically diagram drivers to faff around with the connecting doors (which are quite tiresome on Electrostar units), thus freeing them up to do other work. Also makes the splitting procedure quicker too.

On GA, the 1707, 1737 and 1807 ex London (all 379s) have the connecting doors closed at the unit(s) which continue past Cambridge, a policy in place since the 379s were introduced. I'm more surprised that GN didn't follow suit in the first place!

 

[Via Bank]

I'd suggest it's not a great look to be prioritising operational convenience over people being able to move between units, but hey, what do I know?

 

[bengley]

It takes (took) me less than a minute to do the doors on 377s/387s before we stopped driving them, I really can't see this being a sensible decision, but hey!

 

[APUK002]

I'd suggest it's not a great look to be prioritising operational convenience over people being able to move between units, but hey, what do I know?

Yh,hmm.

 

[APUK002]

It takes (took) me less than a minute to do the doors on 377s/387s before we stopped driving them, I really can't see this being a sensible decision, but hey!

377) has same gangway as other electrostars?,I’ve seen video of it being done,very easy &quick,when it goes tomplan,but gn 387’s don’t always ‘like to be coupled’

 

[Skimble19]

It takes (took) me less than a minute to do the doors on 377s/387s before we stopped driving them, I really can't see this being a sensible decision, but hey!

Must admit I’m not entirely aware of why this change is happening or if it is permanent, but I suspect that one reason is that as said above, whilst the platform staff sort the connecting doors at places like Royston, GN don’t have any platform staff at Cambridge (where the majority of splitting /attaching takes place) so drivers end up doing it. This increases the already massive amount of delays caused at Cambridge.

I imagine that with all the coupling issues with the 387s on GN lately trying to prevent delays and to simplify the process as much as possible, especially over the winter period, will be part of the reason.

Can’t see passengers being overly amused about this one, wonder how long it will be until the first passcomm activation at one of the village stations..