There wouldn't have been nearly enough tractioned coaches from the 460s to insert in the 458s anyway, unless you ripped the equipment off the scrapped driving coaches and stick under some trailers....
Modern Railways states that Unit 5, the first production unit, is due to be delivered early this year, so hopefully we'll at least see testing before Easter. Based on the 458/5s and 707s I imagine testing will largely be between Staines and Reading, although the increased service level from Monday may have an impact on this.
Ah I see, that clears it up thanks. I'll end the off-topic discussion there
Based on current progress, do we think there will be issues with the training process if the union dispute is still going on by then? I don't see a 701 being delivered to SWR for considerable time yet since most of the 710s aren't ready for use yet and there's still no sign of the first 720, but there seems no end in sight to that dispute...
The first five 701s are built and being tested. Lessons will have been learned from the 710s and 720s. According the Modern Railways the first 701 is due for delivery early this year.Ah I see, that clears it up thanks. I'll end the off-topic discussion there
Based on current progress, do we think there will be issues with the training process if the union dispute is still going on by then? I don't see a 701 being delivered to SWR for considerable time yet since most of the 710s aren't ready for use yet and there's still no sign of the first 720, but there seems no end in sight to that dispute...
The GatEx 460s only had 5 powered vehicle / 8car unit so after using 18 of the 40 motor vehicles equipment for 531-536 only 22 sets of traction electronics and motors were left for 30 vehicles... Basic maths to prove/check wikipedia fail...Ah I see, that clears it up thanks. I'll end the off-topic discussion there
The core issue is getting the software sorted properly just once (i.e. for the 710s) which is almost there given the noises on WA 710 training + deliveries and then using that software as base for the other non CR Aventras rather than trying to sort the same issues on 3 separate sets of software in parallel! Do it once then tweak for the different lengths, traction set ups and additional operator specific stuff.
I heard different things about guards panels so don't know what to believe.
As I understand it the delay with the GA 710s is the requirement for multi working. This won't be an issue for the 10 car 701s,which is why they're being prioritised.
The electrostar set up would make sense as I though they weren't getting "full" guards panels...
The simplest way to think of it is that the 30 x 5-car on order are like-for-like replacements for the 707s. The 10-car sets replace 455/456/458.
how many 10 car sets though?? 60 right?? Will it be enough?
It is still an “apples and oranges” comparison, though as the limiting factor is number of units, not cars. For this purpose you can ignore the 456s and consider pairs of 455s and 458s. There’s 91 455s and 36 458s which is a maximum of 63 formations, which will include spares/maintenance units. Given they should have some saving from reduced cover of 2 types, it is probably just about do-able, but it will be tight. And of course if you have a 10-car 701 fail on depot it’s diagram cancelled rather than running as a short-form.
But the trains can go to any destination which gives more flexibility if one branch is closed. The via Wimbledon side already rotates in that way with circa 20minute layovers at WAT reducing that slightly with a different rotation could also see useful gains.
Reading does Reading as it works on the diagrams as a 15min turnaround at Waterloo. Windsor the same on a +9. The Kingstons are also self contained, at least on the Windsor side, and the Hounslow loop does rounder, rounder, Weybridge return and repeat.
None of which helps optimise the station throat...
The 90 older carriages are the 18 442s.
I know, I still hope the 707s come back, the 442s from the late 80s, they shouldn't be back when in a couple years time they will be 35.
For optimising the throat on both sides ( a reliability issue currently) the optimum is 13 -16 min layovers.
The fleet is planned to be fully in service by the middle of next year, around six months late, with 20 coaches a week being delivered to SWR. First unit is due to arrive for main line testing soon.
20 a week is faster than they can build them so that relies on a bit of a stockpile to start with.
