Class 730 LNR & WMR Delivery/test Updates

[Energy]

No one is sub leasing anything to anyone... its the same TOC! They just have subbrands for the routes.

Yep, WMR and LNWR are subbrands for the (badly named) West Midlands Trains.

The ticketing system can't handle this so all tickets say West Midlands Trains, issue for occasional travelers who interpret them as West Midlands Railway only and not WMR/LNWR. Naming the operator WMR & LNWR in the ticketing system would have solved this.

Back to this thread - same company, the 319s needed replacing ASAP and sooner than the 323s.

And - I could be wrong - but I'm pretty sure all the 730s much like the majority of the AC Aventras are 23-24m long compared to the 19-20m 4 car fleets. So a 6 car is not too far off the length of a 8 car 350 / 319.

24m cars, so 72m for a 3-car unit. About the length of a 3.5-car 350.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No one is sub leasing anything to anyone... its the same TOC! They just have subbrands for the routes.

And - I could be wrong - but I'm pretty sure all the 730s much like the majority of the AC Aventras are 23-24m long compared to the 19-20m 4 car fleets. So a 6 car is not too far off the length of a 8 car 350 / 319.

Having been on one short formed to 3 it actually coped reasonably well - the interior is designed for high levels of standing, unlike the 350.

 

[Peter Sarf]

From today (Monday 22/01/2024) there are now four pairs of 730/0s running out of Euston - see Part Time Spotter.

However also tonight (Monday 22/01/2024) three 730/0s remained at Camden sidings after 17:15. I saw all four services (pairs of 73/0) run and I get the impression these remaining three are being tested. Any ideas of the id's ?.

Herewith the answer :-

If it's the 3 on the back road next to the wall then it's 044/046/047

So nearly all 730/0s built and tested near the end is my guess as 30048 is the last one. That's assuming, rashly, that everything is being done in the right order !.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Having been on one short formed to 3 it actually coped reasonably well - the interior is designed for high levels of standing, unlike the 350.

So 5 cars Liverpool to the Midlands will do well then.

 

[Bletchleyite]

So 5 cars Liverpool to the Midlands will do well then.

The LNR units will have different interiors with less standing space and wider seats with armrests so not really comparable. But yes I do think 5-car (equivalent to 6.350) will be fine on those routes.

 

[Railperf]

Re 730/1, the additional walk through space by having 2 plus 2 seating is a huge improvement over the 720's. But yes the seats could do with being a tad wider as a result. Not sure how the 3-car units compare in relation to installed power, but so far the acceleration recorded is no better than a 350, so either these have a lower power to weight ratio or they are being driven gently - despite the service slowly losing time and getting progressively later. The Anglia 720's are far more lively and felt so from day 1.
Also seems a greater delay releasing doors once at a standstill and equally a greater delay from doors closing to train moving from a start. Probably due to being guard operated doors?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Re 730/1, the additional walk through space by having 2 plus 2 seating is a huge improvement over the 720's. But yes the seats could do with being a tad wider as a result.

The 196 is a reasonable comparison there - just not having an aisle side armrest widens the aisle significantly. Having such narrow seats doesn't help because people don't get narrower so you just end up getting half a person sticking out instead.

There should be a 2" spacer at the wall and between the seats. Even the 700 (almost) has this.

 

[AJDesiro]

Also seems a greater delay releasing doors once at a standstill and equally a greater delay from doors closing to train moving from a start. Probably due to being guard operated doors?

WMT are pretty notorious for this on the WCML, the 350s are quite bad with this too. It's because the guard has to check that the train is in the correct position on the platform by leaving the train first AFAIK ("the ritual of the doors").
The 730s have an unusual guard panel for a two person operation train though, requiring a door key to be twisted to the "LOCAL" position first, before the door control dial is switched to the "OPEN" position. After that the "ritual" occurs, and then the crew control key is switched to all doors. At least, that's how I think it works, I'm just an enthusiast. But it's vastly different to other trains, such as 350s which simply have an "OPEN LOCAL DOOR" button, two "RELEASE DOORS" buttons, and a "CLOSE DOORS" button. I'd imagine over time guards will get used to it, and door operation should hopefully speed up.

I've attached a picture from the 730 Facebook group below, showing a saloon guard panel.

 

[Railperf]

WMT are pretty notorious for this on the WCML, the 350s are quite bad with this too. It's because the guard has to check that the train is in the correct position on the platform by leaving the train first AFAIK ("the ritual of the doors").
The 730s have an unusual guard panel for a two person operation train though, requiring a door key to be twisted to the "LOCAL" position first, before the door control dial is switched to the "OPEN" position. After that the "ritual" occurs, and then the crew control key is switched to all doors. At least, that's how I think it works, I'm just an enthusiast. But it's vastly different to other trains, such as 350s which simply have an "OPEN LOCAL DOOR" button, two "RELEASE DOORS" buttons, and a "CLOSE DOORS" button. I'd imagine over time guards will get used to it, and door operation should hopefully speed up.

I've attached a picture from the 730 Facebook group below, showing a saloon guard panel.

From a performance point of view - comparing with GA 720's - it is the difference between a 30 second stop and one taking closer to 60 seconds - wh ih can be crucial in making up time when running late.

 

[Bald Rick]

From a performance point of view - comparing with GA 720's - it is the difference between a 30 second stop and one taking closer to 60 seconds - wh ih can be crucial in making up time when running late.

And journey time on journeys with multiple stops. Take 30 seconds off every cross city stop and Lichfield to New Street would be 5 minutes quicker.

Or take 30 seconds of the WMT stops on the Cov Corridor, and London - Birmignham would be 2 mins quicker.

 

[H&I]

There have been so many replies to this thread that I may have missed it, but does anyone know when the 730/2s are going to enter service? Also, someone mentioned 730 introduction on the West Midlands Network is going to be the 30th. Is that still the case?

 

[185]

I've attached a picture from the 730 Facebook group below, showing a saloon guard panel.

Seen some bad panels, but this is one of the worst.

It's high up, so harder or impossible to reach after (mandatory) stepping down - time lost.

You have to step back on to turn a key & press another button, taking your eye off the platform - more time lost, less safe.

A ridiculous one button release system - the BR (2 red button) design of 60 years was perhaps the safest & quickest - this is clearly designed by some clown in an office.

 

[Pumbaa]

Two red buttons in the driving cab, they seem like the ideal solution to quick efficient and safe release.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Todays 5C00 Rugby to Camden Sidings was 730027 + 730004, saw it as i reversed at Euston. Got the impressions they will form one of the four pairs for next weeks afternoon services.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

There have been so many replies to this thread that I may have missed it, but does anyone know when the 730/2s are going to enter service? Also, someone mentioned 730 introduction on the West Midlands Network is going to be the 30th. Is that still the case?

West Mids launch pushed back until mid Feb, partly due to OT ban coming up and partly short of trained crew at most depots still. (dependant on training happening on rest days which many staff are refusing)

Two red buttons in the driving cab, they seem like the ideal solution to quick efficient and safe release.

Given the DIs at my depot have told us that ASDO is completely unusable (fails more times than not on these 730s) I would say quicker fro drivers but certainly not safe.

 

[alanc]

Having been on one short formed to 3 it actually coped reasonably well - the interior is designed for high levels of standing, unlike the 350.

 

[Railperf]

Do we know the installed power for the 2 x Class 730 types and how many traction motors, power rating etc?

 

[paddyb6]

Any updates regarding introduction on Wolves-Walsall? Cheers

 

[chungusgoat1]

Any updates regarding introduction on Wolves-Walsall? Cheers

Delayed to mid February apparently but who knows these days

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Any updates regarding introduction on Wolves-Walsall? Cheers

Mid Feb, date tbc once OT ban is done. Dependant on how many more crew need training. Likely to be pushed back again if my depot it anything to go by as training has stopped

 

[45076]

I spied a single 730/0 going south down the valley near Lichfield this morning, does anyone know which one is on test today?

 

[3973EXL]

730210

Realtime Trains | 5Q67 1000 Derby Litchurch Lane to Oxley Car. M.D. | 30/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q67 1000 departure from Derby Litchurch Lane to Oxley Car. M.D. on 30/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[60159]

Re: Posts 1516/1517: I think you will find that ALL 701s and 720s are actually built, but a good many are not yet delivered as early ones are awaiting parts (a legacy of COVID) and the later ones are just being finished off. Regarding the 730s, again I think that most are actually constructed but it takes time to fit the body shells out, wire them up and finish them off. I don't know what the situation is with the Egyptian Monorail cars - there never seems to be much information regarding non-British orders, but I suspect this order is finished or nearly so. So, in light of this I suspect that all construction will have finished by the expected date, but there still might be finishing work, some of which is currently being done at Alstom depots such as Longsight, Ilford and Wembley.

Do we know if construction was finished yesterday?
Or if not, how many left?

 

[AJDesiro]

730 start date on Walsall-Wolverhampton is on the 13th, according to a driver instructor who has received their diagram for that day (this is assuming that plans don’t change, though WMT must seem relatively confident to start rostering these services).

Initially it will be 2 730 diagrams, with the other 2 being 350s still for the time being. Expected that a subsequent unit will enter service every Sunday afterwards, assuming everything goes smoothly (it seems to have gone quite well for a new units on the soft launch out of Euston, so fingers crossed.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

730 start date on Walsall-Wolverhampton is on the 13th, according to a driver instructor who has received their diagram for that day (this is assuming that plans don’t change, though WMT must seem relatively confident to start rostering these services).

Initially it will be 2 730 diagrams, with the other 2 being 350s still for the time being. Expected that a subsequent unit will enter service every Sunday afterwards, assuming everything goes smoothly (it seems to have gone quite well for a new units on the soft launch out of Euston, so fingers crossed.

Single 730s I’m guessing?

 

[AJDesiro]

Single 730s I’m guessing?

Yes.

 

[D.K.TAYLOR]

Any updates regarding introduction on Wolves-Walsall? Cheers

12th Feb l heard

 

[duffman82]

12th Feb l heard

I heard the same

 

[SCDR_WMR]

730 start date on Walsall-Wolverhampton is on the 13th, according to a driver instructor who has received their diagram for that day (this is assuming that plans don’t change, though WMT must seem relatively confident to start rostering these services).

Initially it will be 2 730 diagrams, with the other 2 being 350s still for the time being. Expected that a subsequent unit will enter service every Sunday afterwards, assuming everything goes smoothly (it seems to have gone quite well for a new units on the soft launch out of Euston, so fingers crossed.

Diagrams with 730s on have been around for a while (seen Crewe Nd New St ones). They are just being STP'd on the day back to 350s ATM.

Wouldn't take that date as gospel, but mid month is what is being worked towards at this point.

 

[AJDesiro]

Diagrams with 730s on have been around for a while (seen Crewe Nd New St ones). They are just being STP'd on the day back to 350s ATM.

Wouldn't take that date as gospel, but mid month is what is being worked towards at this point.

Ah ok.