Class 745 Stadler FLIRTs

[Railperf]

Availability is not good this morning on the GEML.

Go on- how many out of service today?
A good day to be riding the rocketship 755s between Norwich and Colchester then.
Good job it isn't a full timetable on both GEML and WAML.

 

[dk1]

Go on- how many out of service today?
A good day to be riding the rocketship 755s between Norwich and Colchester then.
Good job it isn't a full timetable on both GEML and WAML.

We dont get that info. Just that there are not enough.

 

[Railperf]

Is it still software issues? ASDO? Doors? These have been in service since January now, so you would have hoped they are starting to improve in availability. The Loco Hauled sets were far more reliable.

 

[dk1]

Is it still software issues? ASDO? Doors? These have been in service since January now, so you would have hoped they are starting to improve in availability. The Loco Hauled sets were far more reliable.

AKAIK its gearbox/wheelset issues.

 

[Alfie1014]

AKAIK its gearbox/wheelset issues.

Is it leaf fall related or unconnected do we know?

 

[dk1]

Is it leaf fall related or unconnected do we know?

Unconnected from what I gather even though things where pretty bad with last weekends storms here.

 

[Railperf]

AKAIK its gearbox/wheelset issues.

Don't tell me the gearboxes and wheelsets can't cope with you going warp factor 4 from every station stop

 

[dk1]

Don't tell me the gearboxes and wheelsets can't cope with you going warp factor 4 from every station stop

Haha, let's hope they don't find a pattern forming if checking whose been driving.

 

[Class 170101]

Stick 321s on the 06:25 ex Liv St and reduce to an hourly service if it helps. At least providing an hourly service rather than this hourly plus and not getting the plus on the day would be less damaging than saying you can't going to run the trains.

 

[Alfie1014]

One of the problems with only running an hourly service is that many of the connections get broken. With most of the xx:00 down services not running the connections into the xx:56 Walton are currently broken at Colchester, xx:00 Harwich Town at Manningtree, xx:17 East Suffolk and XX:20 Cambridge at Ipswich. Yet not running the xx:30s breaks connections into the Felixstowes and Peterborough’s at Ipswich and the Yarmouth and Sheringham’s at Norwich. It’s a no win situation sadly or at least, a least worse solution until a full service is restored, a conundrum for sure. Plus you get a few oddities, with no 15:00 down the 4 car 15:02 Ipswich on weekdays can be cosy even in the current circumstances.

 

[Class 170101]

GA diverted the Colchester Town to Ipswich as I recall using the path of the Down Norwich between Colchester and Ipswich when using the Saturday plan did they not?

 

[dk1]

GA diverted the Colchester Town to Ipswich as I recall using the path of the Down Norwich between Colchester and Ipswich when using the Saturday plan did they not?

Sounds pretty plausible.

 

[306024]

GA diverted the Colchester Town to Ipswich as I recall using the path of the Down Norwich between Colchester and Ipswich when using the Saturday plan did they not?

Yes they did which seemed a half decent idea. The current timetable has more holes than Swiss cheese when it comes to connections.

It would have been interesting to see how class 745 introduction would have gone without Covid.

 

[Abbo]

Haha, let's hope they don't find a pattern forming if checking whose been driving.

Understand the 2330 Liv Street - Norwich failed en route early this morning and was assisted by another unit that was sent from Crown Point. If true the couplings must have worked. The sight of a 24 car train, assuming it was a 745 that failed, running into Norwich would have been interesting.

Anything known ?

 

[dk1]

Understand the 2330 Liv Street - Norwich failed en route early this morning and was assisted by another unit that was sent from Crown Point. If true the couplings must have worked. The sight of a 24 car train, assuming it was a 745 that failed, running into Norwich would have been interesting.

Anything known ?

Yes this was Wednesday evenings 23:30 down. A 755 went to rescue it so only load 15. The whole convoy sat in platform 1 most of the morning. Second time this has been done now.

 

[87015]

The only reason Norwich and Stansted services are reduced is because hardly any Stadlers actually work properly. GA wanted them back for September uplift as they were asked to do.

 

[Bald Rick]

The only reason Norwich and Stansted services are reduced is because hardly any Stadlers actually work properly. GA wanted them back for September uplift as they were asked to do.

Cynical. The official line, of course, is that the demand isn’t there.

 

[Spet0789]

Cynical. The official line, of course, is that the demand isn’t there.

Stopping all StanEx at Bishops Stortford, Harlow Town and Tottenham Hale certainly makes sense.

I hope that continues after COVID. The fact is that commuter flows are more important to those services than airport flows.

 

[Abbo]

Yes this was Wednesday evenings 23:30 down. A 755 went to rescue it so only load 15. The whole convoy sat in platform 1 most of the morning. Second time this has been done now.

The only reason Norwich and Stansted services are reduced is because hardly any Stadlers actually work properly. GA wanted them back for September uplift as they were asked to do.

Sorry to stick this onto another message but I tried to start a new conversation and was told I had to specify at least one reciprient ~ can somebody please tell me what I have to do !

745 must be well and truly on the Stansteds now as yesterday , due to trouble at Liverpool Street , one was sent to Platform 1 where it didn't fit and another was routed to platform 18 but the driver refused the route and the train was then routed to platform 13. The law of unintended consequences !

 

[Bald Rick]

Stopping all StanEx at Bishops Stortford, Harlow Town and Tottenham Hale certainly makes sense.

I hope that continues after COVID. The fact is that commuter flows are more important to those services than airport flows.

Well they always* have stopped at Tottenham Hale and then alternately at Harlow and Stortford. And in the peak usually both.

*for the last decade at least.

 

[Astro_Orbiter]

Well they always* have stopped at Tottenham Hale and then alternately at Harlow and Stortford. And in the peak usually both.

*for the last decade at least.

It's certainly a good idea imo to stop the! All at Stortford and Harlow, I've no idea why any at all stop at Mountfitchet though.
Yesterday there seemed to be 2 of the /0 units on stanex, with a few of the /1 on Norwich. I know it'll likely sort itself all out given time etc but certainly seems like a common fleet would have been more useful, all with 1st and buffet and just shut the buffet when working stansteds. Or open it, up until a few years ago there was a trolley service on Stansted express anyway, so maybe they could have made a bit of money?

 

[dk1]

It's certainly a good idea imo to stop the! All at Stortford and Harlow, I've no idea why any at all stop at Mountfitchet though.
Yesterday there seemed to be 2 of the /0 units on stanex, with a few of the /1 on Norwich. I know it'll likely sort itself all out given time etc but certainly seems like a common fleet would have been more useful, all with 1st and buffet and just shut the buffet when working stansteds. Or open it, up until a few years ago there was a trolley service on Stansted express anyway, so maybe they could have made a bit of money?

The catering on the Stansed Express was a private operation. GA catering staff (& Anglia/NX before them) have never worked this route. All operations & staff are based at Norwich so providing catering would never be viable on the airport services from Liverpool St.

 

[47421]

I think the once an hour stop at Mountfitchet is to provide a service Stansted Apt to Mountfitchet without need to change / double back at Stortford

 

[chubs]

Or open it, up until a few years ago there was a trolley service on Stansted express anyway, so maybe they could have made a bit of money?

As surprising as it may seem, I'm fairly sure they did the maths and worked out it was not worth it to have catering on this route. Silly to have first and a closed buffet on it too, I'm of the opinion they 2 fleets were the right choice even if there aren't enough of them.

 

[Railperf]

As surprising as it may seem, I'm fairly sure they did the maths and worked out it was not worth it to have catering on this route. Silly to have first and a closed buffet on it too, I'm of the opinion they 2 fleets were the right choice even if there aren't enough of them.

To be fair, you are not going to be dying of thirst in a half hour jouney between Stansted and Tottenham Hale. There are Kiosks at both stations - at least both open pre-Covid, and the stansted one is usually open post Covid.
Plus the trolley would never get through a 12-car train in that time. Even less likely on a busy service that might have suitcases in the aisles.

As much as I do really rate the 745/0's, i am far from convinced that removing the tables makes the 745/1 version a better airport train than the accomodation in a triple Class 379

 

[MrPIC]

As surprising as it may seem, I'm fairly sure they did the maths and worked out it was not worth it to have catering on this route. Silly to have first and a closed buffet on it too, I'm of the opinion they 2 fleets were the right choice even if there aren't enough of them.

Well that's fine, but this is what is resulting in units with no first class or buffet operating on the GE services, a common fleet would mean you know what's coming when your train pulls in.

As for catering being based out of Norwich, surely it's not beyond the feat of man to hire some London based catering crew and send supplies up from Norwich as after all that's where the units themselves cycle to and from? I can't see any catering being put on those trains but could be done easily enough if wanted I'd say.

Out of all of GA's legacy fleets, the 379's were the best and most suitable for what they were used on, and at the end of the day that's a commuter route with an airport at one end. Seats and luggage space is what's needed, and that's what is provided, either by 3x379 or 1x745.

 

[dk1]

As for catering being based out of Norwich, surely it's not beyond the feat of man to hire some London based catering crew and send supplies up from Norwich as after all that's where the units themselves cycle to and from? I can't see any catering being put on those trains but could be done easily enough if wanted I'd say.

Of course it's not beyond the feat of man or even woman to make such a move. It is however a complete loss maker in a good economic climate let alone now. Best left well alone.

 

[StephenHunter]

Gatwick Express used to have a trolley service but that went ages ago.

 

[Dave1987]

Of course it's not beyond the feat of man or even woman to make such a move. It is however a complete loss maker in a good economic climate let alone now. Best left well alone.

Long term the cafe bar may well be axed even from Norwich. Especially if things carry on like they are currently

As surprising as it may seem, I'm fairly sure they did the maths and worked out it was not worth it to have catering on this route. Silly to have first and a closed buffet on it too, I'm of the opinion they 2 fleets were the right choice even if there aren't enough of them.

I doubt even the Norwich route justifies catering in the post Covid world. We will have to see what kind of passenger numbers return in the longer term.

 

[jopsuk]

I've no idea why any at all stop at Mountfitchet though.

Airport and airline staff that live in Mountfitchet