Construction progress: TPE 350/4

[Nym]

Pathing via Bolton avoids a very slow turnout 2 track junction (it's four track beyond it but not at it) apposed to via Bolton where, when Lostock to Wigan is electrified, slow services can get out of the way pretty sharpish and the Scottish services can be flighted directly in front of a semi fast or slow service via Chorley and schduled to catch up with a slow 'by Bolton'.

There is also the possibility of re-instating platform loops and/or fast lines at Bolton so a fast / semi fast can overtake. That boat long since sailed and would require a much more 'on line' upgrade than putting "Platform 5" in at Bolton and some extra S&C on the already existing trackbed to give two northbound and two southbound platforms, potentially with keeping the bay at platform 2 and possibly one between Platform 4 and "5".

There is also quite the possibility of additional tracks at or near Chorley and between Bolton and Lostock to give four tracking in this area.

 

[Emyr]

350407 wad standing at Picadilly platform 3 this morning, grey livery but TPEx upholstery including the white headrest covers in 1st. Left about 7:03.

Guard on my 323 on plat5 didn't get it when I asked "Can we have one of those instead?", had to explain "it's a new train".

 

[Des Iroman]

350408/9/10 out on 12 car empty stock testing Preston - Carlisle today.

 

[Haydn1971]

350408/9/10 out on 12 car empty stock testing Preston - Carlisle today.

Meanwhile elsewhere on the TPE network passengers have to stand the full distance between Manchester and Sheffield/Leeds because of rammed 3 car DMU's - 12 cars ? - Who are they trying to impress ?

 

[WatcherZero]

Commisioning requires accumulating around a thousand miles of fault free operation before they are formerly accepted from the manufacturer.

 

[Class377/5]

Meanwhile elsewhere on the TPE network passengers have to stand the full distance between Manchester and Sheffield/Leeds because of rammed 3 car DMU's - 12 cars ? - Who are they trying to impress ?

There a need to complete full testing of all units and to see they work as ordered. Full fleet introduction is for the May timetable change, it takes time to do all the testing and get all everyone trained up so when full service introduction occurs units the new fleet and staff are ready.

 

[MCR247]

Meanwhile elsewhere on the TPE network passengers have to stand the full distance between Manchester and Sheffield/Leeds because of rammed 3 car DMU's - 12 cars ? - Who are they trying to impress ?

If it makes you feel any better, IIRC technically the units aren't even TPEs before they've finished their 1000 miles fault-free testing

 

[Class377/5]

If it makes you feel any better, IIRC technically the units aren't even TPEs before they've finished their 1000 miles fault-free testing

They have to be TPE units prior to being in passenger services, something all 10 have already done.

 

[MCR247]

Ah I hadn't realised that they'd already been in passenger service!

 

[edwin_m]

350408/9/10 out on 12 car empty stock testing Preston - Carlisle today.

Read somewhere (possibly on here!) that extra 350s are to be hired in from London Midland for the Commonwealth Games. Perhaps this is some kind of test run to establish whether 12-cars can be run in service during this period?

 

[Haydn1971]

Read somewhere (possibly on here!) that extra 350s are to be hired in from London Midland for the Commonwealth Games. Perhaps this is some kind of test run to establish whether 12-cars can be run in service during this period?

Now that's making sense... My point to the above wasn't about commissioning, it was about the 12 car running over the anticipated 8 car running

 

[WatcherZero]

They have to be TPE units prior to being in passenger services, something all 10 have already done.

I didnt think the last two had been.

 

[387star]

Any more in new livery?

 

[Class377/5]

I didnt think the last two had been.

Video of them both in service last week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmxvtWwgAhE

 

[Thomas6187]

350405 is now in TPE livery, minus the yellow strips on the doors. It's just departed on the 07:15 Piccadilly-Glasgow.

 

[Karl]

350408/9/10 out on 12 car empty stock testing Preston - Carlisle today.

I saw this set at Preston yesterday and noticed the digital window displays on the side windows were displaying "Class 350 110mph Test Train"

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

I've had the misfortune of being on one, absolutely ram packed from Preston to Manchester Piccadilly. They're okay when not full though as I carried on to the Airport. Hopefully this was a one off though!

 

[Starmill]

Video of them both in service last week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmxvtWwgAhE

I was wondering why there weren't any photos of 409 'in the wild' in this thread
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I saw this set at Preston yesterday and noticed the digital window displays on the side windows were displaying "Class 350 110mph Test Train"

Ah, so it's Siemens being all vain about that then isn't it? Not LM with their '110mph Crewe Express' nonsense!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

350405 is now in TPE livery, minus the yellow strips on the doors. It's just departed on the 07:15 Piccadilly-Glasgow.

Interesting! I was wondering about the black and yellow strips; does any other mainline stock have them? Are they the same as the ones TfL use?

 

[Manchester77]

I don't think any other main line stock has the yellow zig-zags but the 2009 stock has them following their sensitive edge fiasco

 

[Crossover]

Enjoyed my first double 350 formation last friday, loading was comfortably full with a couple standing around the doors (handful of seats available if they didnt mind sitting next to a stranger), most of the seats were reserved from Wigan NW, the rear unit doors being locked at Oxford Road confused people on both the platform and the train, made worse by the really confusing PA announcement 'This is a service to Edinburgh, the rear unit will terminate at Preston, This is a service to Edinburgh the rear unit will be locked out of use at Oxford Road.' In the end they just locked the doors at Oxford Road (lot of passengers unsure whether they would be kicked off the rear unit) The PID's were displaying 'please move to the front three carriages' constantly from just after leaving Piccadilly to Wigan (PIDs think its a 185) the other thing that confused me was the announcement said the rear unit would terminate at Preston but the rear unit was full of seat reservation cards from Wigan to Edinburgh.

My bold. They were doing that on their inauguration day - I thought they'd have fixed it by now!!!

 

[Class377/5]

I was wondering why there weren't any photos of 409 'in the wild' in this thread

Ah, so it's Siemens being all vain about that then isn't it? Not LM with their '110mph Crewe Express' nonsense!

409 was delayed a few days but seems to have been little photos of the livered units.

Not Siemens being vain at all, just normal German efficiently of actually putting on the unit what its actually doing. The 110mph liveried 350110 (nice ring to it) is trying to generate more users, think its a sensible way of making their point.

 

[Silverlinky]

409 was delayed a few days but seems to have been little photos of the livered units.

Not Siemens being vain at all, just normal German efficiently of actually putting on the unit what its actually doing. The 110mph liveried 350110 (nice ring to it) is trying to generate more users, think its a sensible way of making their point.

German efficiency? It will display whatever the driver manually types in on the keypad!!

 

[Thomas6187]

Here my photo of 350405 from this morning

 

[Starmill]

Is there something wrong with 405 today? The 20:00 MIA - EDB was canceled, I was on 405 for the inboound for it. It was restarted from Piccadilly with 402, presumably off Ardwick. Word was it was 'an earlier train fault'.

 

[Crossover]

Is there something wrong with 405 today? The 20:00 MIA - EDB was canceled, I was on 405 for the inboound for it. It was restarted from Piccadilly with 402, presumably off Ardwick. Word was it was 'an earlier train fault'.

Also how it left, it was booked in on top of a 185 I think, which was booked out ECS itself

 

[richardio123]

Was this the reason

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/police-hunt-yobs-who-put-6945390

POLICE say a driver and his 150 passengers had a lucky escape after train hit a concrete slab dumped in its path by vandals.

They are hunting the yobs who placed the metre long piece of concrete on the line at Patricroft station in Eccles, Salford.

The train running from Glasgow to Manchester Piccadilly hit the object as it travelled through the station just before 9.30pm on Sunday.

Hearing a loud bang, the driver stopped the three-carriage First TransPennine Express train. The 5.06pm Glasgow to Manchester Piccadilly service was inspected for damage and the driver alerted Network Rail, which is responsible for the UK’s railway network.

 

[Starmill]

Was this the reason

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/police-hunt-yobs-who-put-6945390

Ah, the delights of Salford Although that does say it happened on Sunday :/

 

[breadfan]

Is there something wrong with 405 today? The 20:00 MIA - EDB was canceled, I was on 405 for the inboound for it. It was restarted from Piccadilly with 402, presumably off Ardwick. Word was it was 'an earlier train fault'.

I had my first taste of TPE 350 today with 350407 on the 1805 off Preston towards Manchester. A few yards along the platform we ground to a halt. Twenty minutes later the train was terminated.
We overheard staff saying it was an door interlocking fault.
350405 took us to Manchester on the 1845 from Preston. The impressive thing was that, even though there was two trains' worth of people, it wasn't overcrowded. We headed for the front carriage and were the last on (at that carriage) and found seats.
407 departed Preston about 5 minutes before 405.

 

[Starmill]

I had my first taste of TPE 350 today with 350407 on the 1805 off Preston towards Manchester. A few yards along the platform we ground to a halt. Twenty minutes later the train was terminated.
We overheard staff saying it was an door interlocking fault.
350405 took us to Manchester on the 1845 from Preston. The impressive thing was that, even though there was two trains' worth of people, it wasn't overcrowded. We headed for the front carriage and were the last on (at that carriage) and found seats.
407 departed Preston about 5 minutes before 405.

Did you alight from 405 at Manchester Picc on P13 at 1932? If so, I was waiting to board said train to Manchester Airport!

 

[breadfan]

Did you alight from 405 at Manchester Picc on P13 at 1932? If so, I was waiting to board said train to Manchester Airport!

Got off at Oxford Road, couple of pints in Sand Bar then gig at Academy.

There was people standing in the rear carriages but plenty of room up front when we got off.