EMR Class 153 Future

[WillPS]

Not wanting to derail the livery thread - what does the future hold for the recently withdrawn Class 153s from EMR?

 

[hooverboy]

Not wanting to derail the livery thread - what does the future hold for the recently withdrawn Class 153s from EMR?

still being used as capacity busters I believe.

 

[mic505]

Deleted.

 

[PHILIPE]

Not wanting to derail the livery thread - what does the future hold for the recently withdrawn Class 153s from EMR?

4 went to TFW and staying until their Class 769s come into play. Please don't ask when as they are nearly 2 years late now.

 

[supervc-10]

Presuming they're supposed to be running coupled up to something PRM'ed?

 

[PHILIPE]

Presuming they're supposed to be running coupled up to something PRM'ed?

No. Dispensation granted TFW until 31 December 2020

 

[91108]

I can’t remember which other thread it was in but all EMR 153’s except 3, are currently stored at Barrow Hill due to the reduced timetable. I believe the 3 are 355,376,368.
I would say their future is very much up in the air. I guess if the normal timetable is resumed within a couple of months then they will be needed back at EMR as the introduction of 170’s will have been delayed.
I personally think if things ever return to normal they’ll keep some for at least a couple of years as attachments.

 

[Whistler40145]

I can’t remember which other thread it was in but all EMR 153’s except 3, are currently stored at Barrow Hill due to the reduced timetable. I believe the 3 are 355,376,368.
I would say their future is very much up in the air.

Could they be destined for Northern or off for scrap?

 

[91108]

Who knows....
Derided as they are, it can’t be denied they are a useful extra car that can work with 14x, 15x and 170’s.

 

[Whistler40145]

Who knows....
Derided as they are, it can’t be denied they are a useful extra car that can work with 14x, 15x and 170’s.

Presumably 153s have to be coupled with a PRM compliant unit?

 

[91108]

The EMR ones do, although there is a dispensation on a couple of routes allowing one car use until the end of the year I believe.
They can be made PRM compliant but I don’t believe there are any plans for EMR units to have this. I guess the lease companies will have a decision to make once EMR are done with them.
Wouldn’t surprise me if they all get scrapped, as I believe the EMR HST’s await that fate, and they are in better nick than the 153’s.

 

[Whistler40145]

The EMR ones do, although there is a dispensation on a couple of routes allowing one car use until the end of the year I believe.
They can be made PRM compliant but I don’t believe there are any plans for EMR units to have this. I guess the lease companies will have a decision to make once EMR are done with them.
Wouldn’t surprise me if they all get scrapped, as I believe the EMR HST’s await that fate, and they are in better nick than the 153’s.

It's a matter of cost of converting units and age of the fleet

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Northern's 153s are required as long as the use of platform 5 at Huddersfield is required (Coronavirus notwithstanding). It shouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility to extend P5 in a suitable way though- it currently has a narrow extension which is staff only because for some reason the ramp to the now-removed barrow crossing needed to be retained! There may be reluctance to sort that because the platform itself will be decommissioned as part of the upgrade... but some money will need to be spent somewhere, either sorting the platform or sorting the trains.

I doubt Northern will need any extra 153s though.

 

[hooverboy]

Presuming they're supposed to be running coupled up to something PRM'ed?

they're fine as capacity busters for nottingham -skeg in summer(maybe once all this coronavirus stuff is over there will be an uptick in staycations,so they'll come in handy), or as rescue trains,but that's about it.Neither purpose requires PRM.
it's either coupled to a prm compliant unit in regular service,or used as an emergency vehicle.

to be honest they are not worth the lease price any more.
EMR should do a direct purchase,considering they would be floating around with very minimal workloads most of the time.

I think they have 6 of them, but they're only really worth 100k each max now,probably less
the annual lease price likely comes to that.

 

[route101]

No. Dispensation granted TFW until 31 December 2020

Yeah , seen a single one at Crewe few weeks back.

 

[hooverboy]

Until all five 3-car 170/4's (ex-Scotrail) are in traffic this summer, then the 153's go off-lease.

very few takers for 153's after that,so it would be worth EMR putting in a low-ball offer to purchase a couple.

I still think EMR regional are running a bit thin on sets,so having that sort of set up would enable them to be running the 17x sets and 156's at maximum capacity,with the 153's being used to deputise when the others require maintenance/servicing/overhaul/assistance

it's far preferable to cancelling a service altogether.
from a customer perspective all you really want is a seat and a reliable service.
in the event you have a reduced mobility passenger(s) then EMR can make alternative travel arrangements for them for that particular service,given enough notice.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

One possible use for 153s could be as a track-recording vehicle like the 950- a 953 (or 955 if run as a pair) would mean the solitary 950 wouldn't be worked as hard.

EDIT: Apologies, should have put this in the "future of 15x" thread.

 

[cactustwirly]

they're fine as capacity busters for nottingham -skeg in summer(maybe once all this coronavirus stuff is over there will be an uptick in staycations,so they'll come in handy), or as rescue trains,but that's about it.Neither purpose requires PRM.
it's either coupled to a prm compliant unit in regular service,or used as an emergency vehicle.

to be honest they are not worth the lease price any more.
EMR should do a direct purchase,considering they would be floating around with very minimal workloads most of the time.

I think they have 6 of them, but they're only really worth 100k each max now,probably less
the annual lease price likely comes to that.

They still need a derogation even if they're coupled to a PRM compliant unit, that expires at the end of the year.
EMR should have enough cascaded 170s and 156s to completely replace them anyway.

 

[WillPS]

Thanks for all the replies. It seems we might actually be in a place where we're preparing to send Sprinters to scrap which is quite remarkable.

I understand these units are prone to corrosion and body issues (there are some where you see distortion quite clearly along the length of the unit). I suppose any expensive PRM modification has to be considered with that in mind.

 

[westcoaster]

Seen video and pictures of 2x emr 153's testing on the marston vale line last week. Any ideas why?.

 

[PHILIPE]

Seen video and pictures of 2x emr 153's testing on the marston vale line last week. Any ideas why?.

It was for some kind of testing in connection with level crossing where there have been problems

 

[MML]

Now a couple of 153s on the Marston Vale line in addition to the 230s would be useful.
Allowing the infrequent hourly service to become half hourly.
Lock the lavatory and simply advertise those services as not PRM compliant. Same as a replacement bus.

 

[High Dyke]

Presumably 153s have to be coupled with a PRM compliant unit?

When needed to, hence a number of pairs been used on the Liverpool - Nottingham section of that route. They're not supposed to be working on the Skegness line without a compliant unit attached to them, but it didn't stop a couple running round on their own a week or so ago. No doubt not enough other stock to cover.
https://assets.publishing.service.g...-class-153-angel-2020-dispensation-letter.pdf

This is a dispensation (effective from the date of this letter) made under Regulation 46(4) of the RIR 2011, granting that the vehicles listed in Annex A, which form the trains known as Class 153 need not comply after 31 December 2019 with thoseparts of the PRM TSI 2008 listed in Annex B. This follows consultation with DPTAC3and is subject to compliance with the following conditions: a. The dispensation applies to operation of the vehicles by East Midlands Railway only and restricts operation so that they are only scheduled to operate when coupled with compliant units - unless operated on the routes in Annex C; b. The existing level of accessibility standards compliance is maintained;

Annex C
•Doncaster to Peterborough
•Newark to Grimsby
•Derby to Crewe

 

[D365]

Now a couple of 153s on the Marston Vale line in addition to the 230s would be useful.

If the desire was there, surely a few more 230s would be cheaper to operate.

 

[hooverboy]

One possible use for 153s could be as a track-recording vehicle like the 950- a 953 (or 955 if run as a pair) would mean the solitary 950 wouldn't be worked as hard.

EDIT: Apologies, should have put this in the "future of 15x" thread.

certainly an idea.
a fit out to make them mini Railhead treatment or de-icer units for branch lines would maybe be a potential use too. it would free up the loco hauled big tankers for more frequent mainline usage

 

[CBlue]

certainly an idea.
a fit out to make them mini Railhead treatment or de-icer units for branch lines would maybe be a potential use too. it would free up the loco hauled big tankers for more frequent mainline usage

If there are corrosion and body issues as posts above suggest, then refitting 153's for any further purposes would be a waste of time and money? Everything has a design lifespan and I'm quite sure the Sprinters have reached theirs, if not exceeded them.

 

[DelW]

Thanks for all the replies. It seems we might actually be in a place where we're preparing to send Sprinters to scrap which is quite remarkable.

Why is it remarkable to be starting to scrap vehicles which are over 30 years old? Plenty of railway rolling stock has lasted a shorter time than that. And it's not as if all Sprinters are going immediately, a lot will be around for a while yet.

 

[LowLevel]

At the moment they're shuffling sets occasionally presumably to even out mileage.

 

[D365]

Why is it remarkable to be starting to scrap vehicles which are over 30 years old? Plenty of railway rolling stock has lasted a shorter time than that. And it's not as if all Sprinters are going immediately, a lot will be around for a while yet.

I think because in recent decades we’ve suffered from a shortage in DMU vehicles.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Why is it remarkable to be starting to scrap vehicles which are over 30 years old? Plenty of railway rolling stock has lasted a shorter time than that. And it's not as if all Sprinters are going immediately, a lot will be around for a while yet.

A lot of DMU operators have a general shortage of DMUs however.