With all the complaints about their general state, and their poor reliability, I think the getting the SSID of the Wi-fi correct sits quite low in priority.
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EMR Class 360's
- Thread starter thealm
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pokemonsuper9
Established Member
Wivenswold
Established Member
Genuinely surprised at how bad the 360's are now. Aside from the first and last few months with GA they were incredibly reliable.
Be careful what you wish for EMR. There are 21 spare 379s and in the near future 350s but there's also some 34 year old refurbished 321s looking for a home.
Be careful what you wish for EMR. There are 21 spare 379s and in the near future 350s but there's also some 34 year old refurbished 321s looking for a home.
TT-ONR-NRN
Established Member
You said it yourself - 34 year old. They’re looking for a scrapyard.
Not in the slightest surprised. This is EMR.
RailWonderer
Established Member
EMR's treatment of the 360s has been shoddy from the very start. No more excuses from GA letting them go in the last year hold as EMR have had plenty of time to dress them up. They didn't have their own facilities at Cauldwell which didn't help, but they only need to operate 12/21 units so they have way more than enough slack to haul them down the MML and up the WCML to Northampton for proper servicing while operating enough 8 cars. EMR is just a shoddy operator full stop.
To be fair, the 34 year old 321s are happily sat on the juice at Wembley powered up, unlike many of the newer trains that have been stored. Someone must be trying to flog them to someone
spotify95
Member
Indeed, I certainly won't be using them for much longer to be honest. The carpets in the 360 I am in right now are completely filthy, they really need a deep clean if not replacement!
This may seem like a silly question but what is the difference between the 360 maintenance regime at GA vs now? At GA any major faults I assume could be fixed at the home Depot where as these have to be dragged to Northampton? Is that right. Is that relying on an engine from ROG to be available? I guess if the choice is run it while something is still broken and face the consequences that seems to be what I'm reading.
spotify95
Member
Given how EMR don't really care about the 360s, I can see what you mean by being a shoddy operator! If the 360s were cared for, they would be in much better condition, potentially refurbished too if EMR could come to an agreement with the DfT.
Having said that, we all know I will probably start driving long before the 360s get any sort of love.
Attached is what I saw today, really doesn't surprise me.
Having said that, we all know I will probably start driving long before the 360s get any sort of love.
Attached is what I saw today, really doesn't surprise me.
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43074
Established Member
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To be fair the moaning about 360s and indeed EMR in general seems to be confined to a select few on an internet forum.
Sure the likes of Avanti may have a more flashy brand but they time and time again prove they are utterly incompetent at even the basics, that isn't my experience of EMR who - although everyone agrees the fleet could do with a refresh - generally get their passengers from A to B.
Sure the likes of Avanti may have a more flashy brand but they time and time again prove they are utterly incompetent at even the basics, that isn't my experience of EMR who - although everyone agrees the fleet could do with a refresh - generally get their passengers from A to B.
bramling
Veteran Member
Not sure about that; I have a work colleague who travels from/to Wellingborough, and he certainly has been moaning about the service ever since the 360s started. He isn’t an enthusiast in any way, just expects a reliable train service.
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Not sure about that - there are still regular passenger complaints on social media and the staff who work with them both technical and operational haven't got much good to say either.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
And Avanti by and large in my experience do now run a reasonable service, and the new Pendolino interior is lovely (and I keep hearing positive comments from other passengers, too). I'd say their brand is the weakest bit to be honest, it's drab beyond belief.
QSK19
Member
I add to the chorus of people who aren’t sure about that. For example, my 6 year old son asked me “daddy, why are these trains so old and dirty?”. I can assure you that he isn’t on RF!
I completely agree that the main thing is to get from A to B; but there is no reason not to have done at least something interior-wise in 4 years. Passenger discomfort can only last for so long before it becomes unacceptable and inexcusable. But this is what you get when you originally award the franchise to the only bidder (hence they don’t care and nowadays do only the bare minimum to get their management fee) and then missed the boat in terms of authorising train procurement and/or refurbishment before the post-covid DfT depleted funding.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
The excessive fares aside, I don't think there's anything really wrong with the 360s as they are for the service they operate, it's not much different from a Northampton semifast which might give you a 350/2. However if they're tatty they do need new carpets, new seat covers and foams, and a decent deep clean.
Trainbike46
Established Member
And some changes in maintance practices to up their reliability, if reports on this thread are anything to go by
STINT47
Member
The trains might not be in great condition but on the plus side I've just had an EMR advert pop up on YouTube where Miles takes a 360 to a date in London. EMR may have they're issues and budget restrictions but not when it comes to marketing.
It's on their Facebook if anyone wants to have a look.
It's on their Facebook if anyone wants to have a look.
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That's the plan for Sundays now I believe.
If it’s short term to allow maintenance then fine - but based on today, that’s insane if for any length of time.
Not sure - but certainly reducing all Sunday 360 diagrams to single sets was mentioned in a change briefing.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Oh dear. One of the good things Abellio did on taking over the south WCML local services was to stop using 4 car sets on Sundays, as the overcrowding was ridiculous. 4 car trains in the South East other than quieter lines like Aylesbury just don't work.
Merle Haggard
Established Member
Don't forget that the 360s only work Kettering - Corby shuttles before mid-day on Sundays - the stations further South have Inter-City calls to compensate.
If all 6 diagrams per day are 8-car that requires 12 out of the 21 units in service. Where are the other 9 units for 7 days per week? They can't all be in maintenance surely? I mean it's not as if they've been taken out of use for overhaul and refurbishment.
Can someone identify whether some of these units are in long term storage somewhere?
I'm just mystified why frequent 4-car unit operation should ever be necessary with a fleet of 21.
Can someone identify whether some of these units are in long term storage somewhere?
I'm just mystified why frequent 4-car unit operation should ever be necessary with a fleet of 21.
Merle Haggard
Established Member
They all seem to cycle around, you can check on RTT for the unit numbers out on the day. In my regular travels, I didn't find any were elusive. There are times when the Kettering sidings are empty.
Regarding the week when all trains were 4 cars; I asked someone-who-should-know whether this was because they'd had a lot of failures and he was certain that wasn't the case. It was the week of the drivers' overtime ban, and he implied that it was because the positioning turns to/from Kettering and Cricklewood depended heavily on overtime and therefore didn't happen - which might also explain the 12 car ECS from Cricklewood. It seems this isn't in the public domain. Possibly there are people who post on the forum regularly who knew this but it might be considered a breach of confidentiality to post it.
Islineclear3_1
Established Member
I don't know but when I travelled on them, when new on GA; I seem to remember either Ilford or Clacton getting an award for their maintenance. But then they were new back then and very well cared for
QSK19
Member
I have read elsewhere in the forum that now the 185s have seemingly been granted a refurbishment. Yet again money spent on refurbishing an interior that is (in my experience anyway) already in better condition than the 360s. Very frustrating that EMR once again gets nothing. Indeed, I refuse to believe that they will ever get refurbished unless I see actual proof that it’s happening.
class397tpe
Member
Agree, it's an absolute joke that 185s are going to get a refresh and still nothing for 360s- imho 185s are one of the nicest train interiors on the network already. Everything that seems so simple for other TOCs always seems to be a massive challenge and impossible for EMR.
STINT47
Member
I have been trying to work out if EMR being passed over for investment is due to the TOC not making a good enough case for the money or the DFT not caring about the region?
On reflection perhaps it's s combination of the two. Abellio and now it's buy out team have never strick me as having any real passion for this franchise but then again the DFT doesn't seem all that bothered about the MML and East Midldnds. Add the two together and you have a perfect mix for poor service with no desire or prospect to inprove.
We need someone to stand up for the region but sadly none of the politicians who could create a fuss seem intrested. My own MP is a pleasant enough person but when speaking with him he says some very nieve comments about rail and has admitted that he drives down to Westminster, rather than use the train, as this is quicker based on where he lives and his London accommodation. That's fine but he really could do with sampling the MML every now and then to see the issues. As for my local councillors they see the railways as a national issue and not something impacting local government.
It's all very depressing as I enjoy rail travel and want to see it thrive. I said jokingly that the replacrments for the 360s (720s in Anglia) will see a refurbishment before the 360s but I can actually see it happening that way given that the already decent 185s are now up for improvement whilstvwe wait and wsit......
On reflection perhaps it's s combination of the two. Abellio and now it's buy out team have never strick me as having any real passion for this franchise but then again the DFT doesn't seem all that bothered about the MML and East Midldnds. Add the two together and you have a perfect mix for poor service with no desire or prospect to inprove.
We need someone to stand up for the region but sadly none of the politicians who could create a fuss seem intrested. My own MP is a pleasant enough person but when speaking with him he says some very nieve comments about rail and has admitted that he drives down to Westminster, rather than use the train, as this is quicker based on where he lives and his London accommodation. That's fine but he really could do with sampling the MML every now and then to see the issues. As for my local councillors they see the railways as a national issue and not something impacting local government.
It's all very depressing as I enjoy rail travel and want to see it thrive. I said jokingly that the replacrments for the 360s (720s in Anglia) will see a refurbishment before the 360s but I can actually see it happening that way given that the already decent 185s are now up for improvement whilstvwe wait and wsit......