Which makes one wonder what is happening with the 3 surplus cars from the 7-car units? Only one of them would be needed given that a single lengthened 5-car unit effectively makes up the five strong 6-car 222 contingent moving across to Lumo.
Yes; one of the 3 least fuel-efficient passenger diesel units in GB running under the wires all the way is quite a contrast to Lumo's current brand image.Maybe time they stopped going on about their all electric fleet though
Scotrail currently stable vehicles at Stirling, Not sure if there is any spare capacity for Lumo. Any capacity at Perth?
Could Craigentinny be a possible option? Cross Country stable some Voyager sets there overnight so the mechanically similar 222s would make sense, and Lumo also use that depot currently for their Hitachi units. It would obviously mean an ECS path or two from Craigentinny to Stirling, plus the route learning requirements to go with it.
I heard an enquiry has been made about Cadder but only a rumour at this stage
Craigentinny is more or less full each night.
As it is suggested that the other 222s are going to Scotland, there will, in time, be other 222s being looked after in Scotland, but it doesn't seem obvious that an open access operator can use the facilities of a depot current run in house by a TOC.
Polmadie would be more likely as it is Alstom depot.
I'd forgot about Polmadie, but that makes much more sense with it being an Alstom depot and its location on the WCML.
Sounds like a practical solution, though in order to avoid moving more cars around beyond the minimum number of moves required, couldn’t they just renumber 222001-222004 to 222101-222104 and vice versa? Would mean not having to reconfigure the existing 222/1s - simply renumber them to 222/0.
The /1 subclass is because those four units [in their original 4 car formation] were procured and delivered separately to First Hull Trains. There are minor part differences to the /0 but, as evidenced by their current use, the two subfleets are fully compatible.
Yep, and renumbering is admittedly quite minor in the grand scheme of things. Lumo will be getting 5 of them regardless of which ones and, given the slow progress on the 810s, EMR will most likely have to work with a fleet of 22.
That's actually more of a faff than just reducing 001-004 to 6 car and inserting a coach in a 5 car to create the five units Lumo require, then all remaining units can move to wherever they're destined for quite easily
Not much spare capacity at Stirling. LNER was stabled overnight at Craigentinny I think.
Cheers for the information.
There’s a few threads about a number of 222 possibilities, but realistically it’s Scotrail to replace their HSTs.
Grand Central has announced 9 Hitachi AT300s to replace the Class 180s [and 221s].
And 180s to be used on the Newcastle to Brighton service of it does get the go ahead.
