Greater Anglia Rolling Stock Updates

[Bletchleyite]

It has the German passcom setup, i.e. green call for aid and red "Notbremse", rather than the correct UK setup of red passcom and green door release?

I doubt they will be built like that. They will have a UK compliant setup.

If it's not that, enlighten me?

 

[F Great Eastern]

The PIS is completely obscured in First Class.

It's on the inner walls of the vestibules when it should be on the outer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Whoops!

I can't see them being built with that issue.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Whoops!

I can't see them being built with that issue.

It's illogical isn't it? You have two displays facing each other close together in the vestibule whilst the people in the seated area get treated to a completely blank wall.

You're right though, I can't imagine they will be built like that but it's surprising that wasn't caught before this went public.

 

[Wivenswold]

Renatus Latest:
From my notes but happy to be corrected.

Done & in service:
301/302/303/304/305/309/311/321

At Doncaster under refurb:
306/307/308/312/313

Wolverton:
316

I have a feeling I'm missing a few though as I haven't seen 314/315/317/319 in the last month either in the flesh or on Flickr. With the GN 321/4s now back from their Refresh, there's some slack in the fleet now.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I haven't seen any around at all myself for the last month so it surprises me that there 8 of them in service, although I guess they are being paired up together.

 

[dk1]

I haven't seen any around at all myself for the last month so it surprises me that there 8 of them in service, although I guess they are being paired up together.

I have passed quite a lot of them often in 8/12. Even in the dark & at speed, you cannot mistake that livery.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I have passed quite a lot of them often in 8/12. Even in the dark & at speed, you cannot mistake that livery.

I've been on 3x 12 car 321s this week and never even spotted a Renatus 321 this week, I have only managed to be on one since!

 

[Shunter_69]

I drove 316 earlier this week. It had the new traction package but not the full refurb.

 

[Wivenswold]

I've been on 3x 12 car 321s this week and never even spotted a Renatus 321 this week, I have only managed to be on one since!

I wonder whether they are being kept on the fringes of the peaks? My trains regularly have a Renatus unit or two but I don't travel on the busiest trains.

 

[F Great Eastern]

I normally travel during peak but sometimes travel outside peak if work demands it, I was on the 09:30 from Ipswich twice this week (12 car 321 that's frequently delayed by a freighter) so got to see a fair bit of off-peak units but not sign of a Renatus

 

[Alfie1014]

I wonder whether they are being kept on the fringes of the peaks? My trains regularly have a Renatus unit or two but I don't travel on the busiest trains.

Yes they seem to be a bit hit and miss, though one was on Walton locals for a couple of days last week. Has anyone else noted that many don't seem to have any external GA branding, (same applies to the ex GN 317s)?

 

[samuelmorris]

I see them quite regularly now but it's still very rare they work Southend services, so I very rarely travel on them. From the number I see in service, 8 seems about right.

 

[Class 170101]

Southend aren't used to the regen braking so they only go there with an Ilford driver I've heard. (360s having this).

Has anyone seen an ex FCC 321 on the 12 car Southminster or Braintree workings yet?

 

[306024]

Has anyone seen an ex FCC 321 on the 12 car Southminster or Braintree workings yet?

One did try to go to Braintree when they first arrived, only to learn the hard way that it wasn’t fitted with selective door operation.

 

[Class 170101]

I heard they might be being fitted after all to reduce the amount of combinations of Class 321s. 321/3s, 321/3 Renatus, 321/4s 'SDO', 321/4s without SDO,

 

[Shunter_69]

My understanding is that all the ex FCC 321/4’s have now been modified for Selective Doors.

I have also seen quite a few of them on 12 car Southminster services

 

[Wivenswold]

My understanding is that all the ex FCC 321/4’s have now been modified for Selective Doors.

I have also seen quite a few of them on 12 car Southminster services

Me too. It would make sense that they've been modified, they were all in the shed getting a refresh for a few weeks recently. Having a sub-class within a sub-class would have been an operational nightmare.

 

[Shunter_69]

Had 320 yesterday which also now has the new traction package but not the internal refurb

 

[AC47461]

321321 was in the middle of the 17.15 Liv St - Southend Vic last night

 

[AC47461]

A mate of mine is spending tomorrow morning's rush hour at Shenfield with his son (on an inset day from school, before anyone asks why he's off ), I've asked him to let me know how many Renatus units he sees.
321 301 was on the 0803 Southend Vic - Liv St this morning.

 

[samuelmorris]

I think I saw around half a dozen today but I don't make a habit of counting, I tend to doze off in the mornings at this time of year :P

 

[F Great Eastern]

I think I passed one a couple of minutes outside Shenfield but we were going so fast I couldn't tell for sure

 

[Wivenswold]

321306 is finished and was sitting outside Doncaster workshop a few days back, so that'll take us up to nine. The AC conversions have stepped up now too, leaving 319, 322, 323, 325, 326, 328, 329 and 330 of the batch currently without any modifications (unless they've sneaked up to Wolverton under cover of darkness).

 

[fat_boy_pete]

The 06.29 IPS - LST was formed of 12 coaches and the first unit was a renatus. The driver apologised for the jerky performance as he stated the new unit didn't work well with the older units on the back.

Later 2F01 2135 Col to LST was seen at Stratford formed of 2 renatus units.

 

[AC47461]

According to my friend, at least 301, 302, 305, 309 and 321 were out and about this morning, plus 317 and 320 with the traction package and no refurb.

 

[samuelmorris]

Yeah 320's definitely retractioned, I had that earlier in the week. It's odd hearing that in a unit with such a tatty old interior!

 

[MatthewRead]

Yeah 320's definitely retractioned, I had that earlier in the week. It's odd hearing that in a unit with such a tatty old interior!

Why hasn't it had its interior revamped?

 

[samuelmorris]

Seemingly the 'renatus' programme and the traction refit are separate projects happening at different times. I'm not entirely sure why.

 

[Wivenswold]

Seemingly the 'renatus' programme and the traction refit are separate projects happening at different times. I'm not entirely sure why.

Separate suppliers for the same project contract probably. If the situation is anything like the businesses I deal with, Wolverton will be trying to get the job done as quickly as possible as the cost of the work will be increasing all the time thanks to inflation, devaluing pound, increasing energy costs etc. If Doncaster is where the delays in the project are occurring the last thing Wolverton will want is to be named as a defendant in a breach of contract legal battle if Eversholt decides they've lost leasing income. So they're getting on with their bit of the job.

That sort of thing is a constant background noise at corporate level in the railway industry. If your kid says he or she wants to be a train driver, suggest Lawyer for the Railway Industry might be a more profitable career instead.