Greater Anglia Rolling Stock Updates

[rdlover777]

slightly Off-topic but how close can i get to the channel tunnel portal without tresspassing in order to watch these trains arriving?

 

[Metal_gee_man]

slightly Off-topic but how close can i get to the channel tunnel portal without tresspassing in order to watch these trains arriving?

Sort of Dollands Moor (where they are dragged to after exiting) is viewable from an overbridge and from the side via some woodlands next to Folkestone Rugby Club

The actual tunnel portal is do-able but the walk from the nearest road or proper footpath isn't advised in anything but firm, dry conditions as the gradients are not for the faint hearted

 

[rdlover777]

Sort of Dollands Moor (where they are dragged to after exiting) is viewable from an overbridge and from the side via some woodlands next to Folkestone Rugby Club

The actual tunnel portal is do-able but the walk from the nearest road or proper footpath isn't advised in anything but firm, dry conditions as the gradients are not for the faint hearted

thanks

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Local PR piece re new rolling stock
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/business/jamie-burles-greater-anglia-1-5835340

 

[samuelmorris]

Very optimistic given the likely situation with Bombardier. Not technically the TOC's fault, but something that should certainly have been anticipated.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Reading that piece, about half of it seems to be a massive PR drive and using spin (13 different fleets, really?) to make them sound good and the other half of it almost seems to be to try and deflect any criticism before it comes in when things might go wrong and getting their excuses in early, they talk about the team who has been created to handle the introduction, who you think should have really been there from the start.

It also appears we've found out who the fall guy will be if it all goes wrong, whilst the comment about how you manage the old train fleet shines new light on the short forms in 2018 and would suggest we're going to see a good few more as maintenance is probably only focused on very short term.

 

[Alfie1014]

What a lot of spin, oh and by the way the 153s are 30 years old not 40! But what’s 10 years between friends!

 

[F Great Eastern]

What a lot of spin, oh and by the way the 153s are 30 years old not 40! But what’s 10 years between friends!

Never let facts get in the way of a good story.

What I want to know is where the 30 trains are that were introduced by Greater Anglia in 2012 on Stansted Express, used to reference the ability of that company to bring new fleets into service, since nobody has seen them operate in service?

Initially the PR I thought was spin and style over substance from when they one the bid, that was bad enough, but now we appear to be getting exaggeration, creative figures and misleading comments.

 

[dk1]

Never let facts get in the way of a good story.

What I want to know is where the 30 trains are that were introduced by Greater Anglia in 2012 on Stansted Express, since nobody has seen them operate in service?

Wasn't that the 379s & they where ordered under NX?

 

[samuelmorris]

Never let facts get in the way of a good story.

What I want to know is where the 30 trains are that were introduced by Greater Anglia in 2012 on Stansted Express, used to reference the ability of that company to bring new fleets into service, since nobody has seen them operate in service?

Initially the PR I thought was spin and style over substance from when they one the bid, that was bad enough, but now we appear to be getting exaggeration, creative figures and misleading comments.

I wondered that too, vividly recalling the NX branding 379s initially carried. That and the age of the 153s I think are the only actual falsehoods in the article, but the '13 different fleets' is a bit misleading, as it considers 321/3s (non-Renatus) and 321/4s separate fleets, and indeed 317/5s and 317/8s.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Wasn't that the 379s & they where ordered under NX?

They were the 379s which were fully in service before Greater Anglia even came into being, 7 years ago, that they now appear to be trying to take credit for, in order to defend themselves from the accusations of having an inexperienced team, whilst at the same time name checking someone who most likely will carry the can after the others at the helm have jumped ship.

Some would suggest that GA should spend less time spinning and misleading people and making incorrect statements to make them sound better than they are and more time on running the railway which they have done a very poor job of lately and a project that is going poorly to date. They have certainly gone down in my estimation this last year.

By the week I get less confident that they can deliver on this plan, it's just the constant, everything is going to be great, everything will be amazing speak that irritates me, and the fact they're getting their excuses in early and already bigging themselves up and taking credit for stuff they didn't do and making themselves seems better than they are, is almost like they are shoring up the decks before the inevitable waves hit them and the ship starts springing leaks.

GA are getting lost in their own PR. It's time to cry halt to all this and tone down the PR and instead focus on the basics of introducing this massive project.

 

[dk1]

They were the 379s which were fully in service before Greater Anglia even came into being, 7 years ago, that they now appear to be trying to take credit for, in order to defend themselves from the accusations of having an inexperienced team, whilst at the same time name checking someone who most likely will carry the can after the others at the helm have jumped ship.

Some would suggest that GA should spend less time spinning and misleading people and making incorrect statements to make them sound better than they are and more time on running the railway which they have done a very poor job of lately and a project that is going poorly to date. They have certainly gone down in my estimation this last year.

By the week I get less confident that they can deliver on this plan, it's just the constant, everything is going to be great, everything will be amazing speak that irritates me, and the fact they're getting their excuses in early and already bigging themselves up and taking credit for stuff they didn't do and making themselves seems better than they are, is almost like they are shoring up the decks before the inevitable waves hit them and the ship starts springing leaks.

They are all the same. I remember NX (under the hideous 'one' branding) taking all the credit for the excellent 'Ipswich Tunnel Blockade' back in 2004 even though all the hard work & planning was done by FGE & AR. Nothing changes.

 

[F Great Eastern]

They are all the same. I remember NX (under the hideous 'one' branding) taking all the credit for the excellent 'Ipswich Tunnel Blockade' back in 2004 even though all the hard work & planning was done by FGE & AR. Nothing changes.

Well I have to say I'm no fan of NXEA - that was certainly the bleakest time I can remember for Railways in East Anglia, they almost let go of all cleaning and everything was done as cheap as possible. They undid a hell of a lot of work that FGE and Anglia Railways did, but I will give them that they brought in the 379s.

Oh I agree, but my biggest issue with the current lot is that the last 12 months we've seen a hell of a big marketing drive but very little else, with the worst year I can possibly remember of short forms and some basic mistakes in preparing for a new fleet that anyone with experience would have prevented from happening.

It really does feel that this management team are all style and no substance. That being said, quite a few of the management have left recently. I was hoping that it might result in a change of approach, but it seems not.

 

[Defiance149]

Can anyone confirm that 321328 is back from Renatus refurb please?

 

[nxea321446]

Can anyone confirm that 321328 is back from Renatus refurb please?

I believe it returned on 21st December

 

[47421]

Roger Ford's monthly email available online at http://live.ezezine.com/ezine/archives/759/759-2019.01.21.04.02.archive.txt
describes a table to be published in Modern Railways next week:

Greater Anglia is Exhibit A for PRM-TSI compliance. Supplementary Tables in the column list the existing fleets being replaced by each new fleet, with non-compliant stock colour coded red. It’s a colourful column in some places.

In the case of Greater Anglia I make it 137 non-compliant EMUs which will have to be replaced by the end of the year. In addition the non-Renatus Class 321 units come off lease on 31 October, placing more pressure on Aventra deliveries.

Bombardier is increasing the number of Aventra production lines at its Derby works to six. It’s going to an interesting race been production capacity and time.​

 

[LAX54]

Roger Ford's monthly email available online at http://live.ezezine.com/ezine/archives/759/759-2019.01.21.04.02.archive.txt
describes a table to be published in Modern Railways next week:

Greater Anglia is Exhibit A for PRM-TSI compliance. Supplementary Tables in the column list the existing fleets being replaced by each new fleet, with non-compliant stock colour coded red. It’s a colourful column in some places.

In the case of Greater Anglia I make it 137 non-compliant EMUs which will have to be replaced by the end of the year. In addition the non-Renatus Class 321 units come off lease on 31 October, placing more pressure on Aventra deliveries.

Bombardier is increasing the number of Aventra production lines at its Derby works to six. It’s going to an interesting race been production capacity and time.​

See that article also says that Romford ROC is no more, took a lot of time to admit it ! It does say that Liverpool St is still an aspiration, but they will need another floor or shed along side to put it in

 

[Alfie1014]

Saw on another forum that a 5 car 720 is visible at Litchurch Lane not numbered but assumed to be 720501.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

See that article also says that Romford ROC is no more, took a lot of time to admit it ! It does say that Liverpool St is still an aspiration, but they will need another floor or shed along side to put it in

There is loads of space in the ROC. But unlikely to move from Liverpool Street now until they need to upgrade the signalling system.

 

[robreed90001]

another "Norwich In 90" test run today (as far as Witham and return) due to engineering works. 90011 + MK3 set used.

Norwich to Witham
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/F60305/2019/01/27/advanced

Witham to Norwich
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/F60304/2019/01/27/advanced

 

[Bald Rick]

another "Norwich In 90" test run today (as far as Witham and return) due to engineering works. 90011 + MK3 set used.

Norwich to Witham
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/F60305/2019/01/27/advanced

Witham to Norwich
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/F60304/2019/01/27/advanced

“Witham in 68” doesn’t quite have the same cachet...

 

[samuelmorris]

It's also rather short of the mark, you can't do Liverpool St to Witham in 22 minutes, so I'm assuming there is a specific section much further up than Witham being tested.

 

[apinnard]

A pretty pointless test really, given it was cut short for obvious reasons. The set lost a little bit of time between Witham and Kelvedon on the return too, probably because it had to go bang-line until Church Street crossing which doesn't really mimic the everyday scenario. I think its 70 max wrong line on that stretch.

 

[dk1]

A pretty pointless test really, given it was cut short for obvious reasons. The set lost a little bit of time between Witham and Kelvedon on the return too, probably because it had to go bang-line until Church Street crossing which doesn't really mimic the everyday scenario. I think its 70 max wrong line on that stretch.

Yes it's 70 bidi then although the crossovers there are 50mph the approaching signalling is quite restrictive. Throw in a running brake test & it's all very hit & miss.

 

[Railperf]

another "Norwich In 90" test run today (as far as Witham and return) due to engineering works. 90011 + MK3 set used.

Norwich to Witham
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/F60305/2019/01/27/advanced

Witham to Norwich
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/F60304/2019/01/27/advanced

Norwich in 90 should really be diagramed for a pair of 360s. 90's are great on a dry rail ...but lose too much time in the wet as they struggle to get power down.

 

[LAX54]

Norwich in 90 should really be diagramed for a pair of 360s. 90's are great on a dry rail ...but lose too much time in the wet as they struggle to get power down.

Used a pair of 321's the other week, they worked OK

Today;s up road run was 6 mins faster than a hauled set stopping at Manningtree and Colchester

 

[dk1]

Norwich in 90 should really be diagramed for a pair of 360s. 90's are great on a dry rail ...but lose too much time in the wet as they struggle to get power down.

All GA 90s now fitted with auto-sanders. Use of 360s is precluded by crew knowledge & the fact there are never any spare. Hopefully 755s will to the job in practice from May.

 

[Railperf]

It's also rather short of the mark, you can't do Liverpool St to Witham in 22 minutes, so I'm assuming there is a specific section much further up than Witham being tested.

Running time Norwich to Witham was 57.5 minutes excluding stops. The fastest recorded Class 90 time from the Railway Performance Society archives from Liverpool Street to passing Witham is appx 31.5 minutes. So there isn't a huge margin for delays or engineering work.

 

[apinnard]

Used a pair of 321's the other week, they worked OK

Today;s up road run was 6 mins faster than a hauled set stopping at Manningtree and Colchester

To convert that into 90 minutes end to end, surely they'll need stock that accelerates to 100 better than a cl 360, some very tight signalling and plenty of following wind. I can't see it happening with the 90 loco hauled sets.

 

[Railperf]

All GA 90s now fitted with auto-sanders. Use of 360s is precluded by crew knowledge & the fact there are never any spare. Hopefully 755s will to the job in practice from May.

I may have to sample a run on a wet day to see if that has improved matters! Last wet run from Stratford to Norwich back in Sept 2016 lost time accelerating from every stop and braking to a stop due to the wet rails. We ended up 8 mins late at NRW. The 360s and 321's don't seem to suffer so badly. Though the Non Renatus 321s struggle to reach 100mph!!