samuelmorris
Established Member
The one thing I didn't mention is the number of 755s running into London, but I don't think it matters much since as far as I'm aware the only commitment is 4tpd to Lowestoft, which isn't going to remove any of the current timetable obligations, it may release one unit at best.
The 745 order for StanEx made sense at first - 30 4-car 379s makes 10 12-car sets, replaced with 10 12-car 745s, but the thing is, the 379s work to Cambridge and Kings Lynn as well. If the 745s are isolated to StanEx in absolute on West Anglia, then that only raises the workload of the 720 fleet further, as they're standing in for 379s as well as 317s.
The 745 order for Norwich makes no sense to me at all - I get they can meet a better fleet availability so they may not need all 15 sets to run 2tph to Norwich, but even trimming 5 mins off the current diagrams (I think any more than that is optimistic with so few stops on the route), you're looking at an absolute minimum of 9 diagrams to run the service. I suspect in practice it'll probably be all 10. Fair enough, you can use 720s to run the extra stopping service to Norwich, controversial though it may be, but why on earth not at least order sufficiently many units to replace the LHCS like for like?
89 5-car units is not some number plucked from thin air (or at least, seems unlikely), so someone has clearly calculated this figure. Nonetheless, it still seems a bit short to me. I'd love to know how they worked it out. As far as I'm aware, nobody has mentioned any option on growing the order size, though of course I see no reason why it couldn't happen in practice given how many other units will be produced on the Aventra platform in the next 5 years.
The 745 order for StanEx made sense at first - 30 4-car 379s makes 10 12-car sets, replaced with 10 12-car 745s, but the thing is, the 379s work to Cambridge and Kings Lynn as well. If the 745s are isolated to StanEx in absolute on West Anglia, then that only raises the workload of the 720 fleet further, as they're standing in for 379s as well as 317s.
The 745 order for Norwich makes no sense to me at all - I get they can meet a better fleet availability so they may not need all 15 sets to run 2tph to Norwich, but even trimming 5 mins off the current diagrams (I think any more than that is optimistic with so few stops on the route), you're looking at an absolute minimum of 9 diagrams to run the service. I suspect in practice it'll probably be all 10. Fair enough, you can use 720s to run the extra stopping service to Norwich, controversial though it may be, but why on earth not at least order sufficiently many units to replace the LHCS like for like?
89 5-car units is not some number plucked from thin air (or at least, seems unlikely), so someone has clearly calculated this figure. Nonetheless, it still seems a bit short to me. I'd love to know how they worked it out. As far as I'm aware, nobody has mentioned any option on growing the order size, though of course I see no reason why it couldn't happen in practice given how many other units will be produced on the Aventra platform in the next 5 years.