Greater Anglia Rolling Stock Updates

[samuelmorris]

I went on a few PRM 317s the other day. They have the larger toilet and a big empty space next to it for two wheelchairs. There are only two seats left in that section. The old rubber door buttons have been replaced by the standard LED buttons though the positions of the open and close buttons have been switched. So now there will be 317s, with the open button at the bottom, running alongside 379s that have the open button at the top. Not very helpful for blind or partially sighted people. Also half the inside door buttons have been plated over so there is only one set of buttons per pair of doors. There are the usual loud door release and hustle alarms that have been fitted to most 1980s units. The audio and visual PIS is unchanged.

There are more units done that I expected. I think some units, for example 317341/343, have done the mods done at Clacton.

That is amazing - a few pennies saved by only fitting the buttons to one side, and they were still put in upside down! (The latter is not unusual, the orientation of door buttons was flipped on the two 357 subclasses).

 

[F Great Eastern]

Norwich will be one of the best IC routes when the 745s arrive, as long as the seat pitch is good. Do we know if they have a trolley or just the buffet shop?

If the seat pitch is like it is on the standard airline seats on the 755, it's worse than the MK3s, my knees literally feel claustrophobic with the left one resting on the left side of the niche and right one on the right side of the niche and knee front on the back of the niche.

At the end of the day Greater Anglia selected a high density seat with a niche since if they used the originally specified seat with the same layout they've had to have taken some out or they'd be like a football ground where terracing has been converted to seating (Hello Roots Hall!) where nobody other than people under 5ft 8 can physically sit in the seats.

The seats themselves are not bad for comfort wise and the raised table seats feel nice, the table seats in general are fine as are the priority seats and even the tip downs are better than I expected. Just if you're tall, the airline seats are pretty bad for room.

 

[hwl]

That is amazing - a few pennies saved by only fitting the buttons to one side, and they were still put in upside down! (The latter is not unusual, the orientation of door buttons was flipped on the two 357 subclasses).

The open button at bottom is now standardised.
The original system was direct pneumatic control with the buttons to open so easy to have on both sides, retrofitting electronic control and duplicating and getting them communicating on ~35year old stock less easy. (following what was done on the SN 455 a decade ago and works well)

 

[86246]

Depot congestion for the latter two. Also causing problems with units.

I think you'll find that unless things change the whole diagram starting with the 07:00 down road will be lost today so expect no 12:00 or 17:00 from Liv St either.

Indeed. Without the signalling problems at Liverpool Street, the 12:30,
14:30, 16:00, 16:30 and 17:00 from Norwich were cancelled due to train faults.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Take a look at the 9.20 from Ipswich and 10.47 from Cambridge on RTT. Both services are losing time everywhere almost. Is that really all down to freight?

Freight might hurt it getting out of Ipswich but there's some real slowcoach performance there between stations where I wouldn't expect freight like a unit not running on full power.

Is it a 156 or a 755?

 

[F Great Eastern]

The 12.20 Ipswich to Cambridge working is terminating at Bury now due to a train fault where it will be turned around.

Obvious it was a train fault. Hope it's fixed soon and goes a bit faster too.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Delete

 

[mtmikethom]

Take a look at the 9.20 from Ipswich and 10.47 from Cambridge on RTT. Both services are losing time everywhere almost. Is that really all down to freight?

Freight might hurt it getting out of Ipswich but there's some real slowcoach performance there between stations where I wouldn't expect freight like a unit not running on full power.

Is it a 156 or a 755?

If it's what's parked up now in a siding at Bury then it's a 156

 

[F Great Eastern]

If it's what's parked up now in a siding at Bury then it's a 156

It's operated from Bury to Ipswich and lost quite a bit of time again. Left Ipswich. Lost more time already and will no doubt drift again.

Reason? Signalling system apparently.

 

[mtmikethom]

Arrived Ipswich 39 late on the 1647 ex Cambridge, lost 25 en route!

 

[mtmikethom]

Duplicate deleted

 

[F Great Eastern]

Arrived Ipswich 39 late on the 1647 ex Cambridge, lost 25 en route!

Saw from the other thread it is 156422, doesn't surprise me. The heating didn't work last time I was on it. I hoped that that would be the first to go to EMR.

Just had a look at RTT and it's been consistently losing time all day on pretty much every run it has been on. Seems to lose at least 15-20 minutes down every time en-route.

Early afternoon it was turned around at Bury after accumulating delay on the previous few trips and I just notice that the 18:17 from Ipswich is going to be turned around at Bury again.

It has been out all day when seemingly unable to run on full power, without being swapped out, suggesting it may well be that or nothing else. It's clearly not very well despite the fact it was put down as being late due to a freight train on the 9.20 from Ipswich and the 13:47 starting from Bury due to signalling issues.

The Peterborough line is apparently out as drivers are not trained to work the line and 755s are not cleared to work it. But you would think if they did have the rolling stock, they'd swap that 156 out for a 755, which makes me think the Peterborough issue simply is due to a lack of stock, plain and simple.

 

[Murray J]

156406 has arrived at EMR, was in service today.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dd67773/49234765367/ (not my photo)

 

[LowLevel]

156406 has arrived at EMR, was in service today.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dd67773/49234765367/ (not my photo)

It's not arrived (except from Works at Wolverton) - 406 has been a Central/East Midlands unit from the day it was introduced. It has however been painted white

 

[Nighthawke]

156422 had the same problem on the same 1220 run yesterday. Left 25 late and ran out of steam (or something!) at Bury 34 late.

Good to see 755410 on the 1320 today which apparently arrived at Cambridge a minute early!

 

[Railperf]

Saw from the other thread it is 156422, doesn't surprise me. The heating didn't work last time I was on it. I hoped that that would be the first to go to EMR.

Just had a look at RTT and it's been consistently losing time all day on pretty much every run it has been on. Seems to lose at least 15-20 minutes down every time en-route.

Early afternoon it was turned around at Bury after accumulating delay on the previous few trips and I just notice that the 18:17 from Ipswich is going to be turned around at Bury again.

It has been out all day when seemingly unable to run on full power, without being swapped out, suggesting it may well be that or nothing else. It's clearly not very well despite the fact it was put down as being late due to a freight train on the 9.20 from Ipswich and the 13:47 starting from Bury due to signalling issues.

The Peterborough line is apparently out as drivers are not trained to work the line and 755s are not cleared to work it. But you would think if they did have the rolling stock, they'd swap that 156 out for a 755, which makes me think the Peterborough issue simply is due to a lack of stock, plain and simple.

I don't think Colchester drivers have had much training - shortage of units and all that. And I understand they cover a lot of the Peterborough diagrams. Add to that the fact that only 2 755/3s being accepted, and a load of 755/4's still sitting in sidings, there are multiple reasons. I'm led to understand there are no gauging issues whatsoever. But please correct me if i have been misled!

 

[Class 170101]

I don't think Colchester drivers have had much training - shortage of units and all that. And I understand they cover a lot of the Peterborough diagrams.

Three return trips covered by Colchester. Five by Ipswich.

 

[F Great Eastern]

156422 had the same problem on the same 1220 run yesterday. Left 25 late and ran out of steam (or something!) at Bury 34 late.

There's clearly something not right with it - it had similar problems on pretty much every single journey on it's diagram today, losing a few minutes between every station en-route and twice having to be turned at Bury from Ipswich because of accumulated late running on previous journeys.

Probably running on reduced power for some reason and they had nothing to sub in for it. Hopefully it's either fixed tonight or something different replaces it on Wednesday or shove it on a line where it's poor performance isn't shown up as there is generally less higher speed running required.

 

[Railperf]

Three return trips covered by Colchester. Five by Ipswich.

Thanks for the clarification

 

[woodhouse122]

It's not arrived (except from Works at Wolverton) - 406 has been a Central/East Midlands unit from the day it was introduced. It has however been painted white

Had 406 many times to Skegvagas ,need to look out for it in white

 

[F Great Eastern]

Is the snail out this morning?

 

[ashkeba]

There's clearly something not right with it - it had similar problems on pretty much every single journey on it's diagram today, losing a few minutes between every station en-route and twice having to be turned at Bury from Ipswich because of accumulated late running on previous journeys.

Probably running on reduced power for some reason and they had nothing to sub in for it. Hopefully it's either fixed tonight or something different replaces it on Wednesday or shove it on a line where it's poor performance isn't shown up as there is generally less higher speed running required.

Why are you not saying class 156 is clearly unfit for service and should be scrapped?

 

[F Great Eastern]

Why are you not saying class 156 is clearly unfit for service and should be scrapped?

Because I have had good trips on 156s too? If you think the Greater Anglia 156s are bad, you should have seen the 153s at the end, very unloved.

 

[ashkeba]

Because I have had good trips on 156s too? If you think the Greater Anglia 156s are bad, you should have seen the 153s at the end, very unloved.

I have had only good trips on 755s. The problem has been not enough of them turning up

I saw quite enough of the 153s all through. One of my first experiences of modern British trains was suffering a 153 on the boat train from Harwich, then changing to a Happy Train at Cambridge to go to some interview and almost feeling thrown over by the new sensation of acceleration! I think it was a disgrace ever to send dog box Sprinters to greet visitors from Europe and made me feel that British railways were in crisis and breaking down. The Turbostars were little better but the new Flirt bi-modes will be a train to be proud of - once they work reliably!

 

[trebor79]

Seen a number of debranded Mk3s running on the GEML today. Either about to go off lease or have some vehicles been brought back out of storage?
Also a 745 on test passing through Diss. First one I've seen in the flesh. Looked good!

 

[F Great Eastern]

Seen a number of debranded Mk3s running on the GEML today. Either about to go off lease or have some vehicles been brought back out of storage?
Also a 745 on test passing through Diss. First one I've seen in the flesh. Looked good!

No doubt we'll see a one in, one out practice with a class 90 being withdrawn and a 745 being introduced rather than a pool of 90s being kept back.

 

[Bringback309s]

Seen a number of debranded Mk3s running on the GEML today. Either about to go off lease or have some vehicles been brought back out of storage?
Also a 745 on test passing through Diss. First one I've seen in the flesh. Looked good!

Why bother with the time and expense of de-branding them if they haven't got a new home to go to?

 

[43096]

Why bother with the time and expense of de-branding them if they haven't got a new home to go to?

You, me, Greater Anglia and everyone else do not know that. We are not party to whatever discussions Porterbrook may be having with possible lessees or purchasers.

 

[trebor79]

Why bother with the time and expense of de-branding them if they haven't got a new home to go to?

You, me, Greater Anglia and everyone else do not know that. We are not party to whatever discussions Porterbrook may be having with possible lessees or purchasers.

They are going nowhere. It's written into the franchise agreement that the legacy intercity stock is to be stored for the duration of the franchise once it has been displaced by new stock.
I can understand a bit of an overlap, but can't imagine any sane reason to demand storage for such a long period of time.

 

[43096]

They are going nowhere. It's written into the franchise agreement that the legacy intercity stock is to be stored for the duration of the franchise once it has been displaced by new stock.
I can understand a bit of an overlap, but can't imagine any sane reason to demand storage for such a long period of time.

Having had a quick read of the publicly available copy of the franchise agreement (https://assets.publishing.service.g...8923/east_anglia_2016_franchise_agreement.pdf), I can't see any mention of that, unless I have missed it?

It is already believed that the Class 90s have further use lined up; so retaining the Mark 3s looks ridiculous.