Hull Trains Struggling for Rolling Stock Again

[222001]

With this performance HT won't be able to last until 2016 with these trains at the current rate as if it's not the reliablity causing these issues their reputation will be totally trashed and they will be losing customers who get fed up with these constant breakdowns and cancellations.

Thats the main point. They must be loosing a hell of a lot of customers! In a way EMT are to blame for these problems for taking the 222s!
Looking at the state of things now it's hard to believe that Hull Trains managed to get 100% availablity from their 3 remaining 222s for weeks and weeks!
Just shows how s**te the 180s are. They have four trains which is what they will have once all the refurbishments are done so how are they going to improve when it is all finished and they are running a class 180 only operation.

 

[Andrew]

As Yorkie pointed out they might do better under different maintenance! Like I've said they've done a good job with FGW for the past few years after their (albeit rather long) teething troubles.

 

[yorkie]

Yep, I suspect FGW's engineers got to grips with them. They got to know the trains, the faults that occur, what the resolutions are for common fixes, and perhaps most crucially prevent problems occurring by spotting the warning signs. It must take a long time to fully familiarise yourself with a complicated train that is different to what you're used to.

 

[fgwrich]

Yep, I suspect FGW's engineers got to grips with them. They got to know the trains, the faults that occur, what the resolutions are for common fixes, and perhaps most crucially prevent problems occurring by spotting the warning signs. It must take a long time to fully familiarise yourself with a complicated train that is different to what you're used to.

Youre Telling me ... im not a Engineer but some freinds of mine are down at the Oak...

One thing that did quite impress me with the 180's is that you could fill up a tank of oil in the morning... and when it returns in the evening, twas quite common to find it only half full:roll:

Seriously though, im supprised that the 180's have sufferd so badly on Hull Trains considering on Great Western, they were only really being used on the oxford & Malvern line services... Stop Start Stop Start services really... when yet on Hull Trains, in theory they should actually be working better because it's quite a long distance service, and with roughly about 100 or so miles between some stops...

Mind you... As First Hull Trains unfortuanlty dont operate 222's anymore... Thanks to EMT... You would have thought that they could have removed the 222 from the front page and repalced it with the refurb 180...

rich

 

[MCR247]

Thats the main point. They must be loosing a hell of a lot of customers! In a way EMT are to blame for these problems for taking the 222s!
Looking at the state of things now it's hard to believe that Hull Trains managed to get 100% availablity from their 3 remaining 222s for weeks and weeks!
Just shows how s**te the 180s are. They have four trains which is what they will have once all the refurbishments are done so how are they going to improve when it is all finished and they are running a class 180 only operation.

Well its not EMTs fault, they didnt steal them. But I get what you mean.....

 

[222001]

Mind you... As First Hull Trains unfortuanlty dont operate 222's anymore... Thanks to EMT... You would have thought that they could have removed the 222 from the front page and repalced it with the refurb 180

Well they do still have 222104.

 

[devon_metro]

Youre Telling me ... im not a Engineer but some freinds of mine are down at the Oak...

One thing that did quite impress me with the 180's is that you could fill up a tank of oil in the morning... and when it returns in the evening, twas quite common to find it only half full:roll:

Seriously though, im supprised that the 180's have sufferd so badly on Hull Trains considering on Great Western, they were only really being used on the oxford & Malvern line services... Stop Start Stop Start services really... when yet on Hull Trains, in theory they should actually be working better because it's quite a long distance service, and with roughly about 100 or so miles between some stops...

Mind you... As First Hull Trains unfortuanlty dont operate 222's anymore... Thanks to EMT... You would have thought that they could have removed the 222 from the front page and repalced it with the refurb 180...

rich

A hydraulic transmission is bound to use lots of oil if it isn't perfectly maintained.

 

[fgwrich]

A hydraulic transmission is bound to use lots of oil if it isn't perfectly maintained.

Exactly... but what i was more talking about is Leaking oil... that was one common fault with the 180's

 

[222001]

Hull Trains' problem might just be getting worse as a good source has commented on my feedback page on my site that 222104 is moving to Etches Park tonight.

 

[fgwrich]

Hull Trains' problem might just be getting worse as a good source has commented on my feedback page on my site that 222104 is moving to Etches Park tonight.

jeeze... now i really feel for Hull Trains...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yep, I suspect FGW's engineers got to grips with them. They got to know the trains, the faults that occur, what the resolutions are for common fixes, and perhaps most crucially prevent problems occurring by spotting the warning signs. It must take a long time to fully familiarise yourself with a complicated train that is different to what you're used to.

Funnily enough, and from what ive been told...most of the main maintenance is being carried on at the Oak... as of course the 222's were maintained by Bombardier at crofton.. which as the 180's are a Alstom produce... then bombardier dosent know theyre way round them fully... so it seems FGW are taking on Hull Trains maintenance...

And speaking so... there was 3 180s round the oak on firday & satuday... 1 is a GC bound unit... but at least one of them i belive is a hull Trains unit...

thank god for the North London Line...

 

[F Great Eastern]

Due to a train fault the following services have been cancelled: 09:48 London King's Cross to Hull 12:45 Hull to London King's Cross

 

[222001]

Due to a train fault the following services have been cancelled: 09:48 London King's Cross to Hull 12:45 Hull to London King's Cross

Oh dear... I knew 222104 leaving would cause more problems.

They really need to do something.

 

[Max]

Oh dear... I knew 222104 leaving would cause more problems.

They really need to do something.

Loco hauled sets anyone? Mind you, these are pretty hard to come by thesedays as so many mk3s are being used or converted to HST stock. I didn't get the number, but the 180 working the 1706 tonight was completely debranded, and therefore I presume this is not one of the regular Hull Trains units (which I believe all have Hull Trains logos). Any ideas on when the newly refurbished set will be available?

And now the list has grown

Due to a train fault caused by vandalism, the following services have been cancelled: 09:48 London King's Cross to Hull 12:45 Hull to London King's Cross 16:06 London King's Cross to Hull 19:18 Hull to London King's Cross

This is becoming farcical. The Dft have really screwed HT over I feel!

 

[222001]

I didn't get the number, but the 180 working the 1706 tonight was completely debranded, and therefore I presume this is not one of the regular Hull Trains units (which I believe all have Hull Trains logos). Any ideas on when the newly refurbished set will be available?

180109 is the only unbranded HT 180 as far as I know.

If 180113 is not available for use yet this means that Hull Trains need 100% availablity out of the 3 180s in service. If they think they can get that then it's laughable!

HT really need a solution FAST!

 

[MCR247]

Without getting more rolling stock, the only solution I can think of is HT running a Hull - Doncaster Shuttle, which connects with NXEC services, which is far from ideal, but cancelling the amount of trains they have done so far is also far from ideal. Of course this would only work if NXEC agree to accept HT only tickets.A downside is HT passengers wouldnt get seats reservations from Donny - London.

 

[Max]

Without getting more rolling stock, the only solution I can think of is HT running a Hull - Doncaster Shuttle, which connects with NXEC services, which is far from ideal, but cancelling the amount of trains they have done so far is also far from ideal. Of course this would only work if NXEC agree to accept HT only tickets.A downside is HT passengers wouldnt get seats reservations from Donny - London.

Alternatively, and probably more likely, Hull Trains could attempt to hire units off a sister First company to run a shuttle between Hull and Doncaster, and just run between Doncaster and London. 185s from Transpennine wouldn't be completely farfetched I wouldn't have thought. Are all of FGW's HSTs in use?

 

[MCR247]

Alternatively, and probably more likely, Hull Trains could attempt to hire units off a sister First company to run a shuttle between Hull and Doncaster, and just run between Doncaster and London. 185s from Transpennine wouldn't be completely farfetched I wouldn't have thought. Are all of FGW's HSTs in use?

I would say 185s & HST are mostly used.

 

[Max]

I would say 185s & HST are mostly used.

I'm certain that a 185 has been hired in for this purpose before, although it could have just been for one service. If this had occured later on in June, the removal of Doncaster-Cleethorpes services probably would have made this possible.

 

[222001]

I'm certain that a 185 has been hired in for this purpose before, although it could have just been for one service. If this had occured later on in June, the removal of Doncaster-Cleethorpes services probably would have made this possible.

Yes. They hired a 185 to do Hull-Doncaster etc a week or two back.

 

[clagmonster]

There have also been occurences of 170s doing this as well. The happened mainly between the dropping of one of the shops and hiring of the hauled set last year.

 

[devon_metro]

Alternatively, and probably more likely, Hull Trains could attempt to hire units off a sister First company to run a shuttle between Hull and Doncaster, and just run between Doncaster and London. 185s from Transpennine wouldn't be completely farfetched I wouldn't have thought. Are all of FGW's HSTs in use?

No chance getting an HST. Been a few failures in that department as it is today!

 

[F Great Eastern]

We are very sorry that following a level crossing incident yesterday near Huntingdon, one of our trains sustained damage and was disabled as a result. Whilst the train receives repairs, the following services will not operate today.

10:12 Hull to London King's Cross
13:33 London King's Cross to Hull

First need to act NOW before it's too late.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

So this latest one isnt techincally Hull Train's fault... nor was the fatality at Hatfield the other week... Yes they are having difficulties, but its not all their own doing!
BTW, was at Kings Cross on Tuesday, and came home on the 1200 Inverness train, and as I walked along the platform the HT guard was pressing the TRTS button... yet when we left it was still in the platform...

 

[F Great Eastern]

Oh, I'm not saying it's own doing, simply that the fact they never seem to have full fleet avaliable to them as one is always breaking down, means that if an incident does happen, they have nothing to replace it as one always seems to be out of action.

 

[Edvid]

What's still required to bring 113 into service?

 

[northernbored]

I doubt they will hire anything as it should not be long before the refurbs are back into service, but i'm not sure, how many of the trains have been completed?

 

[16CSVT2700]

Yep, I suspect FGW's engineers got to grips with them. They got to know the trains, the faults that occur, what the resolutions are for common fixes, and perhaps most crucially prevent problems occurring by spotting the warning signs. It must take a long time to fully familiarise yourself with a complicated train that is different to what you're used to.

PM 50031 on WNXX and you'll see how "well" they knew the 180s..

 

[222001]

I doubt they will hire anything as it should not be long before the refurbs are back into service, but i'm not sure, how many of the trains have been completed?

Only 180113 has been completed. So they should have 4 180s.
I think the point is that they have only been having constant cancellations since the 222s left.

 

[fgwrich]

This is becoming farcical. The Dft have really screwed HT over I feel!

Without sounding semi Niave... tend to agree... one thing ive noticed with all but Scotrail and FCC of the First Group Franchises... is how DFT seems to muscle in heavily...Admitedly Great Western was a mess... but who made it that mess... DFT... who of course cause all that serious overcrowing on Great Western in 2006 by tacking away all those 150's,153/dogboxes and 158's just after FGW took over from Wessex Trains... Then with TPE, DFT again cut the amount of 185's down from the original 56 to 51... thus is why TPE have taken the 170's in a swap shop with SWT...

Havent really noticed Capital Connect taking any slack from the DFT... but then again,they are beingfed the Thameslink Project...

And now this with Hull Trains...really really do feel sorry for First Hull Trains... considering Network Rail & DFT planned to give hull the 180's ... When yet correct me if im wrong, but didnt hull trains originaly say they were only going to be taking on 180's for the Harrogate services... and would supplement there 222 fleet...

As for a Loco Hauled option...they could do that i suppose, hire some more Mk3's from Cargo D & a 67/DVT from EWS/DBS...

But then again... the problem with that of course is it's costly...and althought i have no doubt First could afford it... it's just a shame its come to this...

IDEA*** but of course far unlicky to happen... could be that First group get a 4th 67 & Mk2 rake in Scotrail, then borrow the former Hull 170's... But of course thats not likeley to happen...


Could the DFT Please Leave the door...room... country ?

 

[222001]

Apparently Hull Trains have taken on the hire of 180107. - http://andrew-chambers.fotopic.net/p57871017.html

They can't get it soon enough in my opinion.