Light rail vehicle on M6 this evening

[randyrippley]

Near Wigan on a flatbed lorry heading south around 5pm.
What looked like the end carriage from something similar to the Docklands light railway. Unpainted aluminium bodyshell, glazed. One raked end, one flat end.
No idea what it was, anyone got any ideas?

 

[ld0595]

I think I saw the same thing (or something very similar) on the outskirts of Glasgow on the M74 at about 1pm today. Curious to know what it was too.

 

[randyrippley]

I think I saw the same thing (or something very similar) on the outskirts of Glasgow on the M74 at about 1pm today. Curious to know what it was too.

The timings match, so probably was the same thing - or another part of it

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Couldn't have been one of the new Clockwork Oranges on delivery to Broomloan could it?

 

[ld0595]

I'm not complelty sure. It didnt look like it though and I can't understand why it would be heading south.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I'm not complelty sure. It didnt look like it though and I can't understand why it would be heading south.

Oh sorry... heading south... yes.... that wouldn't be on delivery then!!!

I somehow read that as north...

 

[randyrippley]

Closest I can get to it are the original people carriers at Stansted, but it looks like they have symmetrical ends, This looked asymmetric, one end raked, one flat as if designed to run in pairs
Didn't look particularly new, but aluminium can be deceptive

 

[Lewlew]

Isn't Luton airport getting some new driverless trains between the parkway and airport?

 

[mwmbwls]

Isn't Luton airport getting some new driverless trains between the parkway and airport?

Work on the mass passenger transit carriages for the DART is well under way. They are being built at Caravetch in Oberweis, Austria.
https://www.carvatech.com/en/projects/luton/

 

[mark-h]

Work on the mass passenger transit carriages for the DART is well under way.

Looking at the video posted on twitter yesterday they are nowhere near needing the trains delivered.

 

[mwmbwls]

Looking at the video posted on twitter yesterday they are nowhere near needing the trains delivered.

The link is scheduled to open in 2021 - I have see nothing to suggest that it won't. The big elements are now in place, the technology is mature and Doppelmayr are world leaders in this type of technology. I stand open to correction on this but I do not think the trains are special to type equipment.

 

[edwin_m]

Perhaps they're getting one part of one train delivered to familiarize staff or even to exhibit it to the public? Although if that's what it is, it's a bit of a mystery why it should be in the Glasgow area.

 

[WatcherZero]

Stadler delivery to Merseyrail? But they were painted in Hungary.

 

[Domh245]

Haven't all the Stadler deliveries been drags through the tunnel? Given the articulated nature of the units, I can't imagine they'd deliver them by road unless there was no other choice?

 

[randyrippley]

Stadler delivery to Merseyrail? But they were painted in Hungary.

No, this was a lightweight vehicle, like an airport shuttle

 

[WatcherZero]

These are the Luton carriages:
https://dart.llal.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Train-panel-build-progress.jpg

https://dart.llal.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Train-build-progress.jpg

I didn't think you were talking about something that small.

 

[randyrippley]

that end-carriage in raw aluminium finish but with glazing fitted could well be it

where were those photos taken?

 

[WatcherZero]

Wolfurt Austria, they do Rope powered people movers but the company primarily manufactures ski lifts.

 

[randyrippley]

Wolfurt Austria, they do Rope powered people movers but the company primarily manufactures ski lifts.

Even more of a mystery as to why it was on the M6

unless someone in the UK was asked to knock up a cheap display mockup????????