Merseyrail legacy fleet updates (Class 507/508)

[Tynwald]

I would expect at this point, you will be looking at pretty well 100% replacement. ouch.

 

[DJH1971]

I would expect at this point, you will be looking at pretty well 100% replacement. ouch.

The clock is really ticking now before there will be not any Merseyrail services full stop.

 

[Pep and co]

Chester line now suffering

https://twitter.com/merseyrail/status/1533879275715272707?s=21&t=ns6NC-CGqotd4YnbtrhBkA

Chester races on Saturday...
....carnage awaits

 

[diffident]

Chester races on Saturday...
....carnage awaits

Blimey yes, totally forgot it was the races, traditionally well attended from Merseyside! That will be utter chaos.

 

[jamesst]

The clock is really ticking now before there will be not any Merseyrail services full stop.

Not in the slightest, there's actually fixed units going back out.

How is the national dispute likely to impinge on Merseyrail, bearing in mind it's not one of the TOCs on the list?

Badly. The areas covered by sandhills will be able to offer a limited service, the areas outside of sandhills probably less likely

Chester races on Saturday...
....carnage awaits

Again the Chester line has actually held up pretty well the last couple of days. The days of merseyrail strengthening trains for Chester races had gone before the current troubles.

 

[L401CJF]

Chester races on Saturday...
....carnage awaits

All Chester services have ran today with the exception of 3 cancellations, I believe one of them had been pre planned.

 

[HuggyB87]

As of now, 25 units are off the road.

 

[DJH1971]

As of now, 25 units are off the road.

Getting worse instead of better

 

[kemal]

Hi

Is there a list of which units are off the road please?

 

[Bow Fell]

Getting worse instead of better

In what way? There have been various units repaired during the week, with repairs round the clock at Kirkdale and North taking place, they are in a much better position than at the start of the week.

 

[D821]

How is the national dispute likely to impinge on Merseyrail, bearing in mind it's not one of the TOCs on the list?

Whilst Merseyrail staff aren't on strike, if there's a track fault there won't be anyone from NR to attend.

 

[karlbbb]

In what way? There have been various units repaired during the week, with repairs round the clock at Kirkdale and North taking place, they are in a much better position than at the start of the week.

The last number I saw touted around was that 18 units were out of service. If that has now climbed to 25, that seems like it's getting worse, assuming both numbers are true.

 

[jamesst]

Whilst Merseyrail staff aren't on strike, if there's a track fault there won't be anyone from NR to attend.

Signallers are network rail, you're looking at a severely reduced service even taking into account the current reduced service

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

In what way? There have been various units repaired during the week, with repairs round the clock at Kirkdale and North taking place, they are in a much better position than at the start of the week.

That suggest they understand root cause and have a solution now so just a matter of time and resources to implement it.

MerseyRail MD Andy Heath as put out a video doesn't give much technical info more about the service changes.

EDIT: I seem the commercial director did an almost identical video update 3 days ago where she said things should be resolved by 11th June!

Clearly as things aren't then guess the MD doing an update is sensible but pretty naff to replay just the same message with the only difference being we aren't going to forecast when things will get back to normal.

 

[MR-507508]

Any idea what units are currently stabled in the two sidings at West Kirby please?

 

[JamesP]

Getting worse instead of better

You're salivating at this, aren't you? Absolutely loving it.

 

[8A Rail]

The last number I saw touted around was that 18 units were out of service. If that has now climbed to 25, that seems like it's getting worse, assuming both numbers are true.

Getting worse instead of better

Eighteen was the number quoted BEFORE the wheel bearing issue was known as far as I am aware. So yes it has got worst then.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Eighteen was the number quoted BEFORE the wheel bearing issue was known as far as I am aware. So yes it has got worst then.

As has the service provision. This is the latest timetable from Merseyrail's website:

From Monday 13 June, services will resume on Kirkby & New Brighton lines but with changes to train times and frequency.

Trains will run every 30 minutes on the Ormskirk, Kirkby, Hunts Cross, New Brighton, West Kirby, Chester & Ellesmere Port lines. Trains will run every 15 minutes between Southport and Liverpool Central.

This is due to the increase in wheel bearing faults.

We ask passengers to check before you travel and please allow more time for your journey

It's quite sad really. With the continuing 777 fiasco and now this Merseyrail have gone from being considered one of the top performing, respected operations to a shambles in quite a short period of time. How the mighty have fallen.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's quite sad really. With the continuing 777 fiasco and now this Merseyrail have gone from being considered one of the top performing, respected operations to a shambles in quite a short period of time. How the mighty have fallen.

How recently did the senior management change? The guy on the above video is not the Dutchman I remembered.

 

[prod_pep]

How recently did the senior management change? The guy on the above video is not the Dutchman I remembered.

Google is your friend. First result for "Merseyrail Andy Heath": https://www.merseyrail.org/news/andy-heath-appointed-new-managing-director-of-merseyrail.aspx

Andy Heath has today been named the new managing director of Merseyrail, succeeding Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, who has been appointed the managing director of West Midlands Trains. Both Jan and Andy will begin their new jobs on 11 December 2017.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thanks, so not recent.

 

[D821]

Lineside fire by Waterloo today, restricting services further, just to add to the fun.
My journey wasn't too bad today, the train was busy but not packed. I'm guessing those who can are WfH.

 

[Pacef8]

Signal failures at capenhurst again. Railtrack have installed some seriously poor equipment and charged several million for it.

 

[karlbbb]

Pleasantly surprised with a 6-car service on the Ormskirk line this morning. Hoping for the same this afternoon but looking to leave work a touch early and get the 1550 home to try and beat a bit of the normal leaving work traffic in case it's a 3-car.

 

[Bertie the bus]

How recently did the senior management change? The guy on the above video is not the Dutchman I remembered.

I was more referring to the Merseyrail network and operation than the TOC itself because some of the issues are quite obviously outside of the TOC's control. Not that whose fault it is is of any real relevance to passengers.

 

[Agent_Squash]

They should have fitted the new ones with GOPs right from the get go, got them in traffic and *then* had the argument about DOO. The whole thing has been a mismanaged farce right from day 1.

Ordering trains with a single
mode of operation on a 21st century railway is sheer stupidity, and I say that as somebody completely opposed to DOO passenger trains. Even the utter mess that is Northern had the foresight to have the 195s and 331s fitted with GOPs.

Northern never planned to introduce DOO with the 195s/331s straight away - the RMT just made it out like they did...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Northern never planned to introduce DOO with the 195s/331s straight away - the RMT just made it out like they did...

DOO definitely was the plan, though. I'm sure I recall the guard panels were retrofits, or do I remember wrongly?

 

[Agent_Squash]

DOO definitely was the plan, though. I'm sure I recall the guard panels were retrofits, or do I remember wrongly?

This is where it gets murky indeed - but considering the first routes were Barrow/Windermere (which are absolute block - no no for DOO!) it was hardly intended to be their only method of operation.

Guards can't operate 195s/331s from the back cab - so it does seem like they were intended for practical guard usage from the get go.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This is where it gets murky indeed - but considering the first routes were Barrow/Windermere (which are absolute block - no no for DOO!) it was hardly intended to be their only method of operation.

Guards can't operate 195s/331s from the back cab - so it does seem like they were intended for practical guard usage from the get go.

Yes, that's an odd one. If they were going to be DOO for everything, it'd point - again - to them being more suited to Manchester suburbans, like (back on topic!) Merseyrail was going to be.

 

[HuggyB87]

Overnight a 777 and a 508 unit were both running on the Ormskirk lone. Wander if that’s anything to do with the ongoing bearing faults?

A party game of “how low, can it go?” perhaps?