Mileage of "express" versus "commuter" stock

[nw1]

One thing I've observed, perhaps more so in the days of BR and early privatisation, is how "express" stock tends to build up more mileage than higher density "commuter" stock, by virtue of the former being out all day, while many "commuter" stock diagrams might be needed peak only.

For example on the Waterloo lines, most of the REPs, TCs and 442s were out all day whereas a significant proportion of the VEPs might have been used peak only.The BIGs and BEPs were often out all day too, as they provided catering facilities.

Did this cause any logistical difficulty, the fact that the express stock might rack up significantly more miles than the commuter stock? Or was it just accepted that the express stock might "wear out" more quickly, because they were out all day?

 

[Halish Railway]

Bare in mind as well the average speed of the train from the beginning of the diagram to the end of the diagram. If you compare an LNER Azuma that is wizzing up and down the ECML all day, with high linespeeds and limited stops to a London Overground Electrostar plodding through North London all day, doing 45mph at most and stopping every 2-3 minutes then the Azuma will naturally cover more miles, close to or exceeding a thousand miles in a day, compared to about 200 miles at most for the Capitalstar.

 

[357]

This came up when Eurostar were scrapping trains, someone in the thread posted the estimated milage of the stock IIRC

 

[Snow1964]

What wears old quicker will vary, eg might have an LNER IET doing 4-5 times the mileage, but a commuter train does more brake applications and door opening / closing cycles.

If start carrying passengers at 140%+ of seats then tend to get lot more scuffed fittings in the aisle etc.

 

[43074]

On the Great Northern outers there is a mix of higher mileage and lower mileage diagrams in the "Express" fleet, the proportion of higher to lower mileage diagrams varies depending on requirements for strengthening in the peaks, whilst a 387 might do no more than 200 miles on a circuit one day where it stables during the off peak, the next day it may do 750 - 800 miles. You'd probably find outer suburban fleets do more mileage overall but probably not as much extra as you'd think. A 717 on the inners might do 400 miles two days in a row because most of the fleet bar a few are out all day.