Northern unit reallocation

[quantinghome]

3-car Class 331s are now running on the Leeds North-West routes. My understanding was that this was going to happen when the platform extensions currently underway were completed, allowing 2x3-car services to run. Unfortunately it seems the units are being run already, before the platform works have been finished, and sometimes at the peaks. That's 203 seats vs 360 in a 4-car Class 333.

Anyone know why this is happening now?

 

[Halish Railway]

3-car Class 331s are now running on the Leeds North-West routes. My understanding was that this was going to happen when the platform extensions currently underway were completed, allowing 2x3-car services to run. Unfortunately it seems the units are being run already, before the platform works have been finished, and sometimes at the peaks. That's 203 seats vs 360 in a 4-car Class 333.

Anyone know why this is happening now?

The four carriage 331s were sent across the Pennines to see off the 319s.

 

[Geeves]

On the west side electric trains are being replaced by 2 car DMUs. Everything is in the air due to delays sending 323s from Birmingham

 

[quantinghome]

Sounds like a nightmare for those putting diagrams together.

 

[RAPC]

It seems to be a reallocation where nobody is winning in the short term. Leeds going from 4 to 3, some electrics on the west becoming 2 car DMUs and some Blackpool to Manchester services going from 6 to 4 or 3.

 

[30907]

3-car Class 331s are now running on the Leeds North-West routes. My understanding was that this was going to happen when the platform extensions currently underway were completed, allowing 2x3-car services to run. Unfortunately it seems the units are being run already, before the platform works have been finished, and sometimes at the peaks. That's 203 seats vs 360 in a 4-car Class 333.

Anyone know why this is happening now?

To allow much older units to be withdrawn.

The diagrammed workings (which someone posted a couple of months back) have the 331s almost exclusively on Bradford workings which makes perfect sense.

Why that has changed (I notice 3x 331s in this evening's Leeds peak, 2 yesterday) is unclear - availability of 333s or spare 331s with Baildon shut?

 

[quantinghome]

Realtimetrains shows the 331s working all Leeds north-west lines.

 

[Jamesrob637]

The four carriage 331s were sent across the Pennines to see off the 319s.

Which should have stayed until the June TT change at least.

 

[30907]

Realtimetrains shows the 331s working all Leeds north-west lines.

Yes, agreed, but not in significant numbers, and not many in the peak

 

[Halish Railway]

Realtimetrains shows the 331s working all Leeds north-west lines.

The allocations are a bit messed up at the moment on account of the Ilkley to Bradford services not running due to a Landslide.

Normally the 331s should be confined to the Leeds to Doncaster and Bradford Forster Square services and Bradford Forster Square to Ilkley and Skipton services, with the exception of early mornings and late evenings.

 

[xotGD]

Yes, agreed, but not in significant numbers, and not many in the peak

The 17:42 Leeds - Skipton is solid 331 at the moment. Used to always be a 333. Mind, I would always have a bay of 6 to myself in the rear coach!

 

[quantinghome]

Which should have stayed until the June TT change at least.

Quite. Seems odd that the withdrawal went ahead when the Class 323s were delayed coming up from the Midlands.

 

[HUY2ROB]

At Huyton today. The 15-52 to Wigan cancelled due to more trains than usual being repaired.

 

[AMD]

At Huyton today. The 15-52 to Wigan cancelled due to more trains than usual being repaired.

323220 failed this morning knocking today's allocations out a bit.

To answer the original question -
The reshuffle of the 331s was to spread the electric units out in terms of mitigating against a shortage of units on the back of the 319s going, and the expected 323s not having come north yet - the 4 cars went west with 3 cars in return, so a good number of former 6 car diagrams in the west are now 4 and 4 car in the east are now 3. Also it has to be noted that the 'triangle' is the area that has seen the slowest return of passenger numbers post covid.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

323220 failed this morning knocking today's allocations out a bit.

And it sat in Wigan P1 all day, which allowed me to see it (And get photos), and also happened to capture a 156 on one of the Manchester-Wigan peak time fast trains.

 

[quantinghome]

To answer the original question -
The reshuffle of the 331s was to spread the electric units out in terms of mitigating against a shortage of units on the back of the 319s going, and the expected 323s not having come north yet - the 4 cars went west with 3 cars in return, so a good number of former 6 car diagrams in the west are now 4 and 4 car in the east are now 3. Also it has to be noted that the 'triangle' is the area that has seen the slowest return of passenger numbers post covid.

Which begs the question, why did the disposal of the 319s go ahead if the 323s were delayed? Why not keep them on for another 6 months?

 

[AMD]

Which begs the question, why did the disposal of the 319s go ahead if the 323s were delayed? Why not keep them on for another 6 months?

They were all running out of hours before their next major exam, who's going to spend £xxxs on something that's only going to be used for a few months (don't look at the various SWR machinations!!!)