Royal Mail to cease using trains

[D7672]

Sat in alexandra junction yard at newport and not sims metals

 

[ExRes]

Loved the comment on facebook, "Postman Tat"

 

[Ewan M]

The 325s that went to Newport are currently awaiting onward movement from Newport ADJ to Unimetals. Going by Google Maps, it’s basically the same site as Sims.

From Today’s Railways on X:

“325s for scrap: No time has been wasted disposing of the Royal Mail 325s. 013 has already been sent to EMR in Glasgow for disposal & yesterday @DBCargoUK 66168 hauled 009/003/012 to ADJ yard, Newport where they are seen today waiting the short trip to Unimetals. Stephen Batty”

Photos ©️ Stephen Batty

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[DBS92042]

The 325s that went to Newport are currently awaiting onward movement from Newport ADJ to Unimetals. Going by Google Maps, it’s basically the same site as Sims.

From Today’s Railways on X:

“325s for scrap: No time has been wasted disposing of the Royal Mail 325s. 013 has already been sent to EMR in Glasgow for disposal & yesterday @DBCargoUK 66168 hauled 009/003/012 to ADJ yard, Newport where they are seen today waiting the short trip to Unimetals. Stephen Batty”

Photos ©️ Stephen Batty

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One final journey now on RTT for at least one of them:

Realtime Trains | 4Z36 0638 Alexandra Dock Jn. T.C. to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) | 04/11/2024

Real-time train running information for 4Z36 0638 departure from Alexandra Dock Jn. T.C. to Newport Docks (Simsgroup) on 04/11/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Skimpot flyer]

It really is sad to see this.

 

[Ewan M]

Looks as if this morning’s ADJ to Newport Docks journey hasn’t run

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Not the first time the mail is delayed

 

[Ewan M]

Not the first time the mail is delayed

The move got cancelled so this’ll be a late Royal Mail delivery to Newport Docks

 

[LUYMun]

The move got cancelled so this’ll be a late Royal Mail delivery to Newport Docks

Should they leave it with its neighbour?

 

[brad465]

Unknown, that's usually commercially sensitive.

But I've known TDOs to be placed on fleets with common spares by certain ROSCOs to prevent spares falling into the hands of fleets run by other ROSCOs.

Reminds me of the buses parked up at one PTE in the run up to deregulation, where they added sand to the engine or smashed parts of the engines off, so rhey couldn't be sold on to rival companies.

The free market is brilliant, until it benefits rivals, then we have to bring in cartels/restrictions to stop rivals competing.

I can totally understand TDOs being necessary for military hardware and other kit that is linked to matters of national security, but I don't see how this particular example regarding a rail fleet should be able to do this.

 

[ExRes]

This time Royal Mail is free of blame though, a private delivery service has failed to deliver, yet again

The free market is brilliant, until it benefits rivals, then we have to bring in cartels/restrictions to stop rivals competing.

I can totally understand TDOs being necessary for military hardware and other kit that is linked to matters of national security, but I don't see how this particular example regarding a rail fleet should be able to do this.

As I see it we have a simple case of an owner disposing of their private property, so they can do whatever they want with it without asking the permission of someone else

 

[Adrian Barr]

The 4Z36 move ran slightly later as 6Z36 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:23704/2024-11-04/detailed

66097 took in units 325003 + 325012 (I don't think they wanted more than two units at the same time)

 

[D7672]

Max is 2 units a time

 

[Nippy]

The units at Willesden PRDC seem to have moved as the TDs are now showing empty, does anyone know where to?

The units are still in the PRDC, in platforms 1-3. I don’t know how many are in each platform though.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

The units are still in the PRDC, in platforms 1-3. I don’t know how many are in each platform though.

As of today, there are two units in Platform 1, three in Platform 2, and one in Platform 3

(A total of 6 units)

Updated post

 

[DBS92042]

As of today, there are two units in Platform 1, three in Platform 2, and one in Platform 3

(A total of 6 units)

Updated post

Those six being 001/002/005/011/014/015

 

[Ewan M]

325002+ 325013 awaiting the chop at Newport. (Unknown photographer)

From Stephen Menzies ACIRO on X:

“New tin cans coming soon”

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[XCTurbostar]

Looks like another scrap move is in for Thursday from Mossend: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K22904/2024-11-07/detailed

 

[Adrian Barr]

Looks like another scrap move is in for Thursday from Mossend

5Q76 is on the run from Mossend to Newport Docks with 37510 hauling vehicles 68312 / 68366 / 68313 / 68325 / 68372 / 68324.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K22904/2024-11-07/detailed

Edit - actual formation was 68325 / 68372 / 68324 (from 325013) and 68310 / 68365 / 68311 (from 325006) - thanks to DBS92042 for pointing out the consist in TOPS was wrong!

That's 3 vehicles from each of 325007 325006 and 325013. The fact that a car is missing from each unit fits in with this information from post #319:

Three cars were roaded away from Mossend for scrap last week, piecing together the info to hand it would appear to have been the motor coaches from 325006/07/13.

N.B. The motor coach numbers from these units would be 68345 (from 325006), 68346 (from 325007) and 68352 (from 325013)

 

[DBS92042]

5Q76 is on the run from Mossend to Newport Docks with 37510 hauling vehicles 68312 / 68366 / 68313 / 68325 / 68372 / 68324.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K22904/2024-11-07/detailed

That's 3 vehicles from each of 325007 and 325013. The fact that a car is missing from each unit fits in with this information from post #319:

Confirm sighting by myself as it being 37510 + 325013 325006 (not 007)

 

[Skimpot flyer]

In (unrelated) news, Royal Mail released a photo last week of a new electric van, bearing the cipher of King Charles

 

[Northerngirl]

If only there was a larger electric van that could go between distribution hubs, and didn't even need charging

 

[m0ffy]

If only there was a larger electric van that could go between distribution hubs, and didn't even need charging

You could even string several of them together.

 

[Doomotron]

You could even string several of them together.

And would be more expensive to run, 30 years out of date and would serve a market that barely exists anymore.

 

[D365]

And would be more expensive to run, 30 years out of date and would serve a market that barely exists anymore.

What is Varamis’ target market in that case?

 

[E100]

Extremely sad to see these going to scrap so soon. Can't help but feel this just about sums up everything wrong with the current economy.

 

[XCTurbostar]

I'm getting a lot of 'EWS in the early 2000s' vibes from this 325 situation.
Just like EWS scrapped their 'heritage' locos without offering them for sale, is there a moral element to the immediate scrapping of these serviceable 325 units instead of opening them up to the market? I suspect there is a 'business interests' element to this.

 

[swt_passenger]

What is Varamis’ target market in that case?

I don’t think anyone knows. It isn't as though they’re running many services. Maybe the post office know what they’re doing…

 

[ExRes]

Extremely sad to see these going to scrap so soon. Can't help but feel this just about sums up everything wrong with the current economy.

Can't understand what it's got to do with the current economy, these are 30 year old assets that require major investment, their owners have decided that investment is not in any way financially viable to undertake, nothing other than a plain and simple business decision

I'm getting a lot of 'EWS in the early 2000s' vibes from this 325 situation.
Just like EWS scrapped their 'heritage' locos without offering them for sale, is there a moral element to the immediate scrapping of these serviceable 325 units instead of opening them up to the market? I suspect there is a 'business interests' element to this.

Is there actually any such thing as a moral element any more? The best use would have been to a) hold sub postmasters before shipping them off to prison or b) hold the cash that RM stole from said sub postmasters

 

[43096]

I'm getting a lot of 'EWS in the early 2000s' vibes from this 325 situation.
Just like EWS scrapped their 'heritage' locos without offering them for sale, is there a moral element to the immediate scrapping of these serviceable 325 units instead of opening them up to the market? I suspect there is a 'business interests' element to this.

Anyone interested in the market could just as easily go to Eversholt for their surplus 321s.