Royal Mail trains to/from Willesden

[Skimpot flyer]

I’m hearing rumours that Royal Mail are looking to run an extra service or services to/from their rail-connected facility at Princess Royal Distribution Centre in the run-up to Christmas.
Looking ahead, I see this path https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C18381/2021-10-27/detailed and it doesn’t have the notation ‘runs as required’, so is that any indication of anything ?

 

[baz962]

I’m hearing rumours that Royal Mail are looking to run an extra service or services to/from their rail-connected facility at Princess Royal Distribution Centre in the run-up to Christmas.
Looking ahead, I see this path https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C18381/2021-10-27/detailed and it doesn’t have the notation ‘runs as required’, so is that any indication of anything ?

I don't know if it is any indication , but at Willesden tmd there a couple of ex EMR hst's. Just before I left the Overground I asked about them and was told that they were going to be used as parcel trains.

 

[AndrewE]

How many drivers of HSTs have WCML route knowledge (or vv.)
What proportion of Post Office EMU's are currently in use?
A

 

[ExRes]

I don't know if it is any indication , but at Willesden tmd there a couple of ex EMR hst's. Just before I left the Overground I asked about them and was told that they were going to be used as parcel trains.

There are four Class 43s at Willesden and they are owned by RailAdventure, two are for refurbishment and use by Hanson & Hall / RailAdventure and the other two for spares recovery, never say never but I doubt that parcel traffic is likely to be in their future

 

[Freightmaster]

I’m hearing rumours that Royal Mail are looking to run an extra service or services to/from their rail-connected facility at Princess Royal Distribution Centre in the run-up to Christmas.

There used to be extra trains between London and Shieldmuir every November and December using 325 units,
but last year they only ran from Warrington to Shieldmuir and vice versa for some reason.



MARK

 

[Skimpot flyer]

There are four Class 43s at Willesden and they are owned by RailAdventure, two are for refurbishment and use by Hanson & Hall / RailAdventure and the other two for spares recovery, never say never but I doubt that parcel traffic is likely to be in their future

I’d say unlikely, too. The 325 units are fitted-out specifically for wheeled containers known as Yorks. Each carriage can take at least 55 such Yorks.

 

[Southern Dvr]

Aren’t there a few class 319/321 conversions for this sort of thing?

 

[DanNCL]

The HST power cars at Willesden have nothing to do with Royal Mail. They’re stored pending modification for use to haul units around the network, in a similar fashion to the Rail Operations Group fleet.

It’s possible that the 319 conversions (to be reclassified as 326s and 768s) could be linked to these possible extra parcels services in the run up to Christmas. Unlikely any of the 321 conversions (bar the prototype) will be ready by then.