Northern 323s refurbishment and cascade

[Liverpool 507]

A number of the 32322X's have the luggage racks. 323224 is an example.

 

[BenW390Fan]

A number of the 32322X's have the luggage racks. 323224 is an example.

Do all 323's not have luggage racks? Maybe they would've operated on the Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport shuttles.

 

[Bantamzen]

I wouldn't trust TOC staff on Twitter. They know very little about the in and outs of the franchise re. rolling stock etc. and are there to answer passengers problems at stations, delays etc

To be fair they are not there to answer enthusiast's questions on stock movements, refurb schedules or where in a diagram a certain unit it.

 

[BenW390Fan]

To be fair they are not there to answer enthusiast's questions on stock movements, refurb schedules or where in a diagram a certain unit it.

That is very true actually.

 

[prod_pep]

323223, 224 and 225 are the three fitted with luggage racks. They are regularly used on all 323 routes nowadays.

 

[BenW390Fan]

323223, 224 and 225 are the three fitted with luggage racks. They are regularly used on all 323 routes nowadays.

It makes me wonder "why only three"? Would they not just fit them all with luggage racks and then they could operate them on the Airport shuttles?

 

[43096]

It makes me wonder "why only three"? Would they not just fit them all with luggage racks and then they could operate them on the Airport shuttles?

Because there was a dedicated Piccadilly-Airport shuttle that needed 2 sets in service when they were built. That has changed since.

 

[BenW390Fan]

Because there was a dedicated Piccadilly-Airport shuttle that needed 2 sets in service when they were built. That has changed since.

Oh right.

 

[xotGD]

I read somewhere recently that the platform extensions in West Yorkshire have been delayed meaning that 6-car 331 operation can't happen yet. Instead 4 car 331s will be introduced to replace the 321/322s - presumably this will have an impact on how the new EMUs are used around Manchester e.g. Airport - Blackpool services might have to be 6-car instead of 4 (although that would be more suitable anyway). This might require some 323s to stay on where 319s are not suitable and 331s are not available.

Is this confirmed? If so, when might we see 6-car formations on Airedale services?

 

[driver_m]

Virgin twitter staff didn't even know the Pendolino's were being repainted and one member of this forum, who is a Virgin frontline staff member didn't know the Voyagers were being repainted.

You talking about Me re the 221 repaint?

I can't believe our Twitter lot wouldn't know about the pendo refurb when it was all over the Internal Pravda. But to be fair they get bombarded with all kinds of requests .They must lose track every now and then. Specially when it goes wrong.

The voyager repaint was more of a surprise to be fair. But that was undertaken by the ROSCO leading rather than being VT led .

 

[LOL The Irony]

You talking about Me re the 221 repaint?

The voyager repaint was more of a surprise to be fair. But that was undertaken by the ROSCO leading rather than being VT led .

I think it probably was

 

[Alex Flume]

Northern have confirmed to me today over Twitter that the 323’s will be around until at least summer.

 

[prod_pep]

There was a 323 in Allerton depot this afternoon, so perhaps crew training is set to resume?

 

[978wta]

There was a 323 in Allerton depot this afternoon, so perhaps crew training is set to resume?

This could be down to them not being Serviced at Longsight anymore.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Northern have confirmed to me today over Twitter that the 323’s will be around until at least summer.

No surprise there. The 331s aren’t expected to enter service until spring/summer and they wouldn’t be able to operate the current service if they handed the 323s back before then never mind try to introduce any EMUs on the Bolton line.

 

[Grannyjoans]

Returning the 323's to Porterbrook ? Why not return the crappy 319's instead

 

[cjmillsnun]

Returning the 323's to Porterbrook ? Why not return the crappy 319's instead

At a guess leasing costs.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Northern have confirmed to me today over Twitter that the 323’s will be around until at least summer.

No surprise there. The 331s aren’t expected to enter service until spring/summer and they wouldn’t be able to operate the current service if they handed the 323s back before then never mind try to introduce any EMUs on the Bolton line.

Given the information which recently surfaced in the DOO thread regarding the teething problems with the new units I suspect the stay of execution for the 323s will last through most of 2019 and very possibly beyond.

 

[bramling]

At a guess leasing costs.

Accessibility compliance?

 

[js1000]

Given the information which recently surfaced in the DOO thread regarding the teething problems with the new units I suspect the stay of execution for the 323s will last through most of 2019 and very possibly beyond.

As I posted last month before Northern confirmed on Twitter, it's common knowledge that most, if not all the Northern will stay until the end of 2019.

However the "ditch 319s & take all the 323s" won't be resolved for another couple of years until WMT hand their 323 sets back and Porterbrook are forced into a business decision.

 

[jonesy3001]

As I posted last month before Northern confirmed on Twitter, it's common knowledge that most, if not all the Northern will stay until the end of 2019.

However the "ditch 319s & take all the 323s" won't be resolved for another couple of years until WMT hand their 323 sets back and Porterbrook are forced into a business decision.

I asked the same question to northern a while back and then got shot down on a group on facebook, don't listen to whoever runs the twitter account, the virgin lot on twitter didn't know that the pendolino's were being repainted!

 

[Bantamzen]

I asked the same question to northern a while back and then got shot down on a group on facebook, don't listen to whoever runs the twitter account, the virgin lot on twitter didn't know that the pendolino's were being repainted!

To be fair, the social media teams are there for customer's queries on their journeys, ticketing etc, not for enthusiast's questions on refurbs or stock allocations.

 

[Grannyjoans]

323's were much better to drive than 319's.
319's - cramped cab, loads of back ache and not ergonomic driving controls. Very slow acceleration on the stopping work for an EMU.
I hope all the Northern 319's get replaced by 323's & 331's.

319's are very unpleasant for those of us who are forced to work them, for hours at a time, multiple days a week, week after week. I have no choice, I need the money.

 

[samuelmorris]

More unpleasant than 150s?

 

[Mogster]

The appearance of the 769s must be eagerly awaited around the depots then...

 

[1VWC]

If several drivers are saying it then ok, maybe there is something to it. I just found it difficult to believe because 319s have been around for a long time, and you didn't hear lots of reports from Thameslink about them struggling to hit 100. The same with all of the other MKIII based emu's from that era - that their acceleration isn't as good as modem units was never in doubt, but that after 14 miles they still aren't capable of hitting their top speed, that sounds like the kind of thing that would have been more readily known about. And as I pointed out, this is on a section of track where a DMU that isn't especially known for its performance has no issues at all hitting that same speed. It all seems very odd.

Take it from someone who drives them regularly, in passenger service you do not reach a ton on the Crewe line (ECS you can do although it is a slog).

The nearest you can get is when not stopping at Goostrey or Chelford - the fastest I’ve got is 95 on 319442. The neutral at Chelford kills quite a bit of speed off. Above 85 ish, the speed increase is incredibly slow.

I personally prefer driving 319s to 323s - I like driving a train rather than operating some controls. At my depot, I am in the minority, however.

 

[craigybagel]

Take it from someone who drives them regularly, in passenger service you do not reach a ton on the Crewe line (ECS you can do although it is a slog).

The nearest you can get is when not stopping at Goostrey or Chelford - the fastest I’ve got is 95 on 319442. The neutral at Chelford kills quite a bit of speed off. Above 85 ish, the speed increase is incredibly slow.

I personally prefer driving 319s to 323s - I like driving a train rather than operating some controls. At my depot, I am in the minority, however.

Interesting, thanks for taking the time to reply. So, a diesel 175 out performs an electric 319, very odd!

 

[cjmillsnun]

Interesting, thanks for taking the time to reply. So, a diesel 175 out performs an electric 319, very odd!

I suppose the fact that there is a power unit on each car for the 175 and only the MSO on the 319 may explain that.

 

[js1000]

323's were much better to drive than 319's.
319's - cramped cab, loads of back ache and not ergonomic driving controls. Very slow acceleration on the stopping work for an EMU.
I hope all the Northern 319's get replaced by 323's & 331's.

319's are very unpleasant for those of us who are forced to work them, for hours at a time, multiple days a week, week after week. I have no choice, I need the money.

The passenger areas of the 319s are cramped as well as the carriages are shorter. I'm hoping the interiors of 323s are gutted out and completely modernised similar to the 321 Renatus layout. The 319s can be converted to 769s and the remaining sets broken up for spares. I strongly suspect we're 2 or 3 years away from that happening though.

 

[edwin_m]

Interesting, thanks for taking the time to reply. So, a diesel 175 out performs an electric 319, very odd!

The poster mentioned achieving 100mph on ECS. So the answer must be at least partly to do with the electrics making more stops.