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Speculation on alternative traction covering the grounding of Class 80x fleet

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TheLastMinute

TheLastMinute

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iainp said:
Why bother - Scotrail could use the HST's they have in store a bit like Cross Country are doing could they not?
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Agreed. And if the EMR HSTs are in a condition to reallocate to another operator, I would think GWR have a more pressing need, e.g. to provide a shuttle over the Barks & Hants that currently has no direct service.
 
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SeanG

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This message was doing the rounds yesterday evening, I was sent it by a couple of people with no connection to GWR or ASLEF, so assuming this to be public knowledge. I've removed a name and job title. Happy to remove if not so:

Colleagues,

Here are some points the I picked up at the meeting:

Overview:
5 trains currently remain in service,
The number of trains might fluctuate due to routine maintenance, other issues, etc,
Some trains may be returned to service tomorrow, but the return of significant numbers to service is a long way off,
Cracks found in 2 places – around the yew damper bracket bolster, and behind the lifting (jack) pocket bolster,
Was initially thought they could be score marks on the body vinyl,
Risk assessment regarding the cracks around the yew damper were that they were ok to continue in service,
The number of cracks then found behind the lifting pocket bolster were so numerous that the fleet was withdrawn by Hitachi,
Longest crack found so far = 285mm,
86 out of 93 trains affected (mixture of yaw damper and lifting pocket issues),
7000 grade aluminium which requires highly specialist welding to the point it will have to be overseen by The Welding Institute (TWI),
Intention for 800013 to have first welding and be tested, 800026 to have parts removed for analysis,
Any work or assessments will be overseen by an independent party (Ricardo Rail), so there can be no accusation of Hitachi/GWR ‘marking their own work’,
Nothing will be underwritten that is not safe,
Process/work to follow this sign-off procedure:
GWR/Hitachi,
Ricardo Rail,
ORR/DfT,
Work being done, and the process followed for safety validation, etc, to be communicated out to GWR staff via the FastLine for reassurance, etc,
Strict criteria for return into service will be put in place,
No exact/precise roadmap for return of trains, but as it stands only 8 would be available today,
The concern is that metal would come free from the set at high speed, rather than a structural failure being encountered,
Will be looking at whether this has been caused or exasperated in some way by infrastructure issues in the Western Region (track issues) by the use of instrument trains when possible.

Plan:
Currently running 87% of trains,
Only station unserved is Pewsey,
Helped by other TOC’s:
CrossCountry – additional trains Bristol – Swindon,
Chiltern – additional trains Oxford – Marylebone,
SWR – additional trains Exeter – Waterloo,
TfW – additional trains Cardiff – Swansea,
From Tuesday looking at extending 387’s from Didcot to Swindon by use of guard,
Possibility of increase in 2+4’s on Cardiff – Swansea and Exeter – Penzance services,
Turbo’s being used on Cotswold and Bedwyn services,
Units on Swindon – Gloucester,
Have had some offers of help from outside parties, but most unfeasible. Possibility of using ‘spare’ TPE 800’s, but issues with no ATP, and the TMS would not be aligned for use on GWR services,
Involvement of reps to continue,

Colleagues:
Working to home spare/white space agreement, but issues because work is coming from control rather than resources,
More structured workings and diagrams expected later in the week.

Further calls between the GWR Exec and TU FTO’s to be arranged going forward. TU’s asked for total transparency and clear detailed communication to be put out to reassure colleagues.

Feel free to cascade this information out to your local reps, etc, as I know there will be a lot of people seeking reassurance/answers.

Yours fraternally
XXXXX
XXXXX
ASLEF | 77 St John St | Farringdon | EC1M 4NN
 
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Purple Orange

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Bletchleyite said:
This Forum is good at naysaying or finding trivial reasons why something can't or shouldn't happen. I could list loads of things that have been naysaid on here and then happened.
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Yes x 1,000! This forum never ceases to amaze me at the various ways of saying ‘NO!’
 
43102EMR

43102EMR

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Robbies said:
Not all workings show up on RTT. I could not find the moving of the HST trailers from Crewe to Lara yesterday on RTT for example.
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Yeah there was definitely a working for that - also it’s all well and good that GWR are receiving all of this stock, but how fast will they be able to prepare them for service to cover the IET shortfall?
 
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irish_rail

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43102EMR said:
Yeah there was definitely a working for that - also it’s all well and good that GWR are receiving all of this stock, but how fast will they be able to prepare them for service to cover the IET shortfall?
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How long does it take to stick a couple of power cars either end of the rake. Drivers all sign the traction and route, I guess only consideration is are Guards trained on slam door still, I suspect maybe not.
 
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24Grange

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irish_rail said:
How long does it take to stick a couple of power cars either end of the rake. Drivers all sign the traction and route, I guess only consideration is are Guards trained on slam door still, I suspect maybe not.
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Are you allowed to use slam-door stock anymore? Accessability/disability ?
 
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physics34

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Sorry for not reading further back but are the short HSTs running to Padd?
 
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LittleAH

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irish_rail said:
Yes but this is a national emergency. Just had to hve a Frank conversation with my disabled next door neighbour who is booked up to London next week. Currently no services from the entire South West to London, surely that is a trifle more important than a few sparsely populated stations losing their service for a period.
The priority should be the greater good,not take an "im alright Jack" mentality.
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Sack off Chester-Le-Street then... Good one.
 
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Bletchleyite

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irish_rail said:
Oh dear the poor darlings will have to take a short bus or taxi trip to Durham
Heart bleeds.
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In this situation, removing local stops in favour of buses and bustituting branch lines to release rolling stock makes genuine sense. Particularly with COVID making full and standing trains a very bad thing indeed.
 
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800001

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irish_rail said:
Oh dear the poor darlings will have to take a short bus or taxi trip to Durham
Heart bleeds.
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One hourly bus Chester-le-Street to Durham and one hourly Chester le Street to Newcastle, so its not like they are stranded.
 
43096

43096

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irish_rail said:
Yes but this is a national emergency. Just had to hve a Frank conversation with my disabled next door neighbour who is booked up to London next week. Currently no services from the entire South West to London, surely that is a trifle more important than a few sparsely populated stations losing their service for a period.
The priority should be the greater good,not take an "im alright Jack" mentality.
Click to expand...
100% correct. This is a national rail crisis and needs a national solution.

It should also be noted that under the emergency agreements with the TOCs, DfT can order them to transfer stock. Rail North just needs to be sidelined on this.
 
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SteelWeelApeal

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Could some of the trains that pass through not make an additional call at Chester-le-street? I'm sure in the non-covid timetable there was one crosscountry that did anyway, so I can't see that rolling stock or crew knowledge would be an issue.
 
FGW_DID

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c2c 387 > GWR update:

Move will now be tomorrow, the units (looks like its the even numbers) will be picked up from Wembley using 57306 from Reading.

57306 + 387s back to reading around 1330 (ish)

Well that's the current plan anyway!
 
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RobShipway

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FGW_DID said:
c2c 387 > GWR update:

Move will now be tomorrow, the units (looks like its the even numbers) will be picked up from Wembley using 57306 from Reading.

57306 + 387s back to reading around 1330 (ish)

Well that's the current plan anyway!
Click to expand...
Thank you for the update FGW_DID.
 
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