So, TPE have finally announced that they will be getting 10 x 350/4 units, which will be 4 coach trains, each having a seating capacity of 210, of which 19 will be First Class. One assumes then that there will be rather more luggage capacity than in both existing 350s and 185s (it represents a seating increase of only 19 seats from a 3 car 185 to a 4 car 350/4).
TPE ARE (surprisingly in my opinion) to keep ALL their existing DMU fleet of 51 x 185s and 9 x 170s.
Which brings me to my question: how best should the diesel fleet be deployed once the Manchester - Scotland services have become entirely electric?
Should the 170s be concentrated on just one particular route, as, doubled up, they could provide a 4 car train each hour instead of a 3 car? (The South Route might be a sensible contender)?
Or would it be sensible to return all South Route services to be 185s, rather than the mix of 170s/185s as now, and concentrate the 170s as paired-up units on Manchester / Hull services, rather than the mix of 185s/170s that operate on that service at present?
Will 10 x 350s effectively release 10 x 185 units, and, if so, where would these be best deployed? Make all Liverpool / Scarborough trains 2 x 185 all through the day? Running 6 car trains to / from Manchester Airport is more problematic, as many services share platforms at Manchester Airport with other services; 6 car trains would in most cases prevent this.
I'm interested in peoples' ideas.... as I am not sure that there is one definitive answer that stands out above all the others. In all cases, such a solution will only be temporary, as North West electrification will, from 2016, enable Manchester / Blackpool services to also become EMU operated and obviously, once the full Manchester - Leeds - York electrification scheme is completed, then who knows what traction will then be used on the North Route?