West Midlands Class 323 - the final countdown

[crosscity]

After almost 30 years in service, EMU 323208 (named 'Five Ways') was the first of 17 of the 26 West Midlands Class 323's to be transferred to the North-West yesterday (Sat 28Oct2023). It and the other 25 units will gradually leave the West Midlands over the coming months to be replaced with Bombardier 'Aventra' Class 730 emu's, and I've created this thread to record their demise in the West Midlands.

These units with their quirky sound when accelerating were designed in Stirchley (although built in Yorkshire) and have been the mainstay of the Birmingham Crosscity line since their introduction.

From time to time I will collate a list showing what has happened to each of them based on your replies.
Before I produce the first list can anyone identify which ones are going to Manchester? I think they are the ones with USB charging points. Can they be identified by any features on the outside?

Here is my photo of debranded 323208 heading north yesterday passing Wolverhampton at 11:00 as [5Q36] the 10:40 Soho LMD-Allerton DMU depot.

28Oct2023. Wolverhampton. BR Class 323 EMU 323208. [P1180359] by Ray Honke, on Flickr

 

[jonesy3001]

Unsure about the other 9 unless they're transferring after the wires are up on the wigan to bolton line.

 

[crosscity]

Unsure about the other 9 unless they're transferring after the wires are up on the wigan to bolton line are up

Thanks for the list. I don't think there are any plans for the remaining nine and wouldn't be surprised if they end up being scrapped.

 

[Techniquest]

The end of the era is coming

Don't get me wrong, it's great that 323s will still be around on Northern, but the Midlands will be a very different place without the 323s!

 

[CharlieSpotted]

My earliest experience of train travel would have been on a 323 from Lichfield to Birmingham, and I must have been on them hundreds (thousands?) of times since, commuting and for leisure, both on the Cross City and between Wolves and Brum. It will be very strange when they're not around anymore!

 

[Ash Bridge]

I must be getting old as I still think of them as being recently introduced, it honestly dosen’t feel (to me) like 30 years has elapsed since they superseded the 304/305/303s in this part of the world!

 

[Techniquest]

I'll agree with that, they don't feel 30 years old at all. Obviously they've aged, and I know that they've been around a long time as they've always been a part of my enthusiast history. So maybe at most they feel 20 years old to me!

Don't get me wrong, without having been on one yet I think the 730s will be a good replacement, but I am absolutely not ready to say farewell to the 323s. As far as I know, there's still a good few months until they're all gone, so there's plenty of time to enjoy them yet. Even so, with how fast 2023's gone then it'll feel like just a matter of weeks!

 

[crosscity]

So, here's my first status report. I intend to keep it up to date.

Unit	Name/Note	WM status	Future	Date left WM or withdrawn
323201	Duddeston	In service
323202	Butlers Lane	In service	Northern
323203	Aston	In service	Northern
323204	Selly Oak	In service
323205	Blake Street	In service	Northern
323206	Barnt Green	In service	Northern
323207	Bournville	In service	Northern
323208	Five Ways	Transferred	Northern	Sat 28Oct2023
323209	Birmingham New Street	In service	Northern
323210	Shenstone	In service	Northern
323211	Four Oaks	In service
323212	Bromsgrove	In service	Northern
323213	Sutton Coldfield	In service	Northern
323214	Wylde Green	In service
323215	Gravelly Hill	In service
323216	University	In service
323217		In service	Northern
323218		In service	Northern
323219	Kings Norton	In service	Northern
323220	Lichfield Trent Valley	In service	Northern
323221	Was 'Northfield' (now in 'Centro' livery	In service
323222	Redditch	In service
323240	Erdington	In service
323241	Dave Pomroy 323 Fleet Engineer 40 Years Service.	In service	Northern
323242	Alvechurch	In service	Northern
323243	Longbridge	In service	Northern
As at	Mon 30Oct2023

Unsure about the other 9 unless they're transferring after the wires are up on the wigan to bolton line.

I have used your list to identify those that will head to the North-West. Yours is the first one that I've seen detailing the individual units. Is this something you collated, or did I miss an announcement? Either way, I'm grateful that you supplied it.

 

[jonesy3001]

Taken from the wmt livery thread of the ones that have had the mods done before they move to northern.

WMTrains livery and station branding

Have you got a source for that? 323211 is currently sub-leased from Northern back to WMR along with all the other units planned to transfer to Northern. 323220 is directly leased to WMR, indicating it is not one of those transferring. I was told it was the units which had exams done at...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[The_Train]

Has 208 been rushed into service with Northern today as rumoured?

 

[jonesy3001]

Has 208 been rushed into service with Northern today as rumoured?

This is a reply to me in the manchester railways group on Facebook.

Dazza P Jones 208 is coming Saturday, I'm giving it the once over on Tuesday so in service pretty soon, as for the rest will be next year.

 

[The_Train]

This is a reply to me in the manchester railways group on Facebook.

Dazza P Jones 208 is coming Saturday, I'm giving it the once over on Tuesday so in service pretty soon, as for the rest will be next year.

Thanks for that

 

[prod_pep]

323208 was just visible on Allerton Depot yesterday from the 508 tour. Odd seeing one in a half-decent livery in there for a change!

 

[The_Train]

323208 was just visible on Allerton Depot yesterday from the 508 tour. Odd seeing one in a half-decent livery in there for a change!

It was - caused quite the stir in our carriage

 

[Mzzzs]

Does this mean 350 are covering the 323s leaving?

 

[JW4]

Does this mean 350 are covering the 323s leaving?

350s have never worked the Cross-City Line and the WMR 323s are currently working exclusively on the Cross City line and for some Witton-New Street on matchdays.

 

[GWVillager]

Does this mean 350 are covering the 323s leaving?

No, I don’t believe they’re cleared on the Cross City line. It’ll just be an incentive for WMT to introduce the 730s.

 

[JW4]

On Mondays to Fridays in the January 2024 timetable:
05:43 Birmingham New Street to Redditch
07:16 Four Oaks to Redditch
07:46 FOK -> RDC
09:46 FOK -> RDC
10:16 FOK -> RDC
12:16 FOK -> RDC
12:46 FOK -> RDC
14:46 FOK -> RDC
15:16 FOK -> RDC
17:16 FOK -> RDC
17:46 FOK -> RDC
19:46 FOK -> RDC
20:16 FOK -> RDC
21:46 FOK -> RDC
22:46 FOK -> RDC
Are all 3 coaches instead of the 6 they were in the current timetable.

 

[warwickshire]

No, I don’t believe they’re cleared on the Cross City line. It’ll just be an incentive for WMT to introduce the 730s.

They aren't cleared, however have been diesel dragged by 37s and 57s, on the Southern part via Bromsgrove, when Rail operations group took them to Long Marston for work and modifications to be done on them.

 

[nixcails]

The end of the era is coming

Don't get me wrong, it's great that 323s will still be around on Northern, but the Midlands will be a very different place without the 323s!

This makes me feel old. I remember them replacing the slammers class 304 in the GMPTE area.

 

[Geeves]

Has 208 been rushed into service with Northern today as rumored?

Still seems to be at Allerton according to Gemini so maybe a change of plan in the end.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

It will be some time yet before the 323s dissappear. 730 training at New St is still to start I believe, and they are going on Wolves-Walsall line first.

Maybe introduced in May on XCity?

 

[Techniquest]

This makes me feel old. I remember them replacing the slammers class 304 in the GMPTE area.

Way before my time unfortunately, I'd have liked to sample the 304s and the similar EMUs like 306s, 309s etc.

I have fond memories of 323s in First North Western's purple and pink livery though

 

[trundlewagon]

On Mondays to Fridays in the January 2024 timetable:
05:43 Birmingham New Street to Redditch
07:16 Four Oaks to Redditch
07:46 FOK -> RDC
09:46 FOK -> RDC
10:16 FOK -> RDC
12:16 FOK -> RDC
12:46 FOK -> RDC
14:46 FOK -> RDC
15:16 FOK -> RDC
17:16 FOK -> RDC
17:46 FOK -> RDC
19:46 FOK -> RDC
20:16 FOK -> RDC
21:46 FOK -> RDC
22:46 FOK -> RDC
Are all 3 coaches instead of the 6 they were in the current timetable.

Oh joy. The Redditch trains are always the busiest leaving New Street because of the 20 minute gap between the previous (Bromsgrove) service and then. Look forward to that...

Hopefully won't be for too long though.

 

[childwallblues]

Still seems to be at Allerton according to Gemini so maybe a change of plan in the end.

Allerton are not short of 323s but will be required whe the 319s leave.

 

[Bald Rick]

I must be getting old as I still think of them as being recently introduced, it honestly dosen’t feel (to me) like 30 years has elapsed since they superseded the 304/305/303s in this part of the world!

I'll agree with that, they don't feel 30 years old at all.

The trains might (just) be 30 years old, but there were still slam door trains on some diagrams on the cross city in 1996/7.

 

[warwickshire]

The trains might (just) be 30 years old, but there were still slam door trains on some diagrams on the cross city in 1996/7.

Yes the 310s, to Four oaks,

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Are the ex-WMR 323s due any kind of modification/refurb before going into service with Northern?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Are the ex-WMR 323s due any kind of modification/refurb before going into service with Northern?

They get/already have gotten the USB ports and WiFi (probably some more but those are the noticeable things) that the Northern units already have.

 

[Techniquest]

@Bald Rick Fair enough, I was 11 and close to 12 in 1996, and I was nowhere near the railway at that time. September 1996 I'd started secondary school, and even though back then I wanted to be a train driver it was another 7 years before I got into the enthusiast scene. I still remember the classroom in which me and my class were all looking up what we'd need to study for our chosen careers. Nostalgia alert!

So I missed the old trains by a fair ol' margin!