Class 455s to be upgraded

[whole diary]

[Oxman]

Article from Railnews about remotoring of the Class 455 fleet.

http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2013/04/15-porterbook-announces-40m-fleet-upgrade.html

Has also been reported by the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page).

This article also mentions that Portebrook is considering a similar upgrade for the FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) 319s, some of which may well find their way to Great Western.

[ChrisB]

Someone veheremently disagreed with a similar comment I made about 319s coming FGWs^▸ (First Great Western) way elsewhere, saying the new build going initially to Southern would find its way instead - citing the DfTs^» (Department for Transport - about) requirement that the EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) for GW^▸ (Great Western) had to be capable of 110mph, which the 319s aren't apparently.

So what is the top speed for 319s?

[Network SouthEast]

Top speed of 319s is 100mph. Furthermore Poterbrook are proposing one option for the 319s being reconfigured to 3-car formation and/or being re-geared to a max speed of 75mph, with the benefit of quicker acceleration.

[Oxman]

When Great Western Electrification was announced, it was stated that Thames Valley suburban stock would be Class 319s, released from Thameslink by new build stock. Some 319s would also go the North West. As I recall, Lord Adonis said that it was this cheap rolling stock solution that had made electrification affordable.

Plans change with time, of course, and aspirations within Franchise ITTs^▸ (Invitation to Tender) always make good reading.

As for the trains that Southern are procuring, the February edition of Modern Railways reports that the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) has said that initially they could be used on Thameslink routes and then, as new Thameslink stock becomes available, move to newly electrified routes "such as the Midland main line to Corby and North Tranpennine routes". No mention of Great Western there, I'm afraid.

[anthony215]

3 carriage class 319's regeared to 75mph would be ideal for the Cardiff Valley lines network being younger than the class 315's we are supposed to be having.

A suggestion that has popposed up on another forum is perhaps the Grater Anglia franchise getting new rolling stock (E.G. additional class 379's) to provide additional capacity and displace the class 360's. The idea was could these class 360's be upgraded to run at 110mph like the class 350/1's?

[Electric train]

When Great Western Electrification was announced, it was stated that Thames Valley suburban stock would be Class 319s, released from Thameslink by new build stock. Some 319s would also go the North West. As I recall, Lord Adonis said that it was this cheap rolling stock solution that had made electrification affordable.

Plans change with time, of course, and aspirations within Franchise ITTs^▸ (Invitation to Tender) always make good reading.

This announcement was made when the initial GW^▸ (Great Western) electrification to Oxford and Newbury substantially Bristol and the South Wales has been added.  Also it was stated that the 319's would have air con fitted when they migrated to the GW. 

The Thameslink stock is a long way off much of the Thameslink Program power supply and route mods are being done to the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) concept class 700.

There could be some 365's being released from the FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) Peterborough and Cambridge routes in 2018 when the full Thameslink service through Canal Tunnels comes in, now 365's for the GW TV suburban's wouldn't be too bad

[devon_metro]

Meanwhile in the Southern Daily Echo, the trains are being built in Eastleigh!

PASSENGERS in the south look set to benefit from a ^40 multi-million upgrade to a train fleet being built in Eastleigh.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10358162.__40m_train_upgrade_for_Eastleigh/

[eightf48544]

There could be some 365's being released from the FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) Peterborough and Cambridge routes in 2018 when the full Thameslink service through Canal Tunnels comes in, now 365's for the GW^▸ (Great Western) TV suburban's wouldn't be too bad

A much quiter Turbo!

[JayMac]

A much quiter Turbo!

With a happy smiley face. 

[paul7575]

Meanwhile in the Southern Daily Echo, the trains are being built in Eastleigh!

PASSENGERS in the south look set to benefit from a ^40 multi-million upgrade to a train fleet being built in Eastleigh.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10358162.__40m_train_upgrade_for_Eastleigh/

'Passengers in the south'  The Echo are brilliant at printing SWT^▸ (South West Trains) press releases verbatim, this time without even noticing that this is all about London area inner suburban trains.  As they probably won't have a clue what a 455 even looks like, that'll explain why they used a 170 to illustrate the story...

Paul 

[JayMac]

Even the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) have been somewhat geographically challenged. A news item about the Class 455 upgrade made it onto the BBC Somerset page! Somerset? A diesel stronghold where no National Rail station has never seen a train running off that devil's work leccy stuff. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22166526

The same item has appeared on the BBC pages for Wiltshire, Dorset and Surrey. Only for that last one is it relevant.

[eightf48544]

Wonder whether they going to fit loos in the refurbishment?

[paul7575]

Wonder whether they going to fit loos in the refurbishment?

It isn't mentioned anyway, but why would they bother, given the routes they work?

Paul

[Southern Stag]

This isn't actually a refurbishment anyway, the only work will be to upgrade the traction package. They are undergoing a separate, minor, refurbishment currently which includes a repaint, modifications to interior door handles and fitting of exterior door hustle sounders. That work will make the fleet compliant with the DDA^» (Disability Discrimination Act - about) requirements. I don't think no toilets is too much of a problem considering the services they work, and as any toilet fitted would have to be a disabled one you'd lose huge numbers of seats to fit it.

[swrural]

I caught a 150 yesterday from MDN (I took care to note the number on the front for you experts) .  The toilet was immaculate and I was careful to leave it the same after I left it (well done FGW^▸ (First Great Western) cleaners btw).  My point is that if you are on a service that is once every two hours, to be taken short and miss the next service is OK when there is a frequent service (min half hourly I suggest) but not on one so sparse.  The other factor is whether the joining station has toilets anyway.  Given the 'open' nature of modern units, would a passenger be aware on joining a 455 train that there were no such facilities?  In the old days of the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) B set, you knew there were no toilets before you got on.