Class 387 coming to Thames Valley - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

Porterbrook have ordered another 80 Class 387 carriages:

http://www.porterbrook.co.uk/pages/corp2015.html#november2015

Anyone care to speculate where they might end up?  No specific operator mentioned, though perhaps they could come to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if needed? 

[Adelante_CCT]

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/porterbrook-orders-bombardier-emus-to-meet-future-demand.html

http://www.globalrailnews.com/2015/11/02/porterbrook-buys-more-trains-from-bombardier/

An additional 80 carriages for the class 387 are to be built

Porterbrook have not yet released how the new cars will be used.  So they could be 20 new four-car trains, or they could be used in longer consists or even to add cars to existing trains. All the company would say was that a number of parties have already expressed an interest in leasing this new fleet, notably Rail for London but also established operators and prospective bidders of upcoming franchises

Potentially there could be more 387s heading our way, or potentially (though I would have thought unlikely) have some of the existing units lengthened.


(Edit, II beat me to it by a minute, apologies for duplication)

[John R]

That's one mighty speculative order, and surprising given the large numbers of Class 319s that will shortly be coming available and the slowdown in electrification. I can only assume that there is a high degree of confidence from discussions they have had that a taker will be found.

Has the C2C requirement for new stock been met yet? They are looking for 68 new carriages from 2019 - maybe a deal will be struck to introduce them earlier?

[Adelante_CCT]

Come to think of it, unless they somehow?? manage to find some slots for Paddington to Reading Semi-fasts on the main or crossover halfway or whatever, what exactly will they do with the 37 sets that come this way.

Assuming all electrification projects in the TV area go ahead, then I would assume Henley, Windsor, Basingstoke, Newbury stopper and Paddington to Oxford stoppers will be 365s or best part of.

This would require 4 half-hourly units (doubled, potentially trebled) running to Didcot/Swindon in the peaks, hourly to Newbury which I assume is the same frequency in the peaks, again running as an 8 car, and possibly hourly? to Oxford, ie those services which aren't going to continue on to the Cotswolds, again 8 car. This has me at around 20-24 units, most of which won't be used during the day. Yes some units may be required to do Oxford stoppers if they don't have enough 365s but it does to me seem a stretch to fully utilise all the 387s.

[Visoflex]

Porterbrook have ordered another 80 Class 387 carriages:

http://www.porterbrook.co.uk/pages/corp2015.html#november2015

Anyone care to speculate where they might end up?  No specific operator mentioned, though perhaps they could come to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if needed? 

TfL^» (Transport for London - about) West Anglia?

[IndustryInsider]

I'm hearing that the plan is to operate four extra trains between Hayes and Paddington, using 387s, from the May timetable change.  One in the morning and three in the evening. 

Hopefully they'll be 8 car trains.  That will be a very useful increase in capacity, prior to their full introduction in due course.

[Thatcham Crossing]

You say extra, so that implies this won't free up some Turbo's to add capacity on other services?

[paul7575]

Porterbrook have ordered another 80 Class 387 carriages:

http://www.porterbrook.co.uk/pages/corp2015.html#november2015

Anyone care to speculate where they might end up?  No specific operator mentioned, though perhaps they could come to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) if needed? 

TfL^» (Transport for London - about) West Anglia?

At the time this was news, hadn't TfL already confirmed their West Anglia fleet from Bombardier.

Have we got another thread running with more recent discussion about the use of the 387s on Hayes and Harlington services as well?  I thought we had but haven't found it yet...

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

You say extra, so that implies this won't free up some Turbo's to add capacity on other services?

No, I don't think so - not at this early stage.  After all, there are no Hayes to Paddington services in the timetable currently.  But of course extra capacity will be provided for Hayes and Southall passengers on these additional trains which will of course make journeys to and from Ealing, West Drayton, etc. more pleasant for those passengers on the very busy services that run either side of these extra trains.

First units are scheduled to arrive in March, with empty training runs due to start in April.

Have we got another thread running with more recent discussion about the use of the 387s on Hayes and Harlington services as well?  I thought we had but haven't found it yet...

I think there was one covering the delays to the cascade in general, though this was the one I found first and is probably more suitable given that it's specific to the 387s.

[ChrisB]

I'm hearing that the plan is to operate four extra trains between Hayes and Paddington, using 387s, from the May timetable change.  One in the morning and three in the evening. 

Hopefully they'll be 8 car trains.

Not quite right - looks like 2 in the morning, three in the evening :-)

And if you want to travel on the first public electric service from Hayes, better get there for 0724 on the 16th May.

[eightf48544]

And if you want to travel on the first public electric service from Hayes, better get there for 0724 on the 16th May.

I've travelled on an electric train several times on a Heathrow Connect could be considered a Hayes train as minimal passengers to/from Heathrow so it starts/leaves Hayes more or less empty.

[ChrisB]

Ok, guess I should have said "first electric GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service, shouldn't I? :-)

[Electric train]

Ok, guess I should have said "first electric GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service, shouldn't I? :-)

Bet the unit's livery will be either generic grey with or without Thameslink decals or Southern.  Maintenance wonder where that will be done, by Siemens at HEX, GWR at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)) but the fitters there will be looking for the diesel filler  (only jesting guys at OOC) or dead hauled around the NLL / WWL via the Poplars; although North Pole is an option via the WLL

[ChrisB]

They'll have 6 weeks-ish to get it done, so its possible

[paul7575]

Ok, guess I should have said "first electric GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service, shouldn't I? :-)

Bet the unit's livery will be either generic grey with or without Thameslink decals or Southern.  

I think the overall livery is 'Southern white', but without the end vinyls which are mainly green.  Doors are as current Southern, but branding is just the small Thameslink logo.  The latter should be removable easily.  Picture here on wiki:  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_387#/media/File%3AClass_387_at_Luton.jpg

Paul