Class 387 coming to Thames Valley - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Thatcham Crossing]

and deliveries will be complete in late summer 2017.

If that's all the 387's doesn't that mean that they're going to be distinctly under-utilised to begin with - I believe it'll be more than a year after that before they can run down the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) to Newbury, for example?

[IndustryInsider]

I imagine there will be a surplus, but how much depends on how they're utilised next spring when Maidenhead becomes available, and at the end of the year through to Didcot which will use up quite a few of them.  No excuses for not running them at maximum length anyway! 

[ellendune]

Presumably untill cross rail starts they will cover some services that will eventually be covered by crossrail stock.

[paul7575]

Presumably untill cross rail starts they will cover some services that will eventually be covered by crossrail stock.

That's the published plan.   That GW^▸ (Great Western) direct award stakeholder brief that has been linked before (but I can't currently find online) gives an end date of May 2018 for the Hayes and Harlington service, to be replaced by Crossrail.

Heathrow Connect ends on the same date, so as you say the two pairs of trains per hour form the 4 tph Crossrail.   I'd be surprised if they won't run in the same or very similar paths.

In fact having just checked the Crossrail site the initial 4 tph runs to and from Paddington high level for the first 3 timetable changes, until Dec 2019;   so the initial service might just be a rolling stock change with any timetable changes coming later with the full service.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

RAIL magazine have released some pictures to give all you Thames Valley commuters a taste of what the new trains look like inside.  Pretty swish I think -  2+2 seating throughout, power sockets, air-con (that works) and plenty of tables (27 in each 4-car train).

http://www.railmagazine.com/news/fleet/2016/08/29/gwr-shows-off-the-first-of-its-new-class-387-emus

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Yes, they look to be a big improvement compared to the 165’s for us at Pangbourne etc.  Just hope that the post-Crossrail timetable links our service to the Padd- Maidenhead-Twyford- Reading service to give us a decent service to London.

I suspect that this step change improvement in comfort etc will not be matched by what long distance passengers see with the Class 80X’s taking over from HST^▸ (High Speed Train)’s.

[IndustryInsider]

Just hope that the post-Crossrail timetable links our service to the Padd- Maidenhead-Twyford- Reading service to give us a decent service to London.

It would be logical for it to do so, at least until the Western Heathrow and East-West Rail Link is up and running.  No point in unnecessarily clogging up Reading's through platforms at both ends with trains terminating, so I can see the current 2tph service from Oxford to Paddington (starting from Didcot for a while, whilst electrification is completed) from the end of next year.  Improved journey times might then occur from the commencement of Crossrail in 2019 with stops like Langley, Iver, West Drayton and Southall taken out.

[Adelante_CCT]

Agree II, very nice looking, look forward to them working further westwards in a couple of years. (And look, seat back tables, power sockets, arm rests and what looks like ample leg room, shhhhh don't tell the Thameslink commuters, these are all luxuries the shiny new class 700s don't have  )

[IndustryInsider]

(And look, seat back tables, power sockets, arm rests and what looks like ample leg room, shhhhh don't tell the Thameslink commuters, these are all luxuries the shiny new class 700s don't have  )[/size]

Yes, not all brand new trains are solely designed to squeeze as many people on board as possible as Broadgage would have you believe.   

387131 now has full branding and will presumably be used at tomorrow's launch event.  Looks very nice IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion):  http://goo.gl/G00spW

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

The photo was apparently taken of the unit on a crew training run from Padd to Friars Junction, 3 miles 48 chains precisely.  I checked with Realtime Trains that the trip wasn’t via Hayes etc.

Is this a world record for the shortest main line crew training trip?   

[eightf48544]

Will report after tomorrow launch.

From the pictures of the Crossrail prototype in September's Modern railway Adelante is right TV commuters won't be too pleased when they get 700s.

[paul7575]

Will report after tomorrow launch.

From the pictures of the Crossrail prototype in September's Modern railway Adelante is right TV commuters won't be too pleased when they get 700s.

345s.   700s are Thameslink and would be well off route...

[LiskeardRich]

RAIL magazine have released some pictures to give all you Thames Valley commuters a taste of what the new trains look like inside.  Pretty swish I think -  2+2 seating throughout, power sockets, air-con (that works) and plenty of tables (27 in each 4-car train).

http://www.railmagazine.com/news/fleet/2016/08/29/gwr-shows-off-the-first-of-its-new-class-387-emus

The choice of seat colour fabric unfortunately shows up stains clearly as seen on the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) with these interiors. I now spend more time looking and avoiding incontinence stains than reservation tickets! I guess with old fabric colours that hide the stains it's better off not knowing!

[grahame]

The choice of seat colour fabric unfortunately shows up stains clearly as seen on the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) with these interiors. I now spend more time looking and avoiding incontinence stains than reservation tickets! I guess with old fabric colours that hide the stains it's better off not knowing!

As trains have had fabric seat covers for at least 50 years, wouldn't it be fair to assume that the people who designed and selected the materials and colours had a wealth of experience available on durability to support the choice made?

[patch38]

Yes but don't you have a sneaking suspicion that those with the years of experience may sometimes be overridden by that young buck from Marketing who thinks that cream is a good fabric colour because it "complements our new brand identity so nicely..."?