Class 387 coming to Thames Valley - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[johoare]

I've been wondering why the information boards are telling us to travel in the front part of the EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) if we have luggage/pushchairs etc..It always says front of the train regardless of whether the train is travelling into or out of London

5. There are (or were) still some short platforms, where the back of the train is not platformed. While it's to complicated to list them, at least you can get the encumbered passengers who can't easily dash up the train in the right place.

Most sensible answer so far and on I hadn't thought of so itls probably the right answer

[Adelante_CCT]

I thought it'd be useful to provide a summary of the trains due to be formed by Class 387s coming from further afield than Hayes & Harlington from 22nd May onwards:

Services towards London Paddington:
2P14, 06:56 Maidenhead to Paddington, calling Taplow (06:59), Burnham (07:02), Slough (07:07), Langley (07:11), Iver (07:14), West Drayton (07:18), Hayes & Harlington (07:23), Southall (07:27), Ealing Broadway (07:33) and London Paddington (07:46).

--------------------snip--------------------

2D73, 19:12 Paddington to Maidenhead, calling Ealing Broadway (19:20), Hayes & Harlington (19:28), West Drayton (19:33), Slough (19:39), Burnham (19:44), Taplow (19:47), and Maidenhead (19:53).

I think that's all of them... 

A handful more diagrams from today, some more typing for you to do II 

[IndustryInsider]

Here's a full list of all of the Class 387 hauled services as of this week, together with the units allocated to them today (Paddington to Hayes services excluded).  You'll have to excuse me for not listing all the calling points as the list is getting pretty big.  There's now 9 daily diagrams in total (so 18 units required per day), although one of those solely does Paddington to Hayes services and another does the same with the addition of one evening service out to Maidenhead.

Towards London:
2P06, 05:52 MAI^▸ (Maidenhead station)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) (Diagram 1: 387137/147)
2P09, 06:21 MAI-PAD (Diagram 2: 387150/152)
1P92, 06:28 MAI-PAD (Diagram 3: 387140/141)
2P14, 06:56 MAI-PAD (Diagram 4: 387138/153)
2P17, 07:17 MAI-PAD (Diagram 5: 387130/136)
1P93, 07:32 MAI-PAD (Diagram 6: 387154/155)
2P94, 07:42 MAI-PAD (Diagram 3: 387140/141)
2P21, 07:51 MAI-PAD (Diagram 1: 387137/147)
1P17, 08:02 MAI-PAD (Diagram 7: 387135/143)
2P28, 08:26 MAI-PAD (Diagram 2: 387150/152)
2P25, 08:29 SLO-PAD (Diagram 4: 387138/153)
1P97, 08:42 MAI-PAD (Diagram 6: 387154/155)
2P32, 09:10 MAI-PAD (Diagram 3: 387140/141)
2P35, 09:34 MAI-PAD (Diagram 7: 387135/143)
1P98, 09:43 SLO-PAD (Diagram 4: 387138/153)
2P61, 16:02 MAI-PAD (Diagram 1: 387137/147)
2P62, 16:20 MAI-PAD (Diagram 5: 387130/136)
2P65, 17:05 MAI-PAD (Diagram 7: 387135/143)
2P71, 18:07 MAI-PAD (Diagram 1: 387137/147)
2P73, 18:18 MAI-PAD (Diagram 4: 387138/153)

From London:
2D09, 06:12 PAD-MAI (Diagram 5: 387130/136)
2D11, 06:42 PAD-MAI (Diagram 1: 387137/147)
2D13, 07:12 PAD-MAI (Diagram 2: 387150/152)
2D17, 08:12 PAD-MAI (Diagram 5: 387130/136)
2D19, 08:36 PAD-MAI (Diagram 7: 387135/143)
2D22, 08:55 PAD-MAI (Diagram 1: 387137/147)
2S80, 09:09 PAD-SLO (Diagram 4: 387138/153)
2D24, 09:27 PAD-MAI (Diagram 2: 387150/152)
1N40, 16:09 PAD-MAI (Diagram 4: 387138/153)
1N42, 16:42 PAD-MAI (Diagram 3: 387140/141)
2D54, 16:58 PAD-MAI (Diagram 1: 387137/147)
1N48, 17:11 PAD-MAI (Diagram 5: 387130/136)
2D55, 17:14 PAD-MAI (Diagram 6: 387154/155)
1N44, 17:42 PAD-MAI (Diagram 4: 387138/153)
2D61, 17:57 PAD-MAI (Diagram 7: 387135/143)
1N50, 18:10 PAD-MAI (Diagram 2: 387150/152)
1N52, 18:42 PAD-MAI (Diagram 3: 387140/141)
2D71, 18:57 PAD-MAI (Diagram 1: 387137/147)
2D73, 19:12 PAD-MAI (Diagram 6: 387154/155)
1N62, 19:36 PAD-MAI (Diagram 8: 387134/151)
2D77, 19:42 PAD-MAI (Diagram 5: 387130/136)
1N64, 20:18 PAD-MAI (Diagram 4: 387138/153)

[John R]

So 18x4 car sets diagrammed daily (I'm assuming all sets are doubled up), and to date only 2x3 car cascaded turbo units diagrammed daily in the west of England (or is it 3 units?).

What am I missing?

[Timmer]

So 18x4 car sets diagrammed daily (I'm assuming all sets are doubled up), and to date only 2x3 car cascaded turbo units diagrammed daily in the west of England (or is it 3 units?).

What am I missing?

Them substituting for HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))'s and 180s going off lease to Scotrail/Grand Central before 800s come on stream?

[didcotdean]

At least some of these are replacements for Paddington-Reading(-Oxford) locals which means there have to be turbo shuttles for the time being to/from Maidenhead onwards to complete the service.

Also there seems to be plenty of shorter-than-usual formed services around the Thames Valley at the moment.

[IndustryInsider]

There's the two Basingstoke diagrams that were 150s that now need covering by Turbos, plus whilst the electrics only work from Maidenhead the use of Turbos on other services becomes a little less efficient as some form shuttles that need recessing in Maidenhead sidings.  Also there's regular subbing to cover for failed HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))'s/180s.

Turbos that are not allocated to anything today are:  165110, 113, 129, 138, 166202, 204, 208, 212, 213, 215, 216.  Of those one (or is it two?) are away from PRI works, and another couple are in Bristol for familiarisation I think.  The rest are presumably undertaking maintenance?

Looks like just 166205 allocated to the West services today.

[John R]

There's the two Basingstoke diagrams that were 150s that now need covering by Turbos, plus whilst the electrics only work from Maidenhead the use of Turbos on other services becomes a little less efficient as some form shuttles that need recessing in Maidenhead sidings.  Also there's regular subbing to cover for failed HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))'s/180s.

Turbos that are not allocated to anything today are:  165110, 113, 129, 138, 166202, 204, 208, 212, 213, 215, 216.  Of those one (or is it two?) are away from PRI works, and another couple are in Bristol for familiarisation I think.  The rest are presumably undertaking maintenance?

Looks like just 166205 allocated to the West services today.

That's very interesting.  Assuming 2 are away for PRMI work and 2 are being used for driver training around Bristol that leaves 7 sitting around twiddling their thumbs (or whatever turbos twiddle).  If that's typical, intuitively that feels a disappointingly large number when services are so stretched in the west.

Yes, I know crew need to be trained, and maybe some infrastructure needs to be modified, but it feels wrong that the cascade delay was down to the non-arrival of the emu's and now they have arrived the other building blocks are still not in place.  GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) making excuses for others' shortcomings but not managing their own part of the job effectively maybe.   

[TaplowGreen]

There's the two Basingstoke diagrams that were 150s that now need covering by Turbos, plus whilst the electrics only work from Maidenhead the use of Turbos on other services becomes a little less efficient as some form shuttles that need recessing in Maidenhead sidings.  Also there's regular subbing to cover for failed HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))'s/180s.

Turbos that are not allocated to anything today are:  165110, 113, 129, 138, 166202, 204, 208, 212, 213, 215, 216.  Of those one (or is it two?) are away from PRI works, and another couple are in Bristol for familiarisation I think.  The rest are presumably undertaking maintenance?

Looks like just 166205 allocated to the West services today.

That's very interesting.  Assuming 2 are away for PRMI work and 2 are being used for driver training around Bristol that leaves 7 sitting around twiddling their thumbs (or whatever turbos twiddle).  If that's typical, intuitively that feels a disappointingly large number when services are so stretched in the west.

Yes, I know crew need to be trained, and maybe some infrastructure needs to be modified, but it feels wrong that the cascade delay was down to the non-arrival of the emu's and now they have arrived the other building blocks are still not in place.  GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) making excuses for others' shortcomings but not managing their own part of the job effectively maybe.   

Also makes you wonder why the usual "more trains than usual needing repairs" excuse is trotted out for all the short forms when there are trains sitting around doing nothing......it'd be really interesting to see an abstract of exactly how many have been in for repair over the last 3 months or so compared to the corresponding period last year.

[paul7575]

Yes, I know crew need to be trained, and maybe some infrastructure needs to be modified, but it feels wrong that the cascade delay was down to the non-arrival of the emu's and now they have arrived

The contracted EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) numbers would have been available if the wiring had been ready on time.   The units originally allocated to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) were able to be diverted to GTR GN routes because the GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about) wires were not ready, but if the wires had been ready as planned the EMUs would have been available.  The EMU delivery changes are an effect of, but not the actual cause of the delays.

Paul

[John R]

Yep, sorry, sloppy wording on my part. Of course the delay in the emu's being available to use has been down to the lack of energised overhead wiring.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Had my first ride in a 387 today, on the 1609 ex-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains), which runs fast (albeit on the down relief) to Slough, where I got off.

Impressed. Seat felt a bit hard at first, but soon got used to it. Great acceleration and a quiet, smooth ride at relief linespeed.

The sooner these are able to run to all the routes they are due to (eventually!) the better - the 0905 THA-PAD will certainly be a better experience than it was this morning in a rammed 166.

[IndustryInsider]

I very much doubt anything was 'sitting around doing nothing' - try and find anything sat in sidings looking bored during the morning peak tomorrow if you like?   Major exams and depot familiarisation could mostly account for the nine or so units unaccounted for in today's allocations, and it just takes an unexpected fault or a visit from a graffiti artist to tip the balance quite quickly.  Usually around 95% availability is the best you could wish for from any fleet, so today's 47 or so from 56 or so isn't too far shy of that given the current circumstances of a fleet split between two areas.

[Fourbee]

Whilst obviously operating within the constraints of stock availability, that stock should be deployed effectively; one day last month there were at least two 2-car 165s travelling on the North Downs Line heavily loaded (probably on Reading-Redhill stoppers), yet a near empty (3-car) 166 on the Reading-Basingstoke shuttle. Granted, that was in the middle of the day so maybe the peak loadings on the Basingstokes justifies it.

[Electric train]

Whilst obviously operating within the constraints of stock availability, that stock should be deployed effectively; one day last month there were at least two 2-car 165s travelling on the North Downs Line heavily loaded (probably on Reading-Redhill stoppers), yet a near empty (3-car) 166 on the Reading-Basingstoke shuttle. Granted, that was in the middle of the day so maybe the peak loadings on the Basingstokes justifies it.

To get the units in the right slot for maintenance etc the diagraming of them my seem a bit skewed, also its not always easy to reallocate a failed 3 car unit with another 3 car given that some allocations are set to a max of 2 cars like the Marlow line and Greenford.

The team that manage the TV^▸ (Thames Valley) unit allocation on a daily bases general do an excellent job give the scale of the service they run against the allocated units