Class 387 coming to Thames Valley - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

Now, was that the wires or more generally? Many trains disrupted this morning, including HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) not requiring juice from wires, so undure why these would be delayed on the Main Line?

But HEX units do and they run Main Line.

Terminating an UP direction train at Hayes would not indicate a system wide OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") power failure, the Grid supply point is at Kensal Green (just east of OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)))  Its possible the Unit was faulty and need to get into West Ealing or there was and issue with the OLE that needed to be inspected before any more electric trains could pass over it

[ray951]

They appear to be now storing these units at Didcot as there is one berthed in the DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) Cargo yard, well away from any OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE").
With so few services to run I assume they must be running out of storage space at Reading.

[Electric train]

They appear to be now storing these units at Didcot as there is one berthed in the DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) Cargo yard, well away from any OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE").
With so few services to run I assume they must be running out of storage space at Reading.

There has been some 12 car testing at Didcot station. 

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

From 3rd January RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) is showing stoppers from Padd (which presumably will be 8 car 387’s) terminating and starting in P14A at Reading while XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))’s are in P14B.  I thought the maximum length in the A ends was 6 cars, so how will this work?  I suppose one solution would be to move the X boards towards the B ends, but wouldn’t this need changes to the train detection systems in these platforms?

[paul7575]

From 3rd January RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) is showing stoppers from Padd (which presumably will be 8 car 387’s) terminating and starting in P14A at Reading while XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))’s are in P14B.  I thought the maximum length in the A ends was 6 cars, so how will this work?  I suppose one solution would be to move the X boards towards the B ends, but wouldn’t this need changes to the train detection systems in these platforms?

Perhaps they do have a plan to re-platform XC that hasn't worked its way through yet.  Even if platform sharing at the lengths in question is feasible, they'd probably have to have another solution once the stoppers become full length Crossrail at 205m.

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) they should be able to go back to the routine where the XC Reading terminators used P3?

Paul

[stuving]

From 3rd January RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) is showing stoppers from Padd (which presumably will be 8 car 387’s) terminating and starting in P14A at Reading while XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))’s are in P14B.  I thought the maximum length in the A ends was 6 cars, so how will this work?  I suppose one solution would be to move the X boards towards the B ends, but wouldn’t this need changes to the train detection systems in these platforms?

I've also found examples of an XC train being made to go and lurk in Kennet Bridge Loop for ten minutes - during which its platform isn't used by anything else - and another which is shown coexisting with a Paddington stopper reversing at the A end and then with another that comes in from the depot. So I think there will be some adjusting done, with the right XC trains going to wait outside instead of the wrong ones.

Something else that stands out when you look (but I think is true now) is that no attempt has been made to use the up platforms (14 and 15) for trains reversing and leaving for Paddington, and the down platforms (12 and 13) for XC and a few Bedwyns that reverse or commence and leave the other way. For example, at 06:42, trains leave for Paddington and Bedwyn. The 387 comes ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from Maidenhead and uses P13, while the Turbo comes ECS from Reading depot and uses P14. At the same time there is a 387 arriving from PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) that uses P12 to reverse, and while it is there a goods train uses P15. If they all run to time you can do that with everything on the "right" platforms, unless maybe P15 needs a longer clear time to allow for good workings.

[paul7575]

I've also found examples of an XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) train being made to go and lurk in Kennet Bridge Loop for ten minutes - during which its platform isn't used by anything else

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) that particular XC service has run via Kennet Bridge loop for quite a few timetables, I suspect it is to maintain route knowledge for when the move is actually required, during periods of reduced platform availability, probably during engineering works.

Paul

[Adelante_CCT]

Correct, that manoeuvre has been going on for some time.

[stuving]

I don't think that any platform sharing is needed at the moment; if any is done is could be avoided by swapping platforms. If there are any unavoidable cases, they are early and late when trains are going into or out of the depot and using P12-15 in place of P1-6. So assuming there are no more trains from January, that should still be true. Tthe new peak semifasts will change the pattern, but not very much.

The timetable seems to be created by a bit of software that has been told sharing is possible for Turbos and Voyagers, and has not been told it can't do that with 387s. Anything impossible will just have to be changed. Though of course GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) could use only 4-car 387s for the stoppers...at least out of the peaks...

[IndustryInsider]

They want to avoid coupling and uncoupling of 387s as much as possible as the coupling system is prone to damage unless it’s done on straight track.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Counted 15 (at least) 387's parked-up in total at Maidenhead and West Ealing on my way into London today.

Wondering how many they need to run the service expansion in January?

[Electric train]

Counted 15 (at least) 387's parked-up in total at Maidenhead and West Ealing on my way into London today.

Wondering how many they need to run the service expansion in January?

Lots of them by the time the full timetable to Newbury commences in 2019, also the number of units ordered allowed for the Oxfords which will not happen until mid / end of CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024).

In addition there will be 12 car trains in the mix as well

[Thatcham Crossing]

Lots of them by the time the full timetable to Newbury commences in 2019

Must admit I have wondered how the use of 387's on the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) to Newbury will work?
- the bay platform at Newbury would I think be able to take a 4-car, but definitely not an 8
- pretty much all of the platforms at stations between there and Reading are too short for an 8-car, and some (eg, Midgham) probably too short for a 4-car aswell (there was talk a while ago of platform extension at Thatcham and Theale, but no evidence of anything happening yet)
- a 4-car 387 would represent an increase in a capacity from a 3-car 16x, but probably not that much (due less dense seating config of the 387)

Anyone know how this is all planned to pan out?

[stuving]

Anyone know how this is all planned to pan out?

From a recent Enhancements Delivery Plan:
Aldermaston P2        4-car
Theale P1&2            8-car
Thatcham P1&2        8-car

So they are still there, due into service December 2018.

In addition, 4-car trains can already fit all stations, and 8-car ones Newbury. Their not using P3 is presumably OK.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Thanks, so I assume that will mean 8-car trains running the Reading - Newbury shuttles - which is a huge increase in capacity, as these are often 2-coach 165's today. Will mean a lot of SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) usage (and people needing to be in the right part of the train) for alighting at places like Midgham and Aldermaston.

Will be interesting to see how this is managed at Newbury if the bay platform is not to be used? Reversing 387's will need to be on a short "turn-around" in order to not block the main up and down platforms for through stopping trains (of which I think there will be more, with the proposed semi-fast IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)'s running to points west, in addition to the Bedwyn's).