Class 387 coming to Thames Valley - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

...........I can scarcely believe it..........delays on the railways?..........unheard of! 

[paul7575]

Depends when or which version of the franchise info was read.  The DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)'s consultation response has the Greenford changes not due until May next year...

Paul

[paul7575]

Construction Enquirer reports the award of a contract to extend 43 platforms across the network where 12 car EMUS will be operating:

Network Rail has negotiated a ^23m contract with Hochtief (UK^▸ (United Kingdom)) Construction to deliver platform extensions in the Thames Valley from Paddington to Newbury, Oxford and associated branch lines.
This project will provide infrastructure capability enhancements to enable the operation of new longer electric trains.

Under present plans up to 43 platforms need to be extended to cope with class 365 and 387 EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) operating up to 12-car in length over core and diversionary route sections.

Core routes include Paddington to Oxford, Slough to Windsor and Eton Central, Twyford to Henley, Reading to Newbury and Reading to Basingstoke.

Work is expected to be completed in phases up to June 2017

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2016/04/11/hochtief-wins-23m-thames-valley-platform-extensions/

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

The platforms concerned are:

4 car length
Appleford ^ Platform 1 and 2.
Aldermaston ^ Platform 2.
Bramley ^ Platforms 1 and 2
Mortimer ^ Platform 1

8 car length
Tilehurst ^ Platforms 1, 2, 3 and 4
Pangbourne ^ Platforms 1 and 2.
Goring and Streatley ^ Platforms 1, 2, 3, 4
Cholsey ^ Platforms 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Culham ^ Platforms 1 and 2.
Radley ^ Platforms 1 and 2.
Reading West ^ Platform 2.
Theale ^ Platforms 1 and 2.
Thatcham ^ Platforms 1 and 2.
Iver ^ Platforms 4 (resurfacing)

12 car length
Slough ^ Platforms 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Maidenhead ^ Platforms 1, 2 ,3, 4 and 5.
Twyford ^ Platforms 1, 2 and 3.
Didcot - Platform 3 ^ funded by IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) but still delivers 12 car EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) capability

Presumably SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) will be used at some locations that would be very expensive to extend, such as Twyford's platform 4?

[ChrisB]

Do the 387s have SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) currently fitted?

[IndustryInsider]

Yes they do, the all-singing all-dancing type which has platform recognition software to stop the driver opening too many doors, or the doors on the wrong side.  Not so sure about the 365s though.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Aldermaston ^ Platform 2

No expert, but if one of Aldermaston's platforms needs extending, I would have thought one or both would need to be at Midgham also?

At Thatcham, the extensions would need to be towards the east, due to the level crossing at the western end - a 6-car Turbo can fit today I believe (although we don't see them very often), so not too much extending to do here anyway.

That is a lot of Stations to get done in just over a year though 

[IndustryInsider]

Aldermaston ^ Platform 2

No expert, but if one of Aldermaston's platforms needs extending, I would have thought one or both would need to be at Midgham also?

Aldermaston has a length of 115m on the other platform, but just 80m on Platform 2.  So a few extra metres will be needed on just the one platforms for a 4-car train.  Midgham's are 97m/117m so OK as they are.

That is a lot of Stations to get done in just over a year though 

Yes, it certainly is!

[JayMac]

Hopefully Thames Valley Class 387 drivers won't take similar unilateral action as this GatEx driver appeared to do:

http://www.crawleynews.co.uk/Gatwick-Express-driver-refuses-pick-passengers/story-29089301-detail/story.html

[Thatcham Crossing]

Aldermaston has a length of 115m on the other platform, but just 80m on Platform 2.  So a few extra metres will be needed on just the one platforms for a 4-car train.  Midgham's are 97m/117m so OK as they are.

Thanks for that. So is this also saying that the "smaller" stations on the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) between RDG^‡(resolve) and NBY^» (Newbury - next trains) (eg, Midgham) will only get calls from 4 coach EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit)'s, whereas the likes of THA and THE will get 8-coachers that won't stop at the "smaller" stations - or will it all be managed by SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening)?

[paul7575]

Thanks for that. So is this also saying that the "smaller" stations on the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) between RDG^‡(resolve) and NBY^» (Newbury - next trains) (eg, Midgham) will only get calls from 4 coach EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit)'s, whereas the likes of THA and THE will get 8-coachers that won't stop at the "smaller" stations - or will it all be managed by SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening)?

The question of SDO (which will be carriage level Auto SDO on the 387s as Industry Insider mentioned) won't apply to the 365 operated routes, as they are non-gangwayed trains.  I'd expect that as they are the slower units they'd be used on the minor branches, such as Reading to Basingstoke, and will not usually be longer than 4 car.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Thanks for that. So is this also saying that the "smaller" stations on the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) between RDG^‡(resolve) and NBY^» (Newbury - next trains) (eg, Midgham) will only get calls from 4 coach EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit)'s, whereas the likes of THA and THE will get 8-coachers that won't stop at the "smaller" stations - or will it all be managed by SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening)?

I would expect that to be the case, yes.  After all (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s aside) nothing longer than 3-car length currently operates on the B&H route out as far as Bedwyn (save for ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) moves, or train in service but the rear section locked out of use).  You also have the issue of Platforms 1, 2, and 3 at Reading not being long enough for an 8-car train.

So, I would expect the hourly Reading to Newbury stoppers to be 4-car EMU's, quite possibly Class 365s, and that then leaves the Paddington to Newbury semi-fasts operating with either 5-car Bi-modes (and continuing to Westbury), or as 4/8 car Class 387s as far an Newbury with stops at Theale, Thatcham and Newbury.

[paul7575]

Picture of a 387 vehicle for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/69454073@N05/26498845592/in/dateposted/

Paul

[Adelante_CCT]

How this new service will now be covered I do not know.  It is, however, worth noting that when the Connect services got cancelled to enable the units to cover the Class 332 problems, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stepped in to provide a local stations to/from Hayes service using Turbos and GWR staff.

Judging from the new E1 timetable that has now been uploaded, it appears they haven't covered the new service.

However they aren't extra services, they run in the paths of the Greenford DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit), between Paddington and West Ealing, the existing service would be curtailed to the new West Ealing bay platform while the EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) operate.  So all they need to do is maintain the status quo beyond the May timetable change date.

Appears Paul is spot on, and the half-hourly full service from Paddington to Greenford will run as at present.

Maintaining the status quo may be OK for passengers who currently use the Greenfords, but what about passengers at Hayes, Southall and Hanwell who are expecting (for example) the new 0718 Hayes ^ Padd which was due to be a 387/1 from May?

Tough luck by the looks of it. We'll just have to wait until September? presumably.

[ChrisB]

I posted a few days ago (I guess in the wrong thread) that they're postponed till September