Problems with Hitachi Intercity Express Trains - ongoing discussion since 2022

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

Wonder how long it'll be before this 'problem' in RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) is raised again?

[PhilWakely]

The Intercity Express Train (IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan))) fleet is currently experiencing a reduction in available units due to an increase in GU^▸ (Generation Unit - Diesel engine plus electric generator) (Generator Unit) faults, which are under investigation by Hitachi. As a result, there will be a rise in short-formed and cancelled services while Hitachi develops an engineering solution. In the event of an incident this will impact service recovery due to the need to keep traction on certain diagrams.

[grahame]

The Intercity Express Train (IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan))) fleet is currently experiencing a reduction in available units due to an increase in GU^▸ (Generation Unit - Diesel engine plus electric generator) (Generator Unit) faults, which are under investigation by Hitachi. As a result, there will be a rise in short-formed and cancelled services while Hitachi develops an engineering solution. In the event of an incident this will impact service recovery due to the need to keep traction on certain diagrams.

Could this explain 3 x 165 on a Bristol (Temple Meads) to Reading train recently?

[broadgage]

Has there EVER been a week when IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) have not been short formed due to faults ?

[didcotdean]

There has been a varying dog's dinner from day to day of allocations on diagrams this week, no doubt to utilise what is available.. As well as short-forming and cancellations there has also been long-forming of 10 vice 9 and 9 vice 5. Only the last is a real pleasant surprise.

[eightonedee]

Have the Tanat Valley still got those Pacers to sell ?

[broadgage]

They should have kept the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) ! not forever of course, but until the wretched IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) could work reliably enough to provide a full service.

[Clan Line]

They should have kept the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) ! not forever of course, but until the wretched IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) could work reliably enough to provide a full service.

Not sure if your statement could grammatically be classified as an oxymoron...............but it certainly seems to contradict itself. Will the IETs EVER provide a full, reliable service ?    They already seemed to be suffering from premature problems of old-age, long before the initial into service problems have been resolved.

I recently spent several hours between Bath and Maindee Jct (mostly at BRI^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads station (that is the formal station code - see also BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads station (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative))), or Bristol Royal Infirmary (hospital), depending on context)) and did notice, at the time, that the vast majority of IETs we saw/passed were only 5 car units. The only 9 car I can definitely remember seeing was outside WSB^▸ (Westbury station), heading towards BRI............as ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) !

[broadgage]

And how many years is it since my now famous crystal ball predicted that the new trains "would in practice be mainly 5 car units"
Such views were widely criticised as being unduly negative.

[grahame]

And how many years is it since my now famous crystal ball predicted that the new trains "would in practice be mainly 5 car units"
Such views were widely criticised as being unduly negative.

Things may be getting better though.

The 18:00 Temple Meads to Paddington was just a five car, but by 19:00 the Temple Meads to Paddington was up to 9 cars, and the train arriving into Temple Meads fromn London was ten.

[Wizard]

And how many years is it since my now famous crystal ball predicted that the new trains "would in practice be mainly 5 car units"
Such views were widely criticised as being unduly negative.

To say they are ‘mainly five car units’ isn’t really correct. The odd service runs with five when it should be more but the majority of trains leaving London have nine or ten coaches, as planned.

[ChrisB]

The Oxford Clarion has the reason for the awful performance on the North Cotswold....

A widespread engine fault on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s fleet of intercity trains is causing overcrowding, late running and cancellations on London–Oxford services, and onwards into the Cotswolds. Fuel pumps are said to be “disintegrating”, leading to trains running slow with several engines out of service.

Over the last four weeks, only 60% of Oxford–Paddington services have run to time (or within 5 minutes). Some services have been particularly unpunctual: the 2035 from Oxford has been on time for just 15% of its scheduled runs, with the 1331 little better at 25%.

The engine failures mean that services booked for 9-coach trains are often run with just 5, with passengers being left on the platform at Oxford on occasion. A 9-coach train has 5 engines: GWR withdraws them from service if 3 of the 5 have failed.

[ChrisB]

Update on the units that have had crack repairs completed, and those still to do - courtesy of Richard Clinnick, on his socials recently -

800306 left Eastleigh today (Nov 6th), leaving classmate 800309 as the only set there.

...there have been 10x5-car 800/0s, 5x9-car 800/3s, 17x5-car 802/0 and 8x9-car 802/1s from the
@gwr
 fleet treated, leaving 26 800/0s, 16 800/3s, 5 802/0s and 6 802/1s to go. Interestingly, maybe, more Eversholt-owned sets than Agilty sets have been for repairs...

[Witham Bobby]

The Oxford Clarion has the reason for the awful performance on the North Cotswold....

A widespread engine fault on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s fleet of intercity trains is causing overcrowding, late running and cancellations on London–Oxford services, and onwards into the Cotswolds. Fuel pumps are said to be “disintegrating”, leading to trains running slow with several engines out of service.

Over the last four weeks, only 60% of Oxford–Paddington services have run to time (or within 5 minutes). Some services have been particularly unpunctual: the 2035 from Oxford has been on time for just 15% of its scheduled runs, with the 1331 little better at 25%.

The engine failures mean that services booked for 9-coach trains are often run with just 5, with passengers being left on the platform at Oxford on occasion. A 9-coach train has 5 engines: GWR withdraws them from service if 3 of the 5 have failed.

From 800301 on RailUKforums:

Pretty much whole fleet replacement of fuel pumps and a full fuel system clean, they are getting about 3 done a day, it requires the whole Generator unit to be dropped from the train for the work to be done, they are getting more back into service but the work can only be done at certain locations.

They haven’t yet determined the cause but it’s being looked into, quite a few 9 car sets are running around on 3 out of 5 engines, if running on 2 it’s likely they will be pulled from service, where rail adhesion has been quite bad yesterday and today they have also been receiving Not to Call orders at certain stations or being held in other places so they are guaranteed a clear run up inclines to avoid getting stranded.

Hopefully it will be sorted soon

Edited to clarify quotes

[a-driver]

Across the whole entire GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) fleet, there’s approximately 100 engines isolated.  If they’re rectifying 3 a day, that’ll be over a months worth of worth excluding new failures.  Add to that, the countless speed restrictions in place because of track defects and the picture is grim.