Problems with Hitachi Intercity Express Trains - ongoing discussion since 2022

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

And the time of year with drivers driving defensively…though the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) fleet is easily the best at dealing with slippery conditions of the types of train I have driven over the years.

[GBM]

05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54
Facilities on the 05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10. There are no reservations on this service.

5 all the way to Paddington (again).

[TaplowGreen]

05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54
Facilities on the 05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10. There are no reservations on this service.

5 all the way to Paddington (again).

..........and this'll be cosy too, especially as it's Friday.

18:36 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:10
Facilities on the 18:36 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:10.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. There are no reservations on this service.

[IndustryInsider]

..........and this'll be cosy too, especially as it's Friday.

18:36 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:10
Facilities on the 18:36 London Paddington to Plymouth due 22:10.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9. There are no reservations on this service.

Correctly formed in the end...as usually seems to happen when there is so much notice given of an alteration to WoE services.

[GBM]

05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54
Facilities on the 05:03 Penzance to London Paddington due 09:54.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10.

Another 5 car unit all the way to Paddington.
Very cozy 

[GBM]

Two 5 cars out today
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington due 12:29
Facilities on the 07:10 Penzance to London Paddington due 12:29.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10.

And
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington due 12:05
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington due 12:05 will no longer call at Newbury.
This is due to overcrowding as this train has fewer coaches than normal.
Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10.

[plymothian]

Here's a very interesting, and frankly ludicrous and potentially dangerous development.

An IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) ran out of fuel at Lipson Junction this week as it was running with isolated GUs^▸ (Generation Unit - Diesel engine plus electric generator), meaning the other available engines eventually shut down due to fuel starvation.  Having no running GUs meant the train eventually shut down all services as the batteries ran out - lighting, toilets, PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context), GSM-R^▸ (Global System for Mobile communications - Railway. A simple mobile phone that has been fitted to the turbos to allow them to operate on lines that are not covered by the cab secure radio (CSR). This allows the Network Rail control centre to send simple STOP messages to the driver or the driver to contact the controller in emergency only. When this system is in operation a guard must be provided when in passenger operation.), TMS etc.

Luckily, as it was near Laira depot, a rescue train could be sent out to tow it to Plymouth, but even still, this took 3 hours!

1C98 2104 London Paddington to Plymouth
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P08345/2025-11-19/detailed#allox_id=0

[Timmer]

Not good for those travelling down to Devon and Cornwall this evening with both the 17.03 and 18.03 Paddington to Penzance terminating well short of their final destination at Exeter and Taunton respectively. ‘Train fault’ reason given, one is losing time and probably wouldn’t make it up the south Devon banks.

[broadgage]

I thought that an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) with only one engine was able to ascend inclines, though slowly.
After all, the electric version has only one engine, and can allegedly "limp home" on diesel power.

[grahame]

I thought that an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) with only one engine was able to ascend inclines, though slowly.
After all, the electric version has only one engine, and can allegedly "limp home" on diesel power.

Question comes - do you WANT it to "limp home" or cut your losses and send it to the nearest depot?  We have had reports here on occasions in the past of trains / locomotives taking an age and a half getting back from where they are in a crock siding (Castle Cary, Taunton in memory) to somewhere they can be fixed, much to the disruption of other services.  I suspect you would not want "Limping Lulu"s filled with irate, delayed passengers trolling along through Devon with a string of other fitter IETs and Voyagers crawling teach signal behind amid also filled with delayed passengers.

[Timmer]

I thought that an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) with only one engine was able to ascend inclines, though slowly.
After all, the electric version has only one engine, and can allegedly "limp home" on diesel power.

Regarding the ex 17.03: It did “limp home” but without any passengers. On how many engines I know not and if it even made it to Laira as RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) only shows times to Lipsom Junction.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:31792/2025-11-22/detailed

The 18.03 terminated at Taunton with RTT reporting thst this was due to a problem with doors. This service was restarted at Exeter through to Penzance using the train that formed the 16.35 Paddington to Paignton service which terminated at Exeter.

[bradshaw]

Reports appearing that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) are having problems with the fuel pumps on the Generating Units.
This is affecting numerous units

https://x.com/cmpd_date/status/1993100923288404229?s=61&t=VlafMC5gF9tidw36b1Y8JQ

https://x.com/gordondudman/status/1994021321836032219?s=61&t=VlafMC5gF9tidw36b1Y8JQ

https://x.com/chimewhistle/status/1993707713839485201?s=61&t=VlafMC5gF9tidw36b1Y8JQ

[JohnM]

Any suggestions why it's happening now - what's changed?

[stuving]

Any suggestions why it's happening now - what's changed?

The reports (from last month) say it's run time from new, so the whole fleet is potentially affected. The cure is simple enough - replace every fuel pump. But it's not quick, as the GU^▸ (Generation Unit - Diesel engine plus electric generator) has to be dropped for access, so only a few can be done per day. The other issue is that if a pump's innards disintegrate before the replacement happens, bits can end up in places in the engine where they cause further damage.

[ChrisB]

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.

Same problem from last month's discussion