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Post by uzairjubilee on May 23, 2009 19:39:23 GMT
Hi all.
I used to buy Rail magazine all the time, and then for some reason I stopped - dont really know why. It meant I didnt really know info on stock movements on National Rail etc.
For a while now, I have been seeing Class 350 trains at Southern in the London Midland livery. The electronic signs on the side of the train say 'Southern'
My question is: why are Southern using Class 350's? And for how long?
Thanks,
Uzair
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Post by astock5000 on May 23, 2009 19:56:03 GMT
They are using London Midland's class 350/1s on services to Watford because First Capital Connect are borrowing their class 377/2s to use on Thameslink until enough 377/5s are delivered. I think I read Southern should get the 377/2s back this summer, but it depends on how quickly Bombardier can deliver FCC's 377/5s.
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Post by upfast on May 23, 2009 20:07:13 GMT
Plus for other Southern customers it gets more confusing as they are also using South Eastern electrostars and a Gatwick Express 442 (on a peak flow service that doesn't call at Gatwick!).
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Post by astock5000 on May 23, 2009 20:10:51 GMT
I didn't know they were using South Eastern class 375s. What services are they using them on?
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Post by upfast on May 23, 2009 20:16:15 GMT
I didn't know they were using South Eastern class 375s. What services are they using them on? I've only ever seen them on peak flow expresses from the Sussex Coast. |
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Oracle
In memoriam
RIP 2012
Writing is such sweet sorrow: like heck it is!
Posts: 3,234
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Post by Oracle on May 23, 2009 22:56:13 GMT
Aren't they using leased and sub-leased stock, with the change-over at City Thameslink? That is they are leased to LM and then sub-leased to Southern with crews changing-over?
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Post by norbitonflyer on May 23, 2009 23:58:06 GMT
Aren't they using leased and sub-leased stock, with the change-over at City Thameslink? That is they are leased to LM and then sub-leased to Southern with crews changing-over? No, it's more complicated than that. The LM 350s are used on Southern's Watford-Gatwick service via the West London Line, and go nowhere near City Thameslink. Their use has released a handful of Southern 377s to work FCCs Thameslink route (Brighton-Bedford), alongside some new 377s with FCC branding but which will eventually also go to Southern. These 377s have in turn released 319s for the new Sevenoaks-Kentish town service (some are extended further north in paths previously used by services starting at Moorgate). These services replace those which used to terminate at Blackfriars but can no longer do so because the terminal platforms have been closed, and it is these trains which change operator, from SET to FCC, at Blackfriars (not City TL). The Networkers which used to run the Sevenoaks services have been redeployed elsewhere, displacing the last 508s and, so an earlier poster suggests, also allowing some 375s to be lent to Southern. |
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Post by upfast on May 24, 2009 0:53:22 GMT
Aren't they using leased and sub-leased stock, with the change-over at City Thameslink? That is they are leased to LM and then sub-leased to Southern with crews changing-over? No, it's more complicated than that. The LM 350s are used on Southern's Watford-Gatwick service via the West London Line, Sadly that service sinse the December 2008 timetable change has been East Croydon to Milton Keynes (stopping at many local stations). |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2009 5:21:16 GMT
No, it's more complicated than that. That is really an understatement, as not only are the LM Class 350's working for Southern vice Class 377/2's. They are driven by DB Shenker drivers based at Wembley, with Southern conductors. It was easier to give these drivers a conversion course on Class 350's as they had the required route knowledge already, as it was only a short term solution. The alternative would have been Southern drivers doing a conversion course on the units or London Midland drivers doing a lot of route learning. They turned these down as they did not have the drivers to release for this without disrupting the service. |
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