Vivarail's 'D Train' - 'D' stock reborn

Realtime trains website shows another VivaRail move heading from Long Marston to Wales - www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K01223/2020-08-13/detailed

This is probably the second Transport For Wales(TFW) Class 230 set - 230007, which recently completed a long series of local test runs.

Hopefully with two units on site TFW will still have enough time to arrange sufficient staff training on the Class 230 units to allow them to enter passenger service on the Borderlands Line from the December timetable change.

Two units may well be there, but they've got to do 2500 miles fault free running and pass a final inspection. That could take some time - so I very much wonder if December 2021 is achievable at this moment in time. I know that Chester sign Wrexham / Bidston and certainly the Guards at Shrewsbury do as well. That's two large depots that will need training on them.

Photos showing the Island Line units getting fitted out.

I believe the Brighton Main Line is the current favoured location when third rail units need mileage accumulation.

Driver and Conductor Guard .

I think the Island line needs a bit more than just tamping.

No Island Line trains will run from 4 January until 31 March 2021 due to engineering works .

I think that is a definite as platform heights are being changed and the tube stock will not be compatible.

Are you sure about changing platform heights to suit the Class 484s? I would have thought it would be far cheaper to achieve any boarding height change by lowering the trackbed formation/ballast depth - rather than messing with the platforms with all the attendant impacts on attached buildings and access ramps.

I suspect trackbed lowering plans may partially explain why they already have a tamper on site, as the Island Line certainly needs a lot of trackbed improvement work. I suspect the first area where that tamper will see action is to progressively sort out the several sections of very wobbly formation with existing speed restrictions.

However ideally the whole line could do with end to end renovation - after all the Ryde-Shanklin section opened 156 years ago today!

Given the substantial cost and hassle of bringing this sort of specialist kit over to the island, I suspect it may stay on the island for a prolonged period only returning after the shut-down works starting next January are complete.

As work on the speed restricted track can only be done during overnight or weekend possessions it is obviously going to take a fair few weeks. Hence they can possibly use the machine during the week to make a start on reinstating the lifted passing loop tracks through the unused Brading station platform, even if the passing loop tracks are left unconnected until the closure next January.

As the class 483 units are not using the spare platform at Brading, the missing passing loop tracks can be installed to suit the boarding heights of Class 484 units right now, along with any work needed to provide step free access to the second platform.

The other Class 484 related challenge which the tamper may be needed to tackle is to lower the track bed to provide sufficient clearance under a road bridge near Brading however I assume that will not be possible during normal operations and is part of the work planned during the shut down starting in January.

That's probably what they'll do. The effective platform height will be increased, whether you raise the platform or lower the track bed.

Surely that's only because the platforms are at a compromise height?

There is no way to get a wheelchair on or off a ramp inside the train when the drop from the platform is at a steep angle.

According to report on various FB groups, the track has been lowered over 2 weekends under the bridges. There's also pictures of lots of new proper ballast being delivered on site by tipper trucks. Presumably this is the job of the tamping machine that has been taken over there. Track will be lowered through the platforms where possible.

It'll be interesting to see if they keep the semaphore signals at St.Johns Road.

My view is that 5x2 car sets may not be enough to cater for future summer peak services as there's mention of running 4 car sets, so that's both running "sets" with a 2 car as spare. Not much leeway there for any problems.