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Post by sunnyday on Apr 30, 2020 15:27:58 GMT
On TfL East, during this Saturday service, they have kept two 8 car 315s in service on rotation each day to ensure they keep running. The plan from Monday on the East is to return to the usual weekday service with a few cancellations, still mainly using 345s. I will get an update once things are confirmed.
The West service remains as it is.
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Post by spsmiler on May 1, 2020 22:02:09 GMT
Is there any update on how many nine cars are running now (and seven cars rather than 315s are running on the Shenfield branch)? TfL Rail West's 345 service is made up entirely of 9 car units today. I've been observing formations to/from work since the Covid timetables started and I don't think I saw more than two 7 car units in service a day. It's been a while since I looked at the numbers for TfL Rail East, the narrative I'm getting is that they broke ranks with their rolling stock formations a long time ago and that was before Covid. Today's service only has a pair of 315 diagrams out by the looks of things. Are the western services (using Class 345 trains) still only running half-hourly, alternating with the 360s on the Heathrow service? Oh and are the 345's calling at Hanwell yet? Or is that station still only served by 360s? |
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Post by goldenarrow on May 1, 2020 22:32:47 GMT
spsmiler , 345's are indeed still running as they were although now in lengthened form more often than not. Hanwell along with West Ealing and Acton Main Line remain sole domains of the 360's for the time being. Present service summarized thus: 2tph Paddington, Ealing Broadway, Southall, then all stations to Reading operated by 345's (majority lenghtened) 2tph Paddington, all stations to Heathrow operated by 360's
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Post by spsmiler on May 2, 2020 16:53:28 GMT
spsmiler , 345's are indeed still running as they were although now in lengthened form more often than not. Hanwell along with West Ealing and Acton Main Line remain sole domains of the 360's for a little while longer. Present service summarized thus: 2tph Paddington, Ealing Broadway, Southall, then all stations to Reading operated by 345's (majority lenghtened) 2tph Paddington, all stations to Heathrow operated by 360's Thanks. This is obviously the cut-down Covid service, as I have video footage of 345s calling at West Ealing - filmed before the 345s started going to Reading. |
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Post by Chris L on May 2, 2020 17:04:30 GMT
spsmiler , 345's are indeed still running as they were although now in lengthened form more often than not. Hanwell along with West Ealing and Acton Main Line remain sole domains of the 360's for a little while longer. Present service summarized thus: 2tph Paddington, Ealing Broadway, Southall, then all stations to Reading operated by 345's (majority lenghtened) 2tph Paddington, all stations to Heathrow operated by 360's Thanks. This is obviously the cut-down Covid service, as I have video footage of 345s calling at West Ealing - filmed before the 345s started going to Reading. 7 car 345s could stop at West Ealing. |
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rincew1nd
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Post by rincew1nd on May 5, 2020 18:14:43 GMT
According to this tweet, additional carriages have been delivered:
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Post by Chris L on May 5, 2020 18:24:15 GMT
Crossrail have posted a drone view of Old Oak Common depot on Twitter. Clearly shows the 7 car trains that will be getting the extra coaches.
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Post by goldenarrow on May 11, 2020 19:34:45 GMT
The Office of Rail and Road have authorised operation of ETCS Level 2 removing the final* hurdle for use of the trains on Heathrow services.
* They obviously still need to work of course
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Post by Chris W on May 12, 2020 20:51:18 GMT
Those Cl.345 have become a lot lower/wider than when I last travelled on them  |
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Post by Chris L on May 12, 2020 21:58:58 GMT
Those Cl.345 have become a lot lower/wider than when I last travelled on them Must be the broad gauge version. |
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Post by spsmiler on May 13, 2020 8:42:34 GMT
Those Cl.345 have become a lot lower/wider than when I last travelled on them Must be the broad gauge version. I'm not into graffitti or slogans but... Brunel woz right! Brunel rulz - OK? These tweets suggest that there may be significant changes to the rolling stock on Heathrow services later this month ... 'we shall see' (as the saying goes) |
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Post by goldenarrow on May 13, 2020 11:10:36 GMT
spsmiler , I’m not too sure about the ATP response to your tweet as 345’s have been operating alongside 332’s all the time since testing started this year without incident*. HEX’s 332’s aren’t due to retire till July at the earliest. * Apart from one spectacular incident
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Post by phil on May 14, 2020 18:04:57 GMT
spsmiler , I’m not too sure about the ATP response to your tweet as 345’s have been operating alongside 332’s all the time since testing started this year without incident*. HEX’s 332’s aren’t due to retire till July at the earliest. * Apart from one spectacular incident
Not in the Heathrow tunnels they haven't.
To be clear, the issue has been ECTS and the legacy BR ATP system interfering with each other in the confines of the Heathrow tunnels ONLY. This has caused significant delays and is one of the key reasons for the change strategy (GWR taking over Hex and using ECTS fitted 387s thus allowing the BR ATP system to be turned off).
Out on the GWML proper there have been no problems allowing 345s to happily co-exist with other units using the legacy BR ATP system.
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Post by spsmiler on May 14, 2020 21:31:13 GMT
Further to my messages above, I've now learnt that it will be a while (exact timeframe not specified) before the the GWR 387's are ready.
Also, the reduced services during the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown means that the 4 trains an hour service to LHR from Paddington that was timetabled to start later this month will probably be delayed.
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Post by Chris M on May 25, 2020 12:38:18 GMT
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Post by Dstock7080 on May 25, 2020 13:44:09 GMT
I first noticed 9-car passenger trains to Reading on 13 April. Our own goldenarrow noted on 29 April: TfL Rail West's 345 service is made up entirely of 9 car units today. I've been observing formations to/from work since the Covid timetables started and I don't think I saw more than two 7 car units in service a day. |
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Post by xercesfobe on Jun 1, 2020 22:28:00 GMT
As I see the TFL Class 345’s in service on the GWR I cannot forget how similar these trains are to the BART San Francisco Network. Both the Class 345’s and the new and old BART trains are all from the Bombardier Stable and what great trains they are. I hope to have another visit to SF and have another overdue ride on the BART
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Post by goldenarrow on Jun 2, 2020 12:16:24 GMT
The June edition of RAIL reports that all but five 345's have been delivered to London as of 14 May. One in warm storage in Notts, the remaining four* at Old Dalby.
*One of the Dalby units has been spotted London bound as this was typed.
On an aside, having had the benefit of a rather tall vantage point for the last week, I can see that the odd reduced length unit is still around (one out today), but nowhere near as regularly as before.
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Post by Chris W on Jun 2, 2020 21:14:15 GMT
What roundels are the additional cars (or units) wearing ?? 1) TfL Rail 2) Elizabeth Line 3) nothing |
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Post by MoreToJack on Jun 3, 2020 0:49:12 GMT
They are all reported as having TfL Rail branding. Given TfL's penchant for image, I would expect nothing less.
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Post by itfcfan on Jun 17, 2020 16:39:07 GMT
The 9 car class 345s that were running on TfL Rail West (Paddington - Reading) were withdrawn last Thursday (11th June). I understand this was due to a software fault detected re: signalling (TPWS). Does anyone know what happened to cause this fault? Is this a major problem that will require a new software version to resolve it (we're looking at weeks/months before a fix)? Or is this a more minor problem that can/will be resolved with a workaround (days/weeks before a fix)?
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Post by goldenarrow on Jun 17, 2020 19:32:17 GMT
itfcfan , Funnily enough the reason given in a recent stakeholder meeting yesterday was "prepping", I clearly need to brush up my skills in English (PR)... Haven't heard anything official since then but looking back at the 345's track record, I'd guess some vulnerability in the technical modules has been found to have perturbed certain fail-safe systems like AWS and/or TPWS as has been suggested by fellow members.
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rincew1nd
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Post by rincew1nd on Jul 6, 2020 18:17:11 GMT
It appears the full length cl345 have been temporarily withdrawn:
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Post by itfcfan on Jul 6, 2020 23:07:34 GMT
It appears the full length cl345 have been temporarily withdrawn: Today the reduced length (7 car) trains have returned to whole day service on the Paddington - Hayes & Harlington service. Since the full length units were withdrawn on 11th June several of these 9 car units were reconfigured to 7 cars (with the different software that runs on the reduced length unit) allowing enough unit availability now to run this service. |
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Post by Chris L on Jul 7, 2020 3:29:23 GMT
It appears the full length cl345 have been temporarily withdrawn: Today the reduced length (7 car) trains have returned to whole day service on the Paddington - Hayes & Harlington service. Since the full length units were withdrawn on 11th June several of these 9 car units were reconfigured to 7 cars (with the different software that runs on the reduced length unit) allowing enough unit availability now to run this service. It would be interesting to know if the problem occurs with trains delivered as 9 cars or those recently extended to 9 cars or both. |
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Post by goldenarrow on Jul 20, 2020 20:47:11 GMT
345 test runs in the airport tunnels resumed last Thursday. In lieu of T5 now hosting Tfl Rail and HEX, test runs have got T4 for the rest of this week.
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Post by PiccNT on Jul 21, 2020 13:06:49 GMT
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Post by goldenarrow on Jul 30, 2020 7:55:47 GMT
345004 breaks ground as the first 345 in passenger service to Heathrow today. Just the solitary unit for now, more to follow as the miles rack up. TfL Rail West's Heathrow service only requires three units at present.
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Post by Chris L on Jul 30, 2020 13:22:26 GMT
345004 breaks ground as the first 345 in passenger service to Heathrow today. Just the solitary unit for now, more to follow as the miles rack up. TfL Rail West's Heathrow service only requires three units at present. Well done to the guys for overcoming the problems of getting the trains into Heathrow. |
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Post by MoreToJack on Jul 30, 2020 16:08:21 GMT
345004 failed this afternoon, struggling to switch into TPWS mode. It has since run ECS to depot.
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