Messages

730007  today - on the 12.48 from Wolves on departure from Smethwick Rolfe Street started to announce and display Perry Barr as the next stop!
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I'm guessing incorrect GPS location?
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At New St correctly showing Duddeston.
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Interesting screen display showing seating availability in each car.

Empty unit ran through a landslip at Long Lawford this morning, up line expected to be blocked until at least Tuesday.
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Buses Coventry-Northampton.

Interestingly the 06.18 from Wolves has a VAR schedule to use 5B instead of 4C - but only on Tuesday.
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Following the working through it appears to end at Soho, so is a different turn the rest of the week, or a different unit?

172s are not cleared north of Galton Jcn.

https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/about-us/news-desk/new-era-rail-travel-begin-west-midlands-railway-unveils-electric-train-fleet
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says start on Walsall-Wolves next week.
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Not convinced that the increase in standing space at the expense of seats is anything to crow about.
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https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:WVH/2024-02-08/0600-2000?stp=S&show=all&order=wtt&toc=LM

Track Access Application has appeared for the Dec 2024 introduction of a Cardiff-Edinburgh service - an existing Cardiff-Nottingham train will become a 221 and attach at New Street to the 08.27 Plymouth-Edinburgh, while the return will be formed by the set currently detached off the 13.05 Edinburgh-Plymouth at Gloucester and running empty to Central Rivers.
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The hourly Reading-Newcastle service is planned to be re-instated in May 2025.
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The already announced addition of seven ex Avanti 221s will make this feasible.

I had assumed some kind of balise was required but looking at wikipedia it may not be a requirement.
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That said the Rule Book does refer to reporting a fault due to defective lineside equipment.
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RSSB group standard refers examples of both balise and GPS activated systems.

Someone would have to pay to fit the equipment at stations though.

The 5 car sets will not fit Wolverhampton p5 so I would suggest use on the Walsall service is highly unlikely.

It will be interesting to see if there are enough ETCS units to allow the interworking of Holyhead services to continue.

According to wikipedia a three car 730 seats 199 which is less than any variant of 350 except a 350/4 which seat 198!

Thanks - It looks like the first two from Lime St were four, giving the opportunity to work a set into Lime Street couple to the 07.33.

Meant to mention before but fifteen car test trains with the three 730/1-2 delivered have been running out of Oxley via Cannock, presumably because they are  too long to reverse at Wolverhampton.

Rather belatedly I have spotted that the 05.33 Birmingham-Liverpool is booked off platform 4C, which sees much more use from December with the reversion to four-car working on the Liverpool route. It appears from RTT to be formed off the previous nights 23.16 arrival from Wolverhampton.
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Some mornings RTT has the platform changed, but on at least two mornings, including today, it hasn't yet the 11.33 ex Liverpool has been eight cars with no obvious opportunity for a swap or attachment - on one occasion the 05.33 was overtime at Wolverhampton, but not I would have thought enough to do an attachment, and it wasn't this morning.

The only time on the timetable is from Highfield - all the others are surely an invention of bustimes.org?
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No normal punter will expect a bus going to Goal Square to wait time at Stafford station