West Midlands Railway

[BK63 YWP]

HST carriages squeak and are not that quiet. Give me a class 350 over a HST on an electrified chase line

[BusMan Greg]

Class 350's for the London journeys and class 323's for the chase local services. To me that sounds perfect, however class 350's are better for peak time services and the quality of them compared to the class 323's is very different. The whole idea of the chase line electrification was to achieve better journey times and to save money. This will also boost the local economy. So having 350's on peak time services will be much more suitable

[Tony]

Class 350's for the London journeys and class 323's for the chase local services. To me that sounds perfect, however class 350's are better for peak time services and the quality of them compared to the class 323's is very different. The whole idea of the chase line electrification was to achieve better journey times and to save money. This will also boost the local economy. So having 350's on peak time services will be much more suitable

No 323s, they're  finishing. All 350s

[D10]

The New Street to International shuttle has been a 350 both today and yesterday instead of the 323 usually used.

New permanent allocation for this on the new timetable?

[Bob]

Class 350's for the London journeys and class 323's for the chase local services. To me that sounds perfect, however class 350's are better for peak time services and the quality of them compared to the class 323's is very different. The whole idea of the chase line electrification was to achieve better journey times and to save money. This will also boost the local economy. So having 350's on peak time services will be much more suitable

Why are Class 350s better for peak time services they have less seating than a 323 and are slower to accelerate?

[Bob]

From Cannock to Birmingham currently about 40-43 mins or so. Is there a final estimation of what that journey time will beon a 350?

[Westy]

Have they said which stations would be served by the London trains yet?

Would it be all stops on the Chase Line, then Walsall, Bescot, Tame Bridge, then the back way into New St, International, Coventry, Rugby, the Northampton section same as the existing 'slow/cheap' service to Euston?

If it's not both Bloxwich stations, then it ought to be Bloxwich North, for the parking & frequent 301's adjacent at Mossley!

[OH25]

Why was there was a class 172 parked up at New Street last night around 10:15?

[Sh4318]

Even more inadequate in the sense it was busier. I struggled to get off the B#####d thing at Astom. You only need a couple of fat people blocking the aisle on top and its a nightmare. .

Have you got some sort of raging hatred for anything publicly owned? Privatised trains arent that great, in fact if you go back to the last few sprintered years on the chase lime under BR were actually riding on stock DOUBLE the age they were back then. The trains particularly the 153s are also filthy. Probably not much cleaner than the 90s

You've just had your Monday to Friday off peak frequency doubled. Your line will be using electric trains with bigger capacity in 6 months. Just be patient.

If you don't like the 153s, I'd happily take them on my local lines.

Even more inadequate? how do you work that one out. It was the usual 170 and it ran on time. WMR would love to bolster the services, I mentioned to them about Great Western releasing 153s off lease, but Northern had already grabbed them.They are taking on extra 319s as fast as they can, but those aren't much use until the wires go up and the platforms extended which is Network Rails job.

Another nice Nationalised NR mess is they have upgraded all the track on the Chase line to 70 mph and the line was authorised for 70mph from Sunday, but immediately they have put a temporary speed restriction back down to 45/50 mph because the station platforms aren't good enough for trains to pass at 70!

I thoight Northern were getting rid of their 153s next year? Is this not the case?

[Tony]

You've just had your Monday to Friday off peak frequency doubled. Your line will be using electric trains with bigger capacity in 6 months. Just be patient.

If you don't like the 153s, I'd happily take them on my local lines.

I thoight Northern were getting rid of their 153s next year? Is this not the case?

153305; 153373 & 153380 all have been taken on by Northern in the last couple of weeks

[mikestone]

I suspect that following the farce with newly linked services this week they might well have a change of heart and stick to the franchise commitment of two trains a day.

[Bob]

Is the 4.42 to RTV from New St now a 3 car?

[WMT3000]

Just heard that WMR trains on the hawthorns line are delayed due to overhead electric damage. Diesel trains on a non-electrified line. Are this company for real? The performance is past a joke now.

[Roy]

Some WMR trains on the Stourbridge line to/from Worcester have been subject to delays due to trespassers on the line in Worcester.  Looking at Realtime Trains, most services between Stourbridge and Birmingham seem to be running okay, although those coming up from Worcester are up to 30 minutes late.  There's not a lot a train company can do about trespassers apart from supplying their drivers with machine guns!

It is the Metro which has been cancelled between West Bromwich and Birmingham and it seems that this was due to a person being hit by a tram near West Bromwich. 

[Westy]

  There's not a lot a train company can do about trespassers apart from supplying their drivers with machine guns!

What a good idea ! LOL