West Midlands Railway

[Bob]

I believe only the 3 150s are due to go this year

Shame. Still excellent units

[Sh4318]

I believe only the 3 150s are due to go this year

Are the 153s not off to East Midlands Trains then?

[Tony]

Are the 153s not off to East Midlands Trains then?

I haven't heard that one! East Midlands Trains already have a problem of too many 153s that run singly so are not PSVAR compliant from January. Other operators are getting around the PsVAR rules with them by only using them coupled to compliant units.

It does now look like the 323s when they are released will go to Northern now. Northern are looking at using them to replace their class 319s so that Porterbrook can use the 319s in the 'Flex' bi-mode programme.

This has several advantages as a 323 has roughly the same capacity as a 319, but some of the routes the 319s are on can take 6 carriages, but not 8, so allow for double units at busy times, and as both units are owned by Porterbrook and easy swap when Porterbrrok have other uses for 319s

[4679]

I thought the some of the 153's were of to Scot rail to be converted to carry Bikes.

[Tony]

I thought the some of the 153's were of to Scot rail to be converted to carry Bikes.

Those are ex Great Western ones that had been on hire to Northern. They will be attached to either a 156 or 158 to get around the PsVAR rules

[mikestone]

But is the 769 going to be quietly abandoned - no sign of the one that has been at Allerton since Christmas escaping. It can't be lack of traincrew resources with the CAF testing suspended - there was some last Thurday but nothing since apart from a couple of Edge Hill-Allerton moves.
;

[Tony]

But is the 769 going to be quietly abandoned - no sign of the one that has been at Allerton since Christmas escaping. It can't be lack of traincrew resources with the CAF testing suspended - there was some last Thurday but nothing since apart from a couple of Edge Hill-Allerton moves.
;

Porterbrook are reckoning on getting enough orders to need the entire batch hence this swap. Transport for Wales have just increased their order for them

[mikestone]

Timetables now on website.

[Pat]

Timetables now on website.

I've just seen the new Birmingham-Shrewsbury timetable. Not what you'd call every 30 mins like what was promised. The whole point of the extra train per hour is to ease overcrowding and skipping out stations such as Bilbrook which are quite busy isn't really goint to help do this. They'd have been better off keeping the same stopping pattern as is current.

[mikestone]

I don't think it was ever said it was to be half-hourly - 'not as bad as it appears as the fast trains are roughly half-hourly with the Arriva trains.

[Pat]

I don't think it was ever said it was to be half-hourly - 'not as bad as it appears as the fast trains are roughly half-hourly with the Arriva trains.

I suppose, but this doesn't help for people who live in Codsall or Shifnal as the Transport for Wales train doesn't stop there.

[Roy]

The problem was finding a spare path between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.  The extra Shrewsbury service seems to have taken up the path previously used by the Euston to Wolverhampton services (xx:50) until they were merged with the New Street to Scotland services at xx:15.  It is possible that the service might be rerouted via Bescot to serve Willenhall, Darlaston and Tame Bridge Parkway in 2021/22 so it might be retimed then.   

[mikestone]

Path in this evening from Tyseley to Newton Heath.

[mikestone]

Two Saturday evening 323 jobs on the Chase from May - 21.20 and 21.58 from New St.

[Tony]

For anyone wanting to travel on the first electric passenger train on the Chase line, it will actually be the 22:19 Birmingham-Rugeley on Saturday 18th May, last day of the old timetable. This and the 23:19 to Rugeley are both booked for class 350s to get them in the correct position for Sunday morning.

Someone was asking whether the 153s were going off-lease. It looks like they are going onto the Worcester line to strengthen some services. The staff bulletin lists this as a minus point as they won't have wifi.