Operations

A correspondent travelled from Manchester to Euston on January 24 and encountered delays due to signalling issues between Milton Keynes and Watford, arrival in London being 15 minutes late. Euston itself was reported very quiet. The return journey was 16 minutes late on arrival at Piccadilly on a lightly loaded train.

Making its first WCML run, AWC’s unbranded white Class 805 No. 805001 ran on a 5Q30/08.34 ECS on Monday, February 6 from Oxley Depot in Wolverhampton to Glasgow. On arrival at Glasgow Central at 13.47 this five-car unit departed from platform 2 at 13.58 (5Q31) returning south to Oxley Depot. On the following day the same five-car unit ran to the identical Glasgow-bound schedule.

Although most AWC Anglo-Scottish services in January and early February were worked by Class 390 units; on February 6, the 9S77/13.16 London Euston to Glasgow Central via Birmingham was worked by consecutively numbered Class 221s Nos. 221112+221113. Earlier that day No. 221104 ran ECS on a 5Z21/07.48 from Crewe to Glasgow Central.

A visit to King’s Cross on Friday, January 20 found Class 91 No. 91119 Bounds Green, in InterCity livery, alongside platform 1 at the head of the 1D17/14.03 to Leeds. Driving trailer No. 82223 was at the rear of the train.

The planned battery train trials are expected to take place during 2023, but no date has been announced for the introduction of the converted D-stock given the recent situation surrounding Vivarail which is now in administration. For now, the Greenford service remains worked by Class 165/1 Networker Turbos.

On a sunny January 20, a correspondent made a journey on the 2G24/11.25 from West Ealing to Greenford formed of No. 165127. A little later No. 165127 was seen again, approaching South Greenford forming the 2G27/12.09 on the return journey from Greenford to West Ealing. No. 165127 was seen for a final time on the day at West Ealing forming the 2G30/12.52 from West Ealing to Greenford.

The following day, Saturday, January 21, a repeat visit to West Ealing found disruption on the Greenford service. No. 165124 had reportedly been working the services in the morning but was declared a failure, having returned to West Ealing on the 2G17/09.37 from Greenford. Consequently, another unit had to be sent from Reading to work the service. A journey on the 2G34/13.52 from West Ealing to Greenford found it formed of No. 165121.

With the lease of the 19 Class 769 tri-mode multiple-units ending on April 1, 2023, there would seem little reason to continue to run them. However, on Monday, January 23 No. 769930 was seen leading No. 769959 through Tilehurst station whilst working as empty stock train 5Z71 from Oxford Up Carriage Sidings to Reading Traincare Depot. The Class 769s were working on their diesel engines.

It has been reported that the last run of a Class 769 with GWR was to be on Tuesday, February 7, over the North Downs Line, to complete the testing of the Automatic Selective Door Operation (ASDO) system, which is also being fitted to the Class 16x fleet. It is also reported that the Class 769 units will be stored at Long Marston.

Had everything gone to plan, during 2023 the Class 769 trimode multiple-units would have been taking over from the Class 165/1 Networker Turbos on the Thames Valley branch lines. On January 23, a correspondent made journeys on several of these branch lines. To sample the Reading to Basingstoke line service, the short hop from Reading to Reading West was made on the 2J35/12.32 from Reading to Basingstoke formed of Class 165 No. 165107, returning on the 12.22 from Basingstoke to Reading formed of No. 165104. This was followed by a visit to Henley-on-Thames using the 2H34/13.15 from Twyford and returning on the 2H37/14.00 to Twyford, both trains being formed of No. 165120.

There was never an intention to use the Class 769 trimode multiple units on the Marlow ‘Donkey’ service, but the Class 769s were to have been used on the rush hour