Northern (Arriva Rail North)

[St Helens Rider]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(06/08/2017 12:30)wirralbus Wrote:  If they are running east of Earlestown where are the rail replacement buses ultimately going ?

Lime Street - Piccalilly.

[wirralbus]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(06/08/2017 11:16)St Helens Rider Wrote:  Which begs the question why is Northern running a replacement bus east of Earlestown.

Is it maybe a capacity issue on the ATW services that has Northern running there buses the full length , im not sure how busy the ATW services are from Warrington into Manchester

[Sprinterdriver]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(06/08/2017 06:03)knutstransport Wrote:  Some of the 319s had PIS and a new toilet fitted while they were being used with their previous operator.

The refurbishment is supposed to include replacing the cushions, not just the covers and all units are supposed to get energy efficient LED lighting and wifi which I don't think even the 'refurbished' Sprinters have.

Wifi is coming later with power sockets.

As I have said, other than the seat covers/cushions (let's not split hairs). The 319's in the new livery have been refurbished internally.

SD.

[knutstransport]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(06/08/2017 19:31)Sprinterdriver Wrote:  As I have said, other than the seat covers/cushions (let's not split hairs).

Just pointing out the refurbishment should go further than old Northern's approach of removing a seat cover and replacing it with a new (badly fitted) one.

[Sprinterdriver]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(07/08/2017 09:50)knutstransport Wrote:  Just pointing out the refurbishment should go further than old Northern's approach of removing a seat cover and replacing it with a new (badly fitted) one.

Seat covers were coming off on 142's and 150's when they were new. !50/1's were very prone to shedding headrests from their original seats!

As for what the last franchise did, they achieved quite a lot despite little or no money being available thanks to it being let on a "no growth" basis.

SD.

[Sprinterdriver]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)
From this morning the crossover at St Helens Central has been wired so it can be used by EMU's.

SD.

[knutstransport]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(07/08/2017 13:59)Sprinterdriver Wrote:  As for what the last franchise did, they achieved quite a lot despite little or no money being available thanks to it being let on a "no growth" basis.

In reality the 'no growth' period was only implemented for the first four years. In the fifth year Northern got additional carriages and there were plans to add a further 40 carriages to the TPE franchise and 120 to the Northern franchise. But then we had a general election in 2010 and a government who extended the Northern and TPE franchises twice without changing the terms to include growth and also a government who decided the 319s Northern were getting could replace 156s so that 156s could replace TPE 170s, instead of being extra capacity like the pre-2010 plan. They then kept saying "Labour let the franchise on no growth terms" to try and divert attention away from their own failings.

Also do you remember Lord Adonis saying the ex-Thameslink trains will be stripped of their interiors and given 2+2 seating, tables and air conditioning? That plan disappeared after the 2010 election as well.

[childwallblues]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(07/08/2017 14:01)Sprinterdriver Wrote:  From this morning the crossover at St Helens Central has been wired so it can be used by EMU's.

SD.

Will the 0556 to LIV now go electric?

[knutstransport]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(07/08/2017 18:07)childwallblues Wrote:  v
Will the 0556 to LIV now go electric?

Unlikely as it's currently part of a move to get DMUs from Wigan sidings to Lime Street for the Oxford Rd stopper. No point in using a 319 and then having DMUs running ECS just behind it.

[Sprinterdriver]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)

(07/08/2017 14:44)knutstransport Wrote:  In reality the 'no growth' period was only implemented for the first four years. In the fifth year Northern got additional carriages and there were plans to add a further 40 carriages to the TPE franchise and 120 to the Northern franchise. But then we had a general election in 2010 and a government who extended the Northern and TPE franchises twice without changing the terms to include growth and also a government who decided the 319s Northern were getting could replace 156s so that 156s could replace TPE 170s, instead of being extra capacity like the pre-2010 plan. They then kept saying "Labour let the franchise on no growth terms" to try and divert attention away from their own failings.

Also do you remember Lord Adonis saying the ex-Thameslink trains will be stripped of their interiors and given 2+2 seating, tables and air conditioning? That plan disappeared after the 2010 election as well.

Adonis needed to speak to a rolling stock engineer. The transformer on a 319 wouldn't cope with powering air conditioning, so while it was promised, it was always going to be pie in the sky!

SD.