Don’t scrap the ‘332s’

I read that the CAF/Siemens Class 332 electric multiple units that have been used to provide the Heathrow Express service from Paddington since 1998 are expected to be scrapped after they are replaced by newly modified Bombardier Class 387/1s.

Rather than scrap these EMUs, which would probably have been used for another ten to 15 years if it was not necessary to demolish their existing depot, is it not possible to send them north (after some modification) to work alongside the almost identical Class 333 EMUs?

The CAF/Siemens Class 333s are still the most reliable EMUs in the Northern fleet, achieving a Mile per Technical Incident Moving Annual Average (MTIN MAA) of 20,959 in Period 11 2019-20. Only Siemens Class 185 diesel multiple units (at 31,043) have a better MTIN MAA.

When originally built, the 16 Class 333s consisted of three cars. All were subsequently expanded to four. Similarly, the 14 Class 332s were originally built with four cars but sometime later five were modified to five-cars.

Having EMUs with this kind of flexibility would enable Northern to create units of three, four or five cars that could be joined (when stations and other infrastructure allows), to create trains of up ten cars to provide more capacity at busy times without using additional paths.

Once the 16 Class 333s are fully operational, consideration could be given to scrapping the three four-car Class 321/9 EMUs and the five four-car Class 322 EMUs.

Jeff Ball, Isle of Wight