East Midlands Railway stops most of its ‘153’ fleet
Fleet reductions follow service cutbacks owing to Covid-19 virus.
EAST Midlands Railway took the step of removing virtually all its Class 153s from traffic over the weekend of
March 21/22, following a number of service cancellations and train length reductions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, writes David Russell.
Whether they return to service again before their derogations expire on December 31 is very much dependant on the impact of the virus over the coming weeks and months.
No less than 14 of the ‘153s’ ran to Barrow Hill for secure storage on March 22. The first to arrive were
Nos. 153308/381, running as the 5D00/12.15 Derby Etches Park-Barrow Hill. They were followed by two convoys from Nottingham Eastcroft, the first comprising Nos. 153319/357/374/382384 and the second Nos. 153302/ 311/318/372/379/385.
Three units remained with the firm, namely Nos. 153355 (still in service the following day, being used to strengthen trains on the Robin Hood line), 153368 (undergoing exam) and 153376 (at Eastcroft depot).
EMR’s Class 153s were largely used for strengthening of Norwich to Liverpool services to the west of Nottingham. With the introduction of emergency timetables and reductions in passenger numbers, these workings have been reduced in length. Other routes which are normally covered by ‘153s’, such as Newark to Grimsby and Derby to Crewe, are being operated by Class 156 and 158 units.
GWR ‘PACERS’ SIDELINED
Another train operating company that has taken rolling stock out of service is Great Western Railway, which has stood down all eight of its Class 143s. These ‘Pacers’ have a dispensation to operate with PRM-compliant units for strengthening purposes until the end of the year. The last to be used in service was No. 143611 on March 19, although No. 143620 ran from St Philip’s Marsh (Bristol) to Exeter the following day after attention.
All eight sets were parked up at Exeter depot in late March, with the exception of No. 143617, which was being used as a makeshift staff messroom at the rear of platform 2 at St Davids station.
NORTHERN ‘144S’ STORED
The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway has become a storage location for a number of Class 144 units, the entire fleet having been stood
down by Northern following the reduction of services. Eight units, Nos. 144001/03/10/12/14/16/17/20, arrived on April 1 in three convoys from Hull and Neville Hill and Holbeck in Leeds. The following day saw another three sets, Nos. 144007/11/13, arrive
from Heaton, with seven more,
Nos. 144002/04-06/09/19/22, moving from Sheffield on April 2/3. No. 144011 is the set destined to be preserved at the KWVR. Northern’s remaining five sets, Nos. 144007/08/15/18/21, were at Heaton on April 4.