East Midlands HST fleet halved
Only three HST sets remain in service with East Midlands Railway.
A REDUCTION in services on the Midland Main Line from January 18 saw the number of HST diagrams reduced from five to two, with a consequential fleet reduction from six sets to three.
Just a few weeks previously on December 31, the last two original EMR rakes (NL04 and NL11) were removed from service, while the final former Grand Central rake (DY23) had been stopped earlier that month.
The three sets retained sets are each formed of just six vehicles, all exLNER: NL56 (Nos. 41100, 40711, 42239, 42199, 42198, 44063); NL57 (Nos. 41165, 40702, 42159, 42110, 42109, 44057); and NL58 (Nos. 42146, 41095, 40701, 42326, 42237, 44075).
Of the other three rakes that were originally planned to be kept until May - all also made up of former LNER vehicles - NL51 and NL55 have been taken out of service (the latter had only been put into traffic on December 27 following reactivation work). Some coaches from NL51 were taken to Barrow Hill for store on January 19.
NL54, which was planned to reenter service in January, will no longer do so. Some vehicles from the set were among those moved to Gascoigne
Wood (North Yorkshire) in a convoy from Leeds Neville Hill, hauled by No. 37510 Orion on January 21, comprising Nos. 41066/097/098/151/152, 42182/190/240/354. Subsequently they departed for Sims Metals, Newport, behind No. 47813 Jack Frost on January 28. Two other coaches in this move (Nos. 41066 and 42354) were spare vehicles which, along with Nos. 40705, 41190, 42116 and 44077, were hauled from Barrow Hill to Neville Hill for planned reactivation by No. 66749 Christopher Hopcroft MBE on January 5.
Two more sets that never entered service with East Midlands Railway have been set for scrap. On December 23, NL52 (comprising Nos. 40735, 41039/040, 42057-059/189 and 44019) were moved from Gascoigne Wood to EMR at Kingsbury by No.
47813. Then on January 14, Nos. 47727 Caisteal Dhun Eideann/Edinburgh Castle and 47739 collected NL53 (made up of Nos. 40737, 41044/090, 42063065/127 and 44045) from Gascoigne Wood and took it to Newport Docks for scrapping by Sims Metals.
‘OLD' EMR SETS
Several other sets have also been moved from Neville Hill to Gascoigne Wood for temporary storage prior to disposal. December 22 saw No. 66704 Colchester Power Signalbox take NL03 (Nos. 41061/067, 40741, 42337/119-121 and 44054) to the storage site. Three coaches from this set have been acquired by the
125 Group for preservation, while the others are likely to go for scrap. NL04 (formed of Nos. 41077/064, 40749, 42151/164/165/153 and 44047) was taken from Neville Hill to Gascoigne Wood on January 5, five days after its removal from service, by No. 66749.
Departing for scrap on January 18 was set NL12 (Nos. 41079/69, 40700, 42155/156/157/152 and 44041), plus former spare car No. 42384. Nos. 66705 Golden Jubilee and 66750 Bristol Panel Signal Box took them to South Wales for disposal, forming the 5Z98/10.40 Gascoigne Wood-Newport Docks.
The three former Grand Central sets, which had been with East Midlands Railway since 2018, have all been moved to Ely Papworth for storage. Two movements took place on December 21, Nos. 43480/484 moving set DY23 (Nos. 40221, 41206/207, 42401/404/584) from Barrow Hill, while set DY21 (Nos. 40204, 41205/208, 42405/408/586, with power car Nos. 43465/467) was towed from Barrow Hill to Ely by No. 47813. The next day, Nos. 43423/468 formed the 5L48/09.54 Barrow Hill-Ely Papworth with set DY22 (Nos. 40205, 41204/209, 42402/407/585).
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