Operations Track Record
seen, with Nos. 150130+150226 on September 26. There has also been a rare sighting of a Class 158 unit, once regular during the autumn of 2020.
Class 68 No. 68019 and a rake of TPE stock were stabled in Warrington Canal Sidings on September 19, alongside another Class 68 and stock.
Observed through Woodlesford on September 21 was an unusual working of the 08.45 Carlisle-Gascoigne Wood light engine movement involving Class 68 Nos. 68025+ 68022.
Due to an incident near Oxenholme some TP services were cancelled and others rescheduled on the afternoon of September 23. One rescheduled service, worked by Class 397
No. 397001, was the 13.10/1S61 from Manchester Airport to Glasgow which was terminated at Lancaster. Later No. 397001 returned south at 15.00 with the 1T97, an additional service intended for Manchester Airport but terminated at Manchester Piccadilly. From there No. 397001 departed at 16.27 with the 1S75 to Edinburgh.
A trio of TP units were seen together in Lancaster on the morning of September 28. First to arrive was Class 802
No. 802204 which was ECS from Edge Hill, Liverpool, (08.11/3Q98) to Carlisle. This was held on the centre Up Fast through line so that the 10.27 to Glasgow from Manchester Airport worked by Class 397 No. 397001 could call at platform 3. Meanwhile, at platform 4 was the 10.29 to Manchester Airport from Edinburgh (dep 08.11/1M93) worked by Class 802 No. 802217. Later that afternoon No. 802204 returned ECS from Carlisle (dep 12.20/3Q99) to Edge Hill having been held for 16 minutes at Lancaster’s platform 5 from 13.08 to 13.24.
Class 802 No. 802211 was on driver training duties with the 10.05 York-Leeds and the 10.53 Leeds-Heaton train observed through Woodlesford on September 28.
There were few trains passing Thankerton on October 1, due to a strike. The only passenger services were all TPE, worked by Class 397, units with the 1S44/09.04 Preston to Edinburgh Waverley operated by No. 397011; No. 397004 on the 1S46/11.02 Preston to Edinburgh Waverley; No. 397011 back on the 1M97/13.12 Edinburgh Waverley to Preston; No. 397004 back on the 1M99/15.12 Edinburgh Waverley to Preston.
Driving trailer No. 12811 top-and-tailed with Class 68
No. 68027 on TP11 were seen passing ECS through Reddish South with 5Z85 Gascoigne Wood-Longsight on October 3.
On September 14 at about 12.10, Class 197 No. 197011 passed through Colwyn Bay eastward on a crew training duty, closely followed by GBRf Class 66 No. 66715 on 6F22 Penmaenmawr to Tuebrook aggregate service which was followed by Class 67 No. 67017 on the 1V96/11.33 Holyhead to Cardiff service. At Wrexham Class 230 No. 230009 was stabled in the bay platform and No. 230007 in use on the Bidston line.
Class 67 No. 67008 reached Chester on September 19 with the 06.45 Cardiff to Holyhead, then failed. Passengers were transferred to the Avanti West Coast 09.51 Crewe to Holyhead service formed with No. 221104. The Class 67’s return working, the 11.36 from Holyhead, started from Chester, with Class 158
No. 158823 working to Cardiff.
The 11.22 Cardiff Central to Holy head on September 26 hauled by Class 67 No. 67017, was delayed 50 minutes at Shrewsbury because of a tree blocking the line ahead. It was then terminated at Llandudno Junction, to pick up its return times on the 16.36 from Holyhead starting short.
Class 197 No. 197007 was top-and-tailed from Donnington RFT to Crewe by Class 37 Nos. 37608+37510 on September 2, followed by No. 197012 behind
Class 66 No. 66594 on October 4.
Class 158 No. 158840 was seen passing through Reddish South on October 3 with 5Z31 Doncaster Wabtec-Shrewsbury Abbey Foregate sidings ECS move.
New Class 730 No. 730004 was seen leaving Euston on Tuesday, September 20, on a test run to Oxley Carriage Maintenance Depot. No. 730004 is one of the 36 three-car high-capacity ‘metro’ units ordered for use on Birmingham Cross-City inner suburban services, so is unlikely to be a regular visitor to Euston once it enters service!
Class 730 Nos. 730001+730010 moved from Oxley to Bletchley on September 28, being joined by No. 730011 the following day.
New units 777005/06/16 were noted in Crewe Carriage Shed sidings on September 20, one vehicle of No. 777006 bearing extensive graffiti.
A further Class 508 unit has gone for disposal with No. 508140 being towed from Birkenhead to Crewe by Class 37 No. 37884 overnight on SundayMonday October 9/10, before being taken south to Sims, Newport on October 11.
A rake of four units Nos. 165034+ 165033+ 168329+165005 was moved from Wembley LMD to Wolverton on September 22.
Engineering works on Sunday, September 11, were the cause of several diversions which, taken together, added up to an afternoon railtour. There were no services between Wandsworth Road and Clapham Junction until late in the afternoon and as a consequence trains ran to and from Battersea Park.
A journey was made from Battersea Park as far as Whitechapel on the 9H26/11.47 departure to Dalston Junction formed of Class 378 No. 378203. At Barking, the route over the flyover was formerly considered as ‘rare track’, but since services have been extended to Barking Riverside it is the line to platform 1 at Barking which is the rarity. On Sunday, September 11 there was no service between Barking and Barking Riverside and the trains to Gospel Oak started from platform 1.
A short hop was made from Barking to Wanstead Park to ride the rare track to Barking Station Junction on the 2J34/13.08 departure to Gospel Oak formed of Class 710 No. 710272.
Class 700 No 700153 arrived at Littlehampton on September 23 having worked a driver’s route refresher trip from Three Bridges depot. The return trip departed at 11.22 to Three Bridges via Hove.
Class 700 No. 700043 was berthed at Littlehampton all day on September 27 as the 05.52 to Bedford was cancelled due to a shortage of drivers. It was used the next day for the 05.52 to Bedford as a driver was available.
Ahead of trains from Reading and Heathrow Airport running through the cross-London tunnels to Abbey Wood and trains from Shenfield running to Paddington, tests were being carried out on Sunday, September 11, resulting in reduced services operating between Liverpool Street and Gidea Park and Paddington and Heathrow.
The short hop from Forest Gate to Stratford was made by a correspondent on the 2W31/12.53 from Shenfield to Liverpool Street formed of Class 345 No. 345019. The train ran on the Up Main rather than the Up Electric line and consequently stopped by platform 3 at Forest Gate. This platform is not normally served by passenger trains.
At Stratford the train called at platform 9, which is normally used by Greater Anglia services. Later the same day on the western part of the line a journey was made as far as Ealing Broadway on the 9T64/15.12 from Paddington to Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 formed of Class 345 No. 345057.
Leaving from platform 11 at Paddington the train crossed over to line 2 and then crossed to the Down Main line at Ladbroke Grove, rather than the Down Relief, and remained on the Down Main to Ealing Broadway, where the stop was at platform 1. The usual stop at Acton Main Line was not possible as the station has no platforms on the main lines. TfL announced that, subject to final approvals, the Elizabeth Line station at Bond Street would open on Monday, October 24. While they are not yet in traffic, the new Class 720 units continue to move between Derby and London. On September 17 No. 720605 was returned south by Class 37
No. 37510. This was followed by No. 720609 which the same Class 37 moved south on October 7.
On Sunday, September 25 engineering works prevented trains running east from Barking and c2c services were all operated by bus substitutions. A c2c shuttle service was running every 15 minutes between Fenchurch Street and Barking.
A journey from West Ham to Barking was made on the 2B64/14.32 departure from Fenchurch Street formed of Class 357 Nos. 357010+357039. After passing East Ham Depot, the train crossed from the
Down Line to the Up Tilbury/ Fenchurch Street Line to terminate at platform 8.
With the District Line services terminating at Plaistow and London Overground not running to Barking Riverside, Barking station looked distinctly empty. Platform 1 was used by the Overground service to Gospel Oak and platform 8 by c2c, with nothing between the two.
From the beginning of August, several Victoria to Ashford International via Maidstone
East on Mondays-Fridays have been worked by six-car Networkers, consisting of a fourcar Class 465/9 with first class accommodation and a two-car Class 466.
On Thursday, September 2, a correspondent made a journey on the 2N28/10.55 from Victoria to Ashford International, which was formed of Nos. 466017+ 465918.The following week, on Friday, September 9, a journey was made as far as Swanley on 2N28. On this occasion the train left from platform 1 at Victoria and was formed of Nos. 466025+465917. The 06.16 Littlehampton to London service still features the Class 377/3s when Nos 377314, 377317, 377325 and 377327 were noted in the station on September 8. The 07.11 Brighton to West Worthing and 07.52 return is now rostered a Class 387/2 when No. 387212 was noted on September 8. Class 377 No. 377474 was pulled out of service at Littlehampton with electrical faults on September 8 and departed for Brighton Depot at 10.25. Class 313 No 313207 was taken out of service on September 15 at Littlehampton with a cab fault. The 16.51 Brighton to Littlehampton with No. 377433 worked the 18.18 to Bognor Regis and carried on with No. 313207’s diagrammed working whilst the 17.51 service was cancelled as No. 313207 ran ECS to Brighton Depot. Due to a fatality at Horley, just north of Gatwick Airport, on September 22, rolling stock was left all over the place, resulting in shortages along the coast, especially at Littlehampton for morning services the next day. The 06.16 Littlehampton to London was formed of nine coaches Nos. 377320+377325+377327 instead of the booked 12. The 07.12 Littlehampton to London was formed of eight coaches, unit Nos. 377127+377202, instead of 12 while the 07.42 Littlehampton to London was only formed of No. 377164 instead of the booked eight. The shortage of Class 313s is continuing, resulting in substitutions. The LittlehamptonBognor Regis-Littlehampton shuttle services on September 25 was diagrammed for Class 377 No. 377315 instead of a Class 313. The 11.14, 15.14 and 19.14 Littlehampton to London Bridge were worked by dual voltage units Nos. 377210+377214 that day as services were diverted to London Bridge due to the line closure between East Croydon and Victoria due to engineering work. On the same day, No. 377465 was used as a three-car unit with one vehicle locked out of use due to faulty doors, working the 07.08 ECS to Southampton. The unit then worked the 08.26 Southampton to Brighton before being taken out of service. Unit Nos. 377314+377320+ 377308+377327 were allocated to work the 06.16 Littlehampton to London Victoria on September 27. The following day the 06.16 was formed 377301+377320+ 377327+377308. Also, on September 28 No. 377315 was noted on the 05.56 Littlehampton to Portsmouth Harbour service and was then diagrammed for the BrightonPortsmouth-Brighton services all day. New Arterio No. 701037 was seen on the siding nearest to platform 7 at Clapham Junction, on Thursday, September 1, with No. 701047 in the carriage sidings. On the same morning, No. 701025 was also noted in the sidings and visible from the footbridge. The following day No. 701017 was noted from a passing train, moving off the depot at Wimbledon. Walking over the footbridge at Clapham Junction again on Friday, September 9, found Nos. 701025, 701037 and 701047 in what appears to have become their usual places. Observations during September have found Class 707 units continue to work many trains on the Shepperton branch. A journey by a correspondent from Kingston to Clapham Junction on Friday, September 2, on the 2H22/09.11 from Shepperton to London Waterloo, found it formed of Nos. 707021+707014. On Friday, September 9, a journey was made from Wimbledon to Kingston on the 2H51/17.42 from London Waterloo to Shepperton formed of Nos. 707030+707019. Travelling from Wimbledon to Kingston again, this time on Wednesday, September 28, the 2H25/11.12 London Waterloo to Shepperton, was formed of Nos. 707021+707030. On Saturday, September 17, a correspondent travelled on the 15.05 service from Waterloo to Weymouth and was due to alight at Wareham, Dorset. This was a 10-coach train which divides, and the front five coaches work through to Weymouth. Just before Winchester, the guard came on the PA to say that he had received a call from his control that the complete train would be terminating at Bournemouth and the front five coaches would not be working through to Weymouth. The train was running perfectly to time and no reason was given as to why it was being terminated. At Bournemouth everyone was removed from the train and told to catch the following service, the 17.24 to Weymouth which was 30 minutes behind. Meanwhile, the stock from the 15.05 was split in the platform and the front five coaches