GWR to operate Hex

[Jonboy]

So on the radio 2 travel earlier it said hex wasn’t running due to a lack of rolling stock? Is that correct or was there another issue?

[Ron Ron Ron]

So on the radio 2 travel earlier it said hex wasn’t running due to a lack of rolling stock? Is that correct or was there another issue?

 

 

Out of curiosity I looked at the HEX web site and RTT.

 

HEX website indicates all trains operating normally.

 

RTT indicates all HEX services ran today and mostly on time.

 

RTT showed a small number of cancellations (3 return trips) of the TfL Rail operated shuttle between T4 and the Central area station (T2 & 3), for a couple of hours this evening.

But that was it.

 

 

.

Edited November 12, 2018 by Ron Ron Ron

[Ron Ron Ron]

Contactless payment and Oyster cards on HEX.....

 

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/news/2018/10/31/coming-soon-contactless-travel-on-heathrow-express

 

 

 

 

 

.

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

The first pair of Class 387s in Heathrow Express Colours appeared at Reading Depot over night, as I passed them on the train this morning.

 

Very swish...

 

Simon

[jim.snowdon]

12 minutes ago, St. Simon said:

Hi,

 

The first pair of Class 387s in Heathrow Express Colours appeared at Reading Depot over night, as I passed them on the train this morning.

 

Very swish...

 

Simon

And presumably why we are having to periodically tolerate 6 car 165 formations on the suburban services (but then they are still preferable to 345s, at least for up services where there will be no chance of getting a seat anywhere from Slough eastwards).

 

Jim

[phil-b259]

26 minutes ago, jim.snowdon said:

And presumably why we are having to periodically tolerate 6 car 165 formations on the suburban services (but then they are still preferable to 345s, at least for up services where there will be no chance of getting a seat anywhere from Slough eastwards).

 

Jim

 

Yup

 

The decision for GWR to take over HEX was effectively a last minute decision (which got various politicians out of massive holes they had dug for themselves) and not in the original long term rolling stock plan. This is compounded by the fact that under the long term plan the Turbo units are supposed to be sent West releasing Sprinter stock for other operators in time to withdraw the Pacers before the disability regs kick in. As such GWR are struggling somewhat to provide a decent service on the Thames Valley and it was well known in railway circles that some diagrams previously converted to Electrostar units would have to revert to Turbos until the 319s start arriving.

 

• Had the GWML electrification scheme gone to plan the Electrosars would have been fully utilised and there would not have been the quandary of how to provide through services to Oxford.
• Had a way been found to get BR ATP and ECTS to co-exsist in the Heathrow tunnels then there would be no need to get rid of the current HEX stock.
• Had other electrification schemes not been curtailed / paused elsewhere in the UK the 319s would have no doubt found employment as straight electric units.

 

The 319 tri-mode conversion, although a canny move by Porterbrook, was not originally envisaged to be needed and given the nature of the conversation work it has taken a long time to get right.

[The Stationmaster]

3 hours ago, jim.snowdon said:

And presumably why we are having to periodically tolerate 6 car 165 formations on the suburban services (but then they are still preferable to 345s, at least for up services where there will be no chance of getting a seat anywhere from Slough eastwards).

 

Jim

The principal impact of taking 387s out for conversion seems to be some trains running with short formations as (with the possible exception of some B&H workings) the 165s seem to be mainly on services from beyond the (truncated) electrification area - and I have seen some running with only 2 cars which would seem not much use to anybody.  Thus I noticed recently that one working which had been upped to a 12 car 387 formation was running with only 8 cars and I've seen several 4 car formations this week where I would have expected 8.

 

Quite where the tri-mode 769s have got to seems rather unclear but unless the formation is reduced they will not enable complete elimination of Class 165s from the London end of GWR's empire because 4 car units can't run on the Marlow branch.

[Edwin_m]

3 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

 

Yup

 

The decision for GWR to take over HEX was effectively a last minute decision (which got various politicians out of massive holes they had dug for themselves) and not in the original long term rolling stock plan. This is compounded by the fact that under the long term plan the Turbo units are supposed to be sent West releasing Sprinter stock for other operators in time to withdraw the Pacers before the disability regs kick in. As such GWR are struggling somewhat to provide a decent service on the Thames Valley and it was well known in railway circles that some diagrams previously converted to Electrostar units would have to revert to Turbos until the 319s start arriving.

 

• Had the GWML electrification scheme gone to plan the Electrosars would have been fully utilised and there would not have been the quandary of how to provide through services to Oxford.
• Had a way been found to get BR ATP and ECTS to co-exsist in the Heathrow tunnels then there would be no need to get rid of the current HEX stock.
• Had other electrification schemes not been curtailed / paused elsewhere in the UK the 319s would have no doubt found employment as straight electric units.

 

The 319 tri-mode conversion, although a canny move by Porterbrook, was not originally envisaged to be needed and given the nature of the conversation work it has taken a long time to get right.

An extra benefit was avoiding the need to build a new depot for HEx, as the existing one is demolished to make way for HS2.  Reading depot has capacity to service the whole GWR 387 fleet, as that is what is was designed to do.  It's probably also got Heathrow out of a difficult decision on replacing the 332s, which are allegedly getting towards life-expired. 

[St. Simon]

9 hours ago, St. Simon said:

Hi,

 

The first pair of Class 387s in Heathrow Express Colours appeared at Reading Depot over night, as I passed them on the train this morning.

 

Very swish...

 

Simon

 

A couple of photos snapped on my phone from my train home this afternoon:

 

 

 

The black, sliver and yellow front ends look slightly odd to me, but the livery suits them really well!

 

Simon

Edited May 23, 2019 by St. Simon

[Edwin_m]

As an aside what are the little black rectangles above each window on one end coach of the 387 but not the other, or possibly on one side?  Also visible on the GWR version so not peculiar to HEx.

Edited May 23, 2019 by Edwin_m

[Zomboid]

I think they're the DOO cameras

[jim.snowdon]

They're not - the DOO camera is in the bulge above and ahead of the cab door, and in the diagonally opposite corner on the other side.

 

Jim 

[St. Simon]

40 minutes ago, Edwin_m said:

As an aside what are the little black rectangles above each window on one end coach of the 387 but not the other, or possibly on one side?  Also visible on the GWR version so not peculiar to HEx.

 

Hi,

 

They are vents of some kind.

 

Simon

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

Finally some progress has been made on the 387s for HEx, the first one has run to Heathrow using E.T.C.S. a couple of days ago.

 

There's a reasonable number of HEx 387s at Reading Depot, most without interiors, although I'm pretty certain one has a HEx interior as a couple of weeks back I passed the depot at night and I'm sure I saw TV's on the bulkheads and some very comfy seats in the Business Class section.

 

Simn

[corneliuslundie]

A pity they won't be needing many for a while. But perhaps a once in a lifetime chance to get a new class of stock thoroughly tried and tested before it enters service in anger.

Jonathan

[surfsup]

8 hours ago, St. Simon said:

Hi,

 

Finally some progress has been made on the 387s for HEx, the first one has run to Heathrow using E.T.C.S. a couple of days ago.

 

There's a reasonable number of HEx 387s at Reading Depot, most without interiors, although I'm pretty certain one has a HEx interior as a couple of weeks back I passed the depot at night and I'm sure I saw TV's on the bulkheads and some very comfy seats in the Business Class section.

 

Simn

 

Indeed, There's now two 387 Sets at Reading which have now been refreshed to GWR / HEX Standards (387134 + 139). The standard class seats remain the same as fitted (ironing boards), while the First Class seats are improved Fansia Sophia's (the same controversial seat as fitted to the IETs). GWR Green carpet and interior remains the same with the addition of magazine racks and TV Infotainment screens. 

 

There's some pictures on Railforums, although you will have to log into enlarge them. 

 

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/great-western-railway-heathrow-express-class-387-refittment-and-service-updates.179590/page-7

[SouthernMafia]

12-car set now residing in West Ealing. Expect it's there to be 'out the way' as GWR not running to West Ealing currently and frees up space on Reading Depot.

[Banger Blue]

Now back at Reading (387139/134/132) but 387138/131/137 taken their place at West Ealing. 387131 & 137 should be the next two to go to Ilford for ETCS / HEX Mods.

so yes it does keep them out of our hair!

[jim.snowdon]

1 hour ago, Banger Blue said:

Now back at Reading (387139/134/132) but 387138/131/137 taken their place at West Ealing. 387131 & 137 should be the next two to go to Ilford for ETCS / HEX Mods.

so yes it does keep them out of our hair!

Except that Bombardier have suspended work at Ilford for the duration of the present quarantine.

 

Jim

[Banger Blue]

18 hours ago, jim.snowdon said:

Except that Bombardier have suspended work at Ilford for the duration of the present quarantine.

 

Jim

 

Oh well, looks like they'll be spending a while at West Ealing then!

[Ron Ron Ron]

Did the final retirement of the Heathrow Express Class 332’s go without mention on here?

If so I must have missed it.

 

I’ve read that some units have already gone for scrap.

 

 

 

.

[Mike_Walker]

2 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

Did the final retirement of the Heathrow Express Class 332’s go without mention on here?

If so I must have missed it.

 

I’ve read that some units have already gone for scrap.

 

 

 

.

They last ran on 28/12.  All have gone for scrap at Sims Metals except for three cars of 332001 which are to become "gate guardians" at Siemens' new assembly pant at Goole.

 

The five Class 360/2 Heathrow Connect units have been acquired by Rail Operations Group and moved to MoD Bicester for storage pending conversion for their planned logistics operations.

 

The OOC HEx depot is now being cleared and will be vacated by Siemens by the end of this months allowing demolition to take place during March.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Hi Mike, I was aware of what's happened to the HEX & Connect units, but thought it strange that nobody appears to have mentioned their final withdrawal on here (unless I missed it).

 

Thanks for the update on the HEx depot though.

Hopefully some photos and video will appear online soon.

 

 

.

[melmerby]

So who's operating the Heathrow services now?

Is it just TfL and what units are they using?

[Phil Bullock]

1 hour ago, Mike_Walker said:

They last ran on 28/12.  All have gone for scrap at Sims Metals except for three cars of 332001 which are to become "gate guardians" at Siemens' new assembly pant at Goole.

 

The five Class 360/2 Heathrow Connect units have been acquired by Rail Operations Group and moved to MoD Bicester for storage pending conversion for their planned logistics operations.

 

The OOC HEx depot is now being cleared and will be vacated by Siemens by the end of this months allowing demolition to take place during March.

There were 332s still in the HEX shed at OOC last week but as of this morning it was devoid of any trains although the lights were on. Does it survive the HS2 station at OOC? Ah just seen @Mike_Walkers post above .... plainly not! 

Edited February 23, 2021 by Phil Bullock