GWR abandons Class 769 introduction - why?

[KeithMacdonald]

According to Railway Gazette:

 

Quote

GWR fleet to shrink further as it abandons Class 769 introduction. Great Western Railway is to hand back all 19 of the Class 769/9 multi-system ‘Flex’ multiple-units to leasing company Porterbrook in April 2023.

 

https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/gwr-fleet-to-shrink-further-as-it-abandons-class-769-introduction/63230.article

 

Anyone know why? Is there something wrong with the Class 769? Or is GWR forecasting a drop in demand?

 

Quote

In December 2022, GWR announced the introduction of the Class 769 fleet would be abandoned, with all units to be handed back to Porterbrook in April 2023

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_769#Abandoned_operations

[steve fay]

The TFW units have been very unreliable 

[spamcan61]

See last few pages of existing discussion:-

 

Executive summary seems to be expensive to run and unreliable.

 

 

[jim.snowdon]

Ultimately, for GWR, it makes more sense for NR to put conductor rail into the remaining gaps in the Reading - Redhill route. The Inspectorate is, as I understand it, not totally averse to such a proposal given how much these gaps are embedded into third rail territory.

[Banger Blue]

The DfT are expecting (demanding) cuts to costs from the TOCs. 
 

Out of the 19 GWR units, 13 are in store with the remaining 6 at Reading TCD & Oxford Carriage Sidings. The last plan conveyed to us was to concentrate on these 6 units and have 3 out of the 6 in daily service.

 

All the mods (ASDO, air cooling etc) had been completed and the cab mods had finally been signed off by ASLEF. Unfortunately the start of the driver training was then kiboshed by the current Industrial Action. The only (GWR) people competent to drive them are a couple of Driver Managers / Trainers & a handful of Depot Drivers on Reading TCD.

 

Although the 6 units do work, they aren’t without issues (what units are these days?)

 

All that and the fact their lease expires in March 2023 made them easy pickings.

[woodenhead]

1 hour ago, jim.snowdon said:

Ultimately, for GWR, it makes more sense for NR to put conductor rail into the remaining gaps in the Reading - Redhill route. The Inspectorate is, as I understand it, not totally averse to such a proposal given how much these gaps are embedded into third rail territory.

Interesting change now that the railways are back in DFT's hands - so all this debacle about having to have bi-mode and no more third rails is being quietly forgotten?  The ultimate irony would be to lay the third rail and then GWR obtain some 319s to run services using OHLE and Third Rail....

[Wickham Green too]

4 hours ago, jim.snowdon said:

... it makes more sense for NR to put conductor rail into the remaining gaps in the Reading - Redhill route ... given how much these gaps are embedded into third rail territory.

Arguably not QUITE as embedded as Ashford - Hastings ........... but that's wandering way off topic !

[woodenhead]

So I understand the 769s are now off lease and at Long Marston, TFW ones will follow leaving Northern as the sole operator.

 

Got me thinking - perhaps they should send them to to Northern - would be useful on the Warrington Central route which is bookended with OHLE maybe extending the service beyond Oxford Rd to Stockport or Hazel Grove.

 

That would release units from the Oxford Rd - Liverpool service to bolster other diesel services or reduce the impact of releasing 150s for the Marston Vale services.

[John M Upton]

No, you are thinking logically there.  The railways don't do logic and the DfT even less so.

 

We've got some slightly second hand 313's they can have, nothing a bit of gaffer tape and the application of a hammer won't fix. Do a swap for those swanky dark green 387's perhaps....

[Rich_F]

On 24/12/2022 at 20:29, Wickham Green too said:

Arguably not QUITE as embedded as Ashford - Hastings ........... but that's wandering way off topic !

 

Third rail (predictably) revealed by Network Rail & DfT for the seemingly inevitable Uckfield electrification as well. 

 

Who'd have thought being connected to a 3rd rail line to East Grinstead 😆

[Wickham Green too]

Uckfield : 15/10/11 ......................... no comment.

[bécasse]

7 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

Uckfield : 15/10/11 ......................... no comment.

It's the latest bright idea from the DfT. The parents of some bright spark in the Department bought their grandson a train set for Christmas and when dad had managed to fathom out how it worked (with one positive and one negative rail) he suddenly thought that this offered potential as a cheap way of electrifying the Uckfield line. I believe that they are still trying to work out how to implement it but at least the signs are ready.

[woodenhead]

14 minutes ago, bécasse said:

I believe that they are still trying to work out how to implement it but at least the signs are ready.

Let’s hope he remembers it is three rail Dublo he wants not Triang two rail.

[melmoth]

19 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Let’s hope he remembers it is three rail Dublo he wants not Triang two rail.

 

Could be worse, could be Trix Twin AC.

[Wickham Green too]

55 minutes ago, bécasse said:

... at least the signs are ready.

Unfortunately not ........ it wasn't visible next time I looked. ( COULD have been a lovely spoof for the duration of the model railway exhibition - but the subtle ageing looks too good.)

[DY444]

On 07/03/2023 at 10:37, Weeny Works said:

 

Third rail (predictably) revealed by Network Rail & DfT for the seemingly inevitable Uckfield electrification as well. 

 

Who'd have thought being connected to a 3rd rail line to East Grinstead 😆

 

That suggests that the DfT have finally put the arrogant and self-righteous ORR back in its box.  Long overdue if true but I won't believe it until work actually starts.

[Rich_F]

15 minutes ago, DY444 said:

 

That suggests that the DfT have finally put the arrogant and self-righteous ORR back in its box.  Long overdue if true but I won't believe it until work actually starts.

 

Link to the article describing the report https://www.modernrailways.com/article/uckfield-third-rail-nr-priority

[DY444]

2 hours ago, Weeny Works said:

 

Link to the article describing the report https://www.modernrailways.com/article/uckfield-third-rail-nr-priority

 

Yes.  So it's taken 6 years for NR to realise that the Gibb report was a waste of paper being both self-contradictory and featuring fantasy land project costings.  At least they got there in the end which I suppose is a step in the right direction.