A Low Key Launch Of New Electric Trains
This morning at 07:15, I was on the first Class 387 train out of Paddington for Hayes and Hsrlington.
It was a new train of eight coaches, complete with that smell that all new vehicles have for a few weeks.
At the moment GWR only have four Class 387 trains in service, which should be enough for a two trains per hour (tph) shuttle with eight coaches in each service.
But because the new bay platform for the Greenford Branch has not been completed yet at West Ealing station, there are only a few services a day.
This page on the GWR web site gives more details and says this about services in 2017.
From January, all Greenford trains will terminate at West Ealing; as we increase our electric service between Hayes & Harlington and London Paddington to every 30 minutes.
From May, these trains will start running to and from Maidenhead, as we replace our existing diesel fleet.
Does this mean that from January 2017, the Greenford branch will be served by a four tph shuttle? Or will that be later?
The Anonymous Widower 
The platform at West Ealing has been completed. The bay platform at Hayes hasn’t been yet.
Comment by James | September 5, 2016 |
Thanks! It looks there is a bit of track-work to do to and some overhead wiring to go up.
I feel that if you had two Class 710 aventras with some battery storage, they’d be able to run a four trains per hour service on the Greenford branch. They’d pass half-way and the trains would be charged at the West Ealing end. The connection would be step free with the up line, but until the station is rebuilt, you’d have to go up and down two sets of stairs.
I think it sets a precendent for a lot of branches off electrified main lines. Two Aventras with some battery storage and you can get two or four trains per hour depending on the length of the branch and whether it has a passing loop or like the Greenford Branch is double-track.
If you live in the area, house prices will rise.
Comment by AnonW | September 5, 2016 |
[…] was thinking today, as I came back from my trip from Paddington, that I described in A Low Key Launch Of New Electric Trains, that when all of the new trains are running on Crossrail and the GWR, the slow lines will be very […]
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