Trial operations starting 26/1

[tubeprune]

Wheelskate? Oh, that will be fun. I'm surprised they think that will happen, since it was usually burst armatures which required that. Very rare these days with AC motors. Very rare anyway, since locked wheels of any cause are rare. Of course, now I've said that, there'll be several next week.:-). Do main line breakdown gangs use wheelskates?

[Chris M]

From reading RAIB reports I can say that wheelskates are used on the mainline. See for example page 13 of the report into the derailment at Marks Tey www.raib.gov.uk/publications/investigation_reports/reports_2010/report012010.cfm where there is a photograph of a container wagon with them fitted.

[Deleted]

Trial Operations will only fully start once the GSM-R testing has been completed. The initial train that was due to run yesterday in order to complete this testing was cancelled again today at the last minute, so hopefully it may run tomorrow. The problem is that now the line has been handed over to TfL, HMRI will not allow any movement of trains until certain procedures & safeguards are in place which unfortunately are not.
Hopefully by the weekend, there may be 1 or 2 trains running.

Bombardier do want to put a train on a wheelskate as part of the Trial Ops and for training purposes. And guess where? On the NXG Flyover! I can guess what TfL's response is.......

[bill543]

Only limited number of units running this week so far from experience of visits made to New Cross and New Cross Gate.
By the look of the rail surface at New Cross there is not much going on.

[Deleted]

Sounds great, can't wait until the full service starts!

[flippyff]

There is now a poster up at New Cross Gate station stating that trial operations are starting and therefore passengers may see trains running and possibly at stations with their doors open but they are not in service.

Simon

[Deleted]

do you think there is any chance they will run a 'preview' service on ELL before the official launch date?
SET set an interesting precident by running the High Speed 'preview' long before the launch date. i wondered if this was about to become the norm for all new services.

there don't seem to be a lot of barriers to them running a preview earlier than the launch date. surely it would actually provide a lot of benefit allowing them to iron out any problems before launch without any formal quotas of service levels to meet.

[patstonuk]

Just a swift update and confirmation from personal observation that this week 2 tph have been running between Dalston Jn and each of NX and NXG, ie 4tph north of Surrey Quays. A driver at NXG station also commented on having run to Crystal Palace.
With the exception of 378151 at Watford Jn for DC Lines deicing duty and 378135 (due to run from AF to NXG later today) I believe all 20 of the initial ELL 378s are now at NXG.

[Deleted]

I have heard that there may be a preview service starting on the east london line between Dalston Jct & New Cross/New cross gate starting in april with the full service starting at the end of may