West Midlands Trains’ new rolling stock and depots

West Midlands Trains (WMT) is the operator of suburban services radiating from Euston as well as operating inter-urban services from Euston to Crewe and Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street under the London Northwestern Railway brand (LNR). In addition to suburban services radiating from Birmingham New Street under the West Midlands Railway brand (WMR), it also operates three branch lines: Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey; Bletchley to Bedford; and Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town, the latter using the unique Parry People Movers.

WMT, formed by Abellio UK (now Transport UK), JR East, and Mitsui & Co was awarded its franchise in 2017 and runs just under 1,200 weekday services. It employs just under 3,000 staff of whom around 500 are in engineering. Its fleet of 462 EMU vehicles and 133 DMU vehicles (total 595), is increasing to 524 EMU and 181 DMU vehicles (total 705). WMT also services trains for CrossCountry, Transport for Wales and, from summer 2024, East-West Rail.

In 2017, WMT ordered 80 Class 196 DMU vehicles from Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), formed into 14 four-car and 12 two-car units. It also ordered 324 Class 730 EMU vehicles from Bombardier (now Alstom) formed into 48, three-car and 36, five-car units. These trains are financed led by Corelink Rail Infrastructure, a joint venture between Infracapital and Deutsche Asset Management.

The five-car units are branded LNR, and the remainder WMR. Clearly, with 404 new cars delivered or under construction but fleet size increasing by 110 vehicles, 294 vehicles are leaving WMT. Even so, additional depot and siding space must be provided for the bigger fleet; if all these additional coaches were to be marshalled end-to-end, the resulting train would be 3.5km long, so think 3.5km of additional stabling capacity. This article describes the trains and the works to accommodate them.

Class 196

Most of the Class 196 vehicles were assembled at CAF’s facility in Newport, Wales. They were launched by WMT in October 2022. A four-car set has 311 seats and two-car has 141. Seats are cantilevered from the bodysides and all units have the usual accessible toilet, three bike spaces, at-seat power, and USB sockets. Four-car sets also have a second more compact toilet. In concept they are similar to Class 197 units described in Rail Engineer 197 (July/Aug 2022).

Since entering service there have been some technical challenges for which fixes have been made or are under way, including:

• Software functionality, affecting many systems such as passenger information.Build quality snags e.g. wiring, relay issues/security, auto reversing gear.
• On board hot box detection faults.
• Cab to saloon door faults.
• Leaking window seals.
• Yaw damper brackets (see Rail Engineer 195 (March/April 2022).

Class 730

This fleet has two sub-classes, all built at Alstom’s (formerly Bombardier’s) factory in Derby. The 730/0 three-car units are 90mph EMUs and each car is 24 metres long. They were first introduced on London Euston-Tring/Bletchley stopping services in mid-2023 allowing elderly Class 319 units to be withdrawn, but are really intended for West Midlands suburban services. They have 199 cantilevered seats in a 2+2 and 1+1 seat layout to promote space around doorways and space for 344 standees giving a total of 546 – 149 more people than can be accommodated on a Class 323. There are three bike spaces and a universal toilet.

The five-car Class 730/2 has 463 cantilevered seats in 2+2 layout (with armrests between the seats unlike Class 730/0) with plenty of table seats, two standard toilets, and one universal toilet. These trains are configured for 110mph operation (the differences in top speed for the two sub-classes is the result of different dear ratios). The 24-metre-long coaches provide a10-car train that is the same length as a current 12-car Class 350 train.

Both sub-classes are the first Aventra models with though gangways between units. Some of the issues that have arisen include software/train control and monitoring faults which seem to have affected all the Aventra trains. Unlike earlier Aventra trains, the Class 730 has sliding plug cab doors and these are prone not to close on canted track. There have also been issues with the cab door droplight design.

Additionally, problems have been found with the Automatic Selective Door Opening system, master Input/output unit analogue to digital converter, passenger information screens, water ingress, and battery chargers. The trains’ three phase drives include large capacitors and an explosive failure in the line converter module of a Class 345 Elizabeth line Aventra led to a variety of risk management activities that delayed testing. Finally, these are the first Aventra trains intended for 110mph operation and ride quality is still being tuned.

Entry into service

Rail Engineer has frequently described the complexity of putting new trains into service. They are part of a complex integrated system with many interfaces, and, on some parts of the network, it might be the first change in 30 years requiring people to change duties and/or learn new skills. Right now, the commercial conditions for the railway are not what they were before the pandemic, leading to even more commercial pressures for all parties. This is an expensive transition in a money constrained industry. The new fleets sometimes require a different approach to operation and maintenance, and everyone in the train operating company is affected in some way.

That said, there is a great opportunity for customer improvements, marketing, and growth. But, back to risk, stakeholders expect performance improvement even during fleet transition despite experience to the contrary. Some examples of the real-world issues include:

• Traincrew consultation, agreement and training, linked to trains being built for Driver Only Operation, then converted for guard operated doors.
• Signal sighting with through gangways/longer trains, some relocation of signals needed. For example, at Lichfield Trent Valley high level, there is a signal at each end of the station. The combination of slightly longer trains and the gangway meant that one signal had to be relocated.
• Car stop marker boards, stopping positions and Platform Train Interface risk assessments, e.g., location of wheelchair spaces has changed and every platform requires assessment to ensure the access ramp can be accommodated at the new train’s stopping location.
• Cyber security vulnerability risk.
• Train to wayside systems, data access compatibility, links to shore systems.
• Automatic Selective Door Opening system interface (160-Metre-long trains already require selective door opening at some stations on the Euston-Crewe service, more doors will be locked out on 10-car new train services).

The long running national disputes with railway trade unions led to some issues with local engagement which were overcome, but it was still challenging to get the staff trained and on to rostered operation before their training ‘expired’ requiring refreshers.

There was also a huge commercial workload. Each new fleet involves the train manufacturer, the financier (e.g. ROSCO), and WMT, often with DfT involvement too, in activities such as revised delivery schedules and financial settlements of one sort or another. As mentioned, the Class 730 fleet size was changed from 36 to 48, three-car units and from 45, five-car (with first and standard class and two standard class layouts) to 36, five-car with one standard class only layout.

Delays to the new trains mainly arising from Covid meant that other negotiations to extend leases for the trains being replaced were required. Class 170 DMUs and Class 323 EMUs are being cascaded from WMR. Class 319 EMUs have been, and Class 350/2 will be, returned to their ROSCO. Finally, all this has to be reflected in support contracts and WMT’s National Rail Contracts.

Logistics and depots

Depot works were delayed and interim solutions to maintain the new trains were required. These delays have resulted in increasing cost due to construction inflation forcing additional reviews including scope reduction and re-pricing, but work is now underway at all depots to accommodate more trains and their maintenance requirements. Another complication is that the LNR Class 730s will not be maintained at Siemens’ Northampton depot.

Earlier, it was stated that the increased fleet would need more stabling space. Of course, during transition when new vehicles have arrived but cannot yet be used, pressure is even greater. Unless something changes, this risks depot gridlock and/or poor safety practices. All this means that there is a major programme of depot construction and upgrades. What follows is a site-by-site summary of the works.

Tyseley depot to the south of Birmingham is a large DMU depot and stabling location where changes are being made to accommodate longer units, such as track remodelling and extensions to maintenance sheds. In addition, mobile gantries with hoists, side pits, and facilities for synchronised lift are being provided. Accompanying all this are improvements to arrangements for refuelling, cleaning, waste oil removal, electrical shore supplies, replenishing controlled emission toilets (CET), and filling sand hoppers. An automatic vehicle inspection system is being provided at one end of the stabling sidings.

At Worcester a new four-car fuel/adblue/CET point has been built together with three new sidings for four-car trains. Despite being adjacent to Worcester Shrub Hill station, these are known as the Hereford Sidings.

Soho EMU depot to the west of Birmingham has received a new mobile access gantry and hoist system to access roof mounted equipment such as air conditioners not fitted on the current Class 323 units. There will also be changes in the sidings to walkways and provision for servicing CETs will be provided.

A major expansion of Bletchley depot is under way so that it can be the main base of the LNR Aventra fleet. The depot building will be extended and internally modified to accommodate a five-car synchronised lift, gantries with a hoist for access to air conditioners, and more suitable pits. Additional stabling sidings will be provided alongside the depot building. Complicating all this is that the three two-car Marston Vale DMUs also have to be maintained/serviced at Bletchley whilst the works continue. The depot is located approximately at right angles to east of the West Coast main line. This is a major investment which is being financed by Porterbrook Leasing. The stabling sidings parallel to the main line will also receive attention.

Further works are being carried out at Shrewsbury, Coventry, North Yard, Camden depot, and, subject to planning permission, a new light maintenance/servicing facility will be constructed at Bescot.

Conclusion

As is probably clear, ‘just’ buying some new trains has resulted in massive change to WMT. Whatever the programme was pre-Covid, trying to juggle introducing new trains and retiring older trains whilst rebuilding most of the depots must have affected the work of everyone in the organisation, and there’s probably another two years work before it is all finished. Rail Engineer wishes them all well.

This article is based on a presentation given to the Milton Keynes Centre of the IMechE Railway Division by John Doughty, WMT’s engineering director.

Image credit: WMT