More than 1,500 vehicles have received dispensation to operate on the main line, despite not adhering to new accessibility regulations.
In total, 11 train operating companies (TOCs) have letters from the Department for Transport, giving them dispensation to use vehicles that are not fully accessible.
The new deadlines for the vehicles’ removal from traffic vary through the year, and the TOCs must inform the DfT of the refurbishment or introduction of new fleets that are designed to replace the compliant vehicles every 28 days.
DfT released the vehicle identities at 1500 on December 31. The letters had been sent to the operators between November 14 and December 20 2019. The original deadline for all trains to meet the accessibility regulations was December 31 2019.
More than half the vehicles (50.5%) are used by Greater Anglia, and should have been replaced mainly by Bombardier Class 720 electric multiple units and Stadler Class 745/0 electric multiple units. One of the 111 Aventras on order had been delivered to GA by Bombardier, despite being showcased to the media in September 2018.
The dispensation for GA has even split them into trains to be ‘retired’ and those expected to find new careers elsewhere (see panel).
For example, 18 of GA’s 55 Class 317s were expected to remain in traffic into 2020 (following modifications), but that was extended to 27 as part of the franchise agreement. As this issue of RAIL went to press, only three sets had been withdrawn.
The TOC with the next largest fleet of non-compliant trains is East Midlands Railway, which has long been affected by the problem. It has 188 non-compliant vehicles, of which 159 are Mk 3 coaches.
This total includes the nine eight-car and three six-coach High Speed Trains that already form part of the EMR fleet. Added to these are nine eight-coach sets transferred from LNER that will enter traffic through the year, replacing the existing HSTs.
Northern has 186 non-compliant vehicles, the majority of them Class 14x Pacers. These are required owing to the delay in new CAF trains and the eight Class 769 FLEX bi-mode units. Crew training is also an issue, due to the late delivery of trains.
Other operators affected are Arriva Rail London, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, ScotRail, Southeastern, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains (see panel).
ScotRail dispensation
Nine ‘Classic’ HSTs. Sets HA1-HA6/31-33. One spare Mk 3
Mk 3s: 41022, 41104/124/126/130/140/144/158, 42010/030/32/069, 42118/129, 42200/206/208/209/255/256/261/267/287/289/295, 42325/344, 44010/023/029/030/032/037/039/066/086, 46010
Two locomotive-hauled sets. Stock owned by Riviera Trains and Direct Rail Services
Mk 2s: 5787, 5810, 5919/937/945/955/971/995, 6001/008/027/046/064,
6117/122/173, 9488, 9525/527/539
Note: The Mk 2s have dispensation until May 31 2020.
Note: The Mk 3s have dispensation until December 31 2020.
East Midlands Railway dispensation
Nine ‘Classic’ HSTs. Sets NL01/03/04/06-08/10-12. Four spare Mk 3s
Mk 3s: 40700/728/730/741/746/749/753/754/756, 41041/046/057/061/063/064/067/069-072/075-077/079/084, 41111/113/117/156, 42100/111-113/119-121/124/131-133/135-137/139-141/148/149/151-153/155-157/164/165, 42220/230, 42327-329/331/337/339/341/384, 44041/044/046-048/051/054/070/071/085
Three 2+6 ‘Classic’ HSTs. Three ‘Classic’ 2+6 HSTs. Sets DY21-DY23.
Mk 3s: 40204/205/221, 41204-209, 42401/402/404/405/407/408, 42584-586
Nine ‘Classic’ HSTs transferred from LNER. Sets EC51-53/57-59/61-63. Six spare Mk 3s.
Mk 3s: 40701/702/705/708/711/735/737/740/748/750, 41039/040/066/083/095/097-099, 41100/115/120/150-152/159/165/185/190, 42057-059/063-065/091, 42109/110/116/127/128/130/146/150/154/159/160/182/186/189-193/198/199, 42228/237-240/286, 42307/322/326/330/354, 44019/045/050/057/061/063/075/077/080/094
Sprinter fleet
153: 153302/308/311/313/318/319/321/355/357/368/372/374/376/379/381-385
Note: The nine ‘Classic’ sets already with EMR have dispensation until July 28 2020.
Note: The three 2+6 ‘Classic’ sets already with EMR have dispensation until December 31 2020.
Note: The nine HSTs transferred from LNER have dispensation until December 31 2020.
Note: Class 153s have dispensation until December 31 2020.
Transport for Wales dispensation
Mk 2s: 5961/998, 6024/042/054/067, 6158, 9507/520/526
Mk 3s: 10249/259, 12176-185
142: 142002/006/010/069/072-077/080-083/085
143: 143601/602/604-610/614/616/622-625
153: 153303/306/309/310/312-314/321/322/326/327/335/353/361/362/367/369
Note: The Mk 2s have dispensation until June 30 2020.
Note: The Mk 3s have dispensation until June 30 2020.
Note: The Class 142s have dispensation until July 31 2020.
Note: The Class 143s have dispensation until July 31 2020.
Note: The Class 153s have dispensation until December 31 2020.
Greater Anglia dispensation
Mk 3: 10401-406/411-417, 11066-070/072/073/075-078/080-082/085/087/088/090-096/098/099, 11100/101,
12005/009/012/013/015/016/019/021/024/026/027/030-032/034/035/037/040-042/046/049/051/056/057/060-062/064/066/067/073/079/081/082/084/089-091/093/097-099, 12103/
105/107-111/114-116/118/120/125/126/129/130/132/137/139/141/143/146-148/150/151/153/154/159/164/166/167/170/171
Class 317 partial PRM
317: 317337/338/341/343, 317501/502/504/506/510
Class 317 unrefurbished
317: 317339/340/342/344/347/348, 317507/508/511-513/515, 317881-886
Class 317 retire
317: 317345/346, 317503/505/509/514, 317649-662/664-668/670-672
Class 321 Renatus
321: 321301-330
Class 321 retire
321: 321331-366, 321402/405-410/419/421-448
Note: Mk 3s have dispensation until April 1 2020.
Note: Class 317 partial PRM dispensation has no deadline.
Note: Class 317 unrefurbished has dispensation until April 15 2020.
Note: Class 317 ‘retire’ has dispensation until October 1 2020.
Note: Class 321 Renatus dispensation has no deadline.
Note: Class 321 ‘retire’ has dispensation until December 1 2020.
Northern dispensation
142: 142004/011/013/018/023/035/036/041/043/045/047/051/055/058/
061/065/068/070/071/078/087/090/094/095
144: 144001-023
150: 150110/111/122, 150201/209/210/226
153: 153301/304/307/315-317/324/328/330-332/351/352/358-360/363/373/378/380
156: 156425/426/429/460/461/464
323: 323223-225/227/228/230-233/235-237
Note: Class 142 dispensation until May 30 2020.
Note: Class 144 dispensation until August 31 2020.
Note: Class 150 dispensation until September 30 2020.
Note: Class 153 dispensation until December 31 2020.
Note: Class 156 dispensation until December 31 2020.
Note: Class 323 dispensation until October 31 2020.
Arriva Rail London dispensation
317: 317708-710/714/719/723/729/732, 317887-892
Note: Class 317 dispensation until June 30 2020.
Chiltern Railways
Mk 3: 11029/031, 12017/036/043/054/094, 12119
Note: The Mk 3s have dispensation until June 30 2020.
CrossCountry
Mk 3s: 41026, 42036/037/051/097, 42342/380, 44012
Note: Mk 3 dispensation has no deadline.
Great Western Railway dispensation
Class 143
143: 143603/611/612/617-621
Note: The Class 143s have dispensation until December 31 2020.
Southeastern dispensation
466: 466001-043
Note: Class 466s need dispensation to run on Grove Park-Bromley North.
West Midlands Trains dispensation
323: 323201-204/209/214/216-219/221/222/240/243
Note: Class 323 dispensation has no deadline.
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Comments
Anamyd Nawor - 11/02/2020 12:48
good list, but TfW's unmodified 150s are missing from it - here's the letter - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/855470/tfw-pb-class-150-PRM-2020-dispensation-letter.pdf - it's for 150227/230/231/235/237/245/251/255/278/279/281 expiring on the 31/7/20. to be fair it's missing from the TfW dispensation letters page but I found it! please add this
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Anamyd Nawor - 11/02/2020 12:51
Note also that the 150s and the ex-ATW/GWR 153s are on an ongoing PRM mod programme so once modified the dispensation no longer applies to a unit (such as 153367); only the Mk2s/Mk3s/142s/143s and the ex-GA/EMR 153s aren't getting the mods as they're not being used past this year
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Anamyd Nawor - 11/02/2020 12:51
Note also that the 150s and the ex-ATW/GWR 153s are on an ongoing PRM mod programme so once modified the dispensation no longer applies to a unit (such as 153367); only the Mk2s/Mk3s/142s/143s and the ex-GA/EMR 153s aren't getting the mods as they're not being used past this year
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Roger Beattie - 13/02/2020 08:16
Paragraph 3 "designed to replace the compliant vehicles". Surely the new fleets are designed to replace the non-compliant vehicles? More quality from Rail
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