The Virgin Trains Experience

Hello and welcome back to another blog.

In this blog, I will be talking about the train I took.

It is the Class 390!!!

Yes. Those. Trains...

Journey to Euston

So on the 29th August, I ventured off towards Euston during the morning rush hour with TFL Rail towards Liverpool Street featuring old school Class 315 and after taking an S Stock on the Circle Line to Euston Square. After a short 5 min walk towards the station I had to buy a ticket from the ticketing area. The line was quite long at the time, I suppose people wanted to get out of London and go to Manchester or Birmingham. When it was eventually my turn then I went to buy one. It costed £72.00 for going and back. Virgin Trains tickets ain't cheap thats for sure...  

Let the journey begin!

Whilst I was getting snacks from a nearby Sainsburys local, it was 1045 and the train I boarded was the 1103 to Birmingham New Street. My first impressions of the train from the outside? I really thought it was a interesting design and livery too. I stepped onto the train and it had a lovely interior I got to say. 

Stations called at on this service:

Rugby (Opened in 1838)
Coventry (Opened in 1838)
Birmingham International (Opened in 1976)

and Birmingham New Street. (Opened in 1854)

 

The standard class interior seats with nice lighting. The ones on the opposite side was blue. 

This is the seating pattern on the train. Most will have two seats next to each other but there will be 2 seats on certain sections of the train facing each other (like the one in the picture) with a table to do work on the laptop, play games and even eat food. There is a shop onboard where you can buy snacks and drinks. However, on that day the card machine wasn't working due to online transactions so people had to pay by cash instead. When boarding this train, pay attention to the section above the window. It may say "reserved". I had to actually move a couple of times after sitting down because the seat that I wanted was reserved! It applies to standard class as well as first class. Insane right?

Our first port of call!

So after a fast and speedy ride on the Class 390 and some tilting action (which I found quite cool - was almost like travelling on an airplane) we arrived at our first stop. Rugby. The station is mainly served by London Northwestern Railway and Virgin Trains. Unforunately, I didn't get a photo of the train at London Euston. Luckily, I did get one at the sliding (seen in picture above). This was the train I was on and liveried like the old livery I believe. A video can be seen of this station by clicking here. Also the train did mini races between a class 350 and 377 which was both won by the gracing speed of 125mph. They were no match for us. Life on the fast tracks...

Notice the weather change? It was shining before - guess thats British weather for you...

Now, I did actually forget to take a picture of Coventry since I went there for the first time back in December 2018. So let me talk briefly about the train operators that serve it. Coventry is served by Virgin Trains, Cross Country and London Northwestern Railway. The station is busy, as there are alot of services that pass there. Fast fowarding 8 months later the station held a few passengers                  considering this was done during the weekday off peak. The train started to fill but not majorly - put it that way.

Moving on, the station in the picture is Birmingham International known as one of the interchanges for airport flights such as Jet2.com, Ryanair and TUI (previously Thompson). Most people got off here seeing as they wanted to get out of the hussle and bussle of the UK. The station is served by Virgin Trains, Cross Country, and London Northwestern Railway. The amount of people using the station has grown since 2017. In 2018 the usage was around 1,994,252. Crazy.... 

Cross Country train Class 220 Voyager. :)

The train in the picture is a Class 220 and was working the 1027 Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth service via Birmingham and Reading (home of GWR*). The running number was 1O14. It arrived at this station on time (1212) and departed on time (1214). So I thought I could take a picture of one and it didn't turn out too bad actually. I will put the specs of the train at the bottom. The journey is long though. And I mean LONG. Almost 5hrs full journey!!! If I was on that train I would have probably dozed off lol...

*Great Western Railway - was known for their fast HST services (Class 43- an iconic train)

Class 323 peeking at our final destination. 

And after all of that, we arrived into Birmingham (New Street)! We were a couple minutes late into our arrival (1228 - time to arrive was 1224) due to waiting for a platform to be free. Nonetheless, we made it! Birmingham! So... the station is served by Virgin Trains, Cross Country, West Midlands Railway and Transport For Wales. Had to go up the escalators then take a right, then left towards the John Lewis exit where a few shops was seen. I was then greeted by an Enviro 400 MMC (18 plate I believe) before staying near a residential area that was nice and quiet. Birmingham felt different compared to London. People seemed more nicer and actually respond to people on the streets. Its a good thing to see to be honest.

Looks nice actually. All aboard!

After a really good day in Birmingham we took the return train home to the city that never sleeps (literally there's always people in London 24/7). This train was different to the other one as it has a really nice white and red livery. It came from Manchester Piccadilly although we did have a long wait before departing the station. Seating wise, I had to ask the staff for Virgin Trains which seating pattern was best to sit at. They said at the end coach as this was an 11 car. 

A view of Birmingham at night. 

I wanted to take a departing photo of Birmingham at night since I didn't take any. Was really lucky to get this seat near the back. There was a air conditioning/heating unit right next to me on the bottom left hand side. We called at Birmingham International, Milton Keynes, Watford Junction and Euston, meaning it was slow but still fine by me. As it got dark along the way, I decided to make the most of the opportunity by using Virgin Trains free wifi. The wifi is actually good I got to say, even when you are under tunnels it still offers a fast connection. I was in the Quiet Zone so the only thing I heard was the fan, could barely hear the motors.

With that all summed up, its time for the specs:

The colour coding is related to the livery/line of the train outside (For the Class 390 and 323 I used different ones since their fleet has red and yellow, white and red whereas the Class 323 had purple, white (Northern livery,) and orange and yellow)

British Rail Class 315

Built in: York - Holgate Road Carriage Works

Constructed between: 1980 - 1981
Entered public service in: 1980
Stock replaced: Class 306
Manufacturer: BREL York
Maximum speed: 75mph
Lines served: London Overground and TFL Rail
Last refurbishment: 2015-2016
Total built: 61
Formed of: 4 cars - on TFL Rail its normally 8 cars
Depot: Ilford and other slidings along the line

London Underground S Stock (S7)

Bulit in: Derby Litchurch Lane Works

Constructed between: 2009-2017

Entered public service in: 2010

Stock replaced: C Stock (Circle/Hammersmith and City Line) D Stock (District Line)

Manufacturer: Bombardier Transportation

Maximum speed: 62mph

Lines served: Circle, Hammersmith and City and District

Last refurbishment: None

Total built: 191

Formed of: 7 cars

British Rail Class 390

Bulit in: Washwood Heath, England (old liveried 9 coaches) Savigliano, Italy (new liveried 11 coaches)

Constructed between: 2001-2012

Entered public service in: 2002

Stock replaced: Class 86, 87 and 90

Manufacturer: Alstom

Maximum speed: 125mph

Line served: Virgin Trains

Last refurbishment: None

Total built: 57 (one has been scrapped due to the Grayigg derailment)

Formed of: 9/11 cars

British Rail Class 220

Bulit in: Brugges, Belgium

Constructed between: 2000-2001

Entered public service in: 2001

Stock replaced: Class 47 and Intercity 125 (HST)

Manufacturer: Bombardier Transportation

Maximum speed: 125mph

Line served: Cross Country

Last refurbishment: None 

Total built: 34

Formed of: 4 cars

British Rail Class 323

Bulit in: Leeds

Constructed between: 1992-1996

Entered public service in: 1992

Stock replaced: Class 304

Manufacturer: Hunslet

Maximum speed: 90mph

Lines served: Northern and West Midlands Trains

Last refurbishment: 2011-2013
Total built: 43
Formed of: 4 cars

Something I spotted a few weeks ago...

Unexpected but its small progress at least.

There. That was probably one of my favorite blogs written so far. I just had a good day out so yeah I thought of doing this. 

Hopefully more adventures to come.

Hope you enjoyed this blog, winter is fast approaching so stay warm!

Take care and happy riding! :)

London Buses (Enviro 400s) Old vs New Part 1

Hello and welcome to the fifth blog.

Today, I will talking about the Enviro 400 that operates in London. This will also contain a fleetlist of the buses in London incase you wish to refer the numberplate or fleet number.

 ADL Enviro 400 1st Versions (2005-2009) 

Stagecoach

The first Enviro 400 was delivered to Stagecoach London and is now known as 19000 in the Spirit of London livery which replaced an ALX400 that was involved with the 7/7 bombing back in July 2005. Since then it has operated a variety of routes in Leyton depot and is currently at Rainham where it  mainly goes on route 248 and 252. Stagecoach didn't really have many of these at the time with ALX400s being the backbone of the fleet but Bromley depot and allocated to 61 and made some apperances on 208/261.

Metroline

Metroline then followed later on in 2006 with the 55 and 06 plates being the first ones that was ordered in Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 body. 2007-2009 plates came for Metroline garages later on such as Brentford, Potters Bar, Cricklewood. Unforunately, I have not ridden much on these Metroline Enviro 400s so if you know alot about Metroline and where these were new to it would really help.


Abellio

Abellio at the time decided to order some Enviro 400s to their fleet at the time. The majority of them was located at Battersea depot on routes 156, 344, 345, and 452. However things have changed, due to the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) that has occured in April earlier this year meaning that LJ55s are not longer possible. Some of these can be found in West London routes such as the U5, E9 and more. The best bet to find them is on route 156 and 345, especially if you are seeking to ride the LJ09s.


Go-Ahead

Go-Ahead also took part and joined the ADL evolution. The deliveries consisted of SN06/LX06s which at the time which operated on route 196 and 37, LX56 for Bexleyheath and LX57s for Merton garage. Some are at River Road and Northumberland Park Depot working on routes 396, 191 and sometimes 476. Right I almost forgot; the SN58s also operated on 191. These were ex-First London.

Arriva

Arriva don't have many T's in form of Dennis Trident 2s. However, they do have many newer Enviro 400s such as E40Ds  e.g. LJ59s, LJ60s, LJ61s and LK65s. Comparing to the E40Ds, the Dennis Trident 2s have a ZF Ecomat tranmission and a 5 speed gearbox. These are a decent batch. The best ones are LK65s from Dartford depot. They mainly operated on routes 160, 229, 428 and 492.  

Quality Line RATP Group

Actually yes. Suprisingly, RATP Group (or Quality Line as it was called before) ordered some SK07 plates in form of a Voith gearbox sounding similar to the 196/37 batch. They mainly operated on routes 406 and 418 but on this side of RATP Group, not much was ordered only the SN11s and SL14 plates. Intresting how Quality Line decided to gain some early Enviro 400s but I guess they wanted to make their fleet different.

Fleetlist for the early Enviro 400s at the time of publish:

Note the different colours on the fleet number and registration plate represents the interior of each bus.

Key:
Fleet Number (the poles for each bus): T199
Registration Plate (seating moquette - some may vary): SN08AAE

Stagecoach London

19000 Series 

19000 - LX55HGC (Spirit of London Livery) 
19131 - LX56EAF
19132 - LX56EAG
19133 - LX56EAJ
19134 - LX56EAK
19135 - LX56EAM
19136 - LX56EAO
19137 - LX56EAP
19138 - LX56EAW
19139 - LX56EAY
19140 - LX56EBA

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (19000 Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Built in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (4-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Trident
Transmission: Voith
Seating: 45 seats on the upper deck and 28 seats on the lower deck. 19000 has 30 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2005-2006
Length: 10.8m

Metroline London

TE600 Series

TE665 - LK55KJV
TE666 - LK55KJX
TE667 - LK55KJY
TE668 - LK55KJZ
TE669 - LK55KKA
TE670 - LK55KKB
TE671 - LK55KKC
TE672 - LK55KKD
TE673 - LK55KKE                                                                   
TE674 - LK55KKF
TE675 - LK55KKG
TE676 - LK55KKH
TE677 - LK55KKJ 
TE678 - LK55KKL
TE679 - LK55KKM
TE680 - LK55KKO 
TE681 - LK55KKP
TE682 - LK55KKR
TE683 - LK55KKS
TE684 - LK55KKT
TE685 - LK55KKU
TE686 - LK55KKV
TE687 - LK06FLA
TE688 - LK55KKY
TE689 - LK55KKZ
TE690 - LK55KLA
TE691 - LK06FLB
TE692 - LK06FLC

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (TE600 Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Trident
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 26 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2005-2006
Length: 10.2m

TE700 Series

TE712 - LK56FHE

TE713 - LK56FHF

TE714 - LK56FHG

TE715 - LK56FHH

TE716 - LK56FHJ

TE717 - LK56FHM

TE718 - LK56FHN

TE719 - LK56FHO

TE720 - LK56FHP

TE721 - LK56FHR
TE722 - LK56FHS

TE723 - LK56FHT

TE724 - LK07AYZ

TE725 - LK07AZA

TE726 - LK07AZB

TE727 - LK07AZC

TE728 - LK07AZD

TE729 - LK07AZF

TE730 - LK07AZG

TE731 - LK07AZJ

TE732 - LK07AZL

TE733 - LK07AZN

TE734 - LK07AZO

TE735 - LK07AZP

TE736 - LK07AZR

TE737 - LK07AZT

TE738 - LK07AZU

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (TE700 Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Dennis Trident 2
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 26 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2006-2007
Length: 10.2m

TE800 Series

TE828 - LK57AXF

TE829 - LK57AXG

TE830 - LK57AXH

TE831 - LK57AXJ

TE832 - LK57AXM

TE833 - LK57AXN

TE834 - LK57AXO

TE835 - LK57AXP

TE836 - LK57AXR

TE837 - LK57AXS

TE838 - LK57AXT

TE839 - LK57AXU

TE840 - LK57AXV

TE841 - LK57AXW

TE842 - LK57AXX

TE843 - LK57AXY

TE844 - LK57AXZ

TE845 - LK57AYA

TE846 - LK57AYB

TE847 - LK57AYC

TE878 - LK08DXO*

TE879 - LK08DXP*

TE880 - LK08DXR*

TE881 - LK08DXS*

TE882 - LK08DXU*

TE883 - LK08DXV*

TE884 - LK08DXW*

TE885 - LK08DXX*

TE886 - LK08DXY*

TE887 - LK08DXZ*

TE888 - LK08DYA*

TE889 - LK08NVD*

TE890 - LK08NVE*

TE891 - LK08NVF*

TE892 - LK08NVG*

TE893 - LK08NVH*

TE894 - LK08NVJ*

TE895 - LK08NVL*

TE896 - LK08NVM*

TE897 - LK08NVN*

TE898 - LK08NVO*

TE899 - LK08NVP*

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (TE800 Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Dennis Trident 2
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 24 seats on the lower deck. Those that contain * means that there is 26 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2007-2008
Length: 10.2m

TE900 Series (Last Batch for Metroline)

TE900 - LK58CNE*

TE901 - LK58CNF*

TE902 - LK58CNN*

TE903 - LK58CNO*

TE904 - LK58CNU*

TE905 - LK58CNV*

TE906 - LK58CNX*

TE907 - LK58CNY*

TE908 - LK58CNZ*

TE909 - LK58COA*

TE910 - LK58COH*

TE911 - LK58COJ*

TE912 - LK58COU*

TE913 - LK58CPE*

TE914 - LK58CPF*

TE920 - LK58KFW

TE921 - LK58KFX

TE922 - LK58KFY

TE923 - LK58KFZ

TE924 - LK58KGA

TE925 - LK58KGE

TE926 - LK58KGF

TE927 - LK58KGG

TE928 - LK58KGJ

TE929 - LK58KGN

TE930 - LK58KGO

TE931 - LK09EKO

TE932 - LK58KGU

TE933 - LK58KGV

TE934 - LK58KGY
TE935 - LK09EKP

TE936 - LK09EKR

TE937 - LK09EKT

TE938 - LK58KHC

TE939 - LK58KHD

TE940 - LK58KHE

TE941 - LK58KHF

TE942 - LK58KHG

TE943 - LK58KHH

TE944 - LK09EKU

TE945 - LK58KHL

TE946 - LK58KHM

TE947 - LK58KHO

TE948 - LK58KHP

TE949 - LK58KHR

TE950 - LK58KHT

TE951 - LK58KHU

TE976 - LK59DYY

TE977 - LK59DZA
TE978 - LK59DZB

TE979 - LK59DZC

TE980 - LK59DZD

TE981 - LK59DZE

TE982 - LK59DZF

TE983 - LK59DZG

TE984 - LK59DZH

TE985 - LK59DZJ

TE986 - LK59DZL

TE987 - LK59DZM

TE988 - LK59DZN

TE989 - LK59DZO

TE990 - LK59DZP

TE991 - LK59DZR

TE992 - LK59DZT

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (TE900 Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Dennis Trident 2
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 26 seats on the lower deck. Those that contain * means that there is 26 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2008-2009
Length: 10.2m

Wow... Metroline did order alot of Enviro 400s.... Guess they wanted something to add to their bus fleet at the time. 

TE1500 Series (Ex - First London Batch)

TE1571 - LK08FNE

TE1572 - LK08FMA

TE1573 - LK08FMO

TE1574 - LK08FMP
TE1575 - LK08FMU

TE1576 - LK08FMV

TE1577 - LK08FMX

TE1578 - LK08FMY

TE1579 - LK08FMZ

TE1580 - LK08FNA

TE1581 - LK08FNC

TE1582 - LK08FND

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (TE1500 Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Dennis Trident 2
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 26 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2008
Length: 10.2m

TE1700 Series (Ex - First London Batch)

TE1715 - SN09CDU

TE1716 - SN09CDV

TE1717 - SN09CDX

TE1718 - SN09CDY

TE1719 - SN09CDZ

TE1720 - SN09CEA
TE1721 - SN09CEF

TE1722 - SN09CEJ

TE1723 - SN09CEK

TE1724 - SN09CEO

TE1725 - SN09CEU

TE1726 - SN09CEV

TE1727 - SN09CEX

TE1728 - SN09CEY

TE1729 - SN09CFA

TE1730 - SN09CFD

TE1731 - SN09CFE

TE1732 - SN09CFF

TE1733 - SN09CFG

TE1734 - SN09CFJ

TE1735 - SN09CFK

TE1736 - SN09CFL

TE1737 - SN09CFM

TE1738 - SN09CFO

TE1739 - SN09CFP

TE1740 - SN09CFU

TE1741 - SN09CFV

TE1742 - SN09CFX*

TE1743 - SN09CFY*

TE1744 - SN09CFZ*

TE1745 - SN09CGE

TE1746 - SN09CGF

TE1747 - SN09CGG

TE1748 - SN09CGK

TE1749 - SN09CGO

TE1750 - SN09CGU

TE1751 - SN09CGV

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (TE1700 Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Dennis Trident 2
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 26 seats on the lower deck. Those that contain * means that there is 24 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2009
Length: 10.2m

Well, Metroline do have a decent fleet for the Enviro 400s. Especially the Ex-First buses they are quite good. With Metroline done its onto the next company!

Abellio London

9400 Series

9401 - LJ56VSZ
9402 - LJ56VTA 
9403 - LJ56VTC 
9404 - LJ56VTD
9405 - LJ56VTE
9406 - LJ56VTF
9407 - LJ56VTG 
9408 - LJ56VTK
9409 - LJ56VTL
9410 - LJ56VTM
9411 - LJ56VTN
9412 - LJ56VTO
9413 - LJ56VTP
9414 - LJ56VTT 
9415 - LJ56VTU 
9416 - LJ56VTV 
9417 - LJ56VTW 
9418 - LJ07OPE 
9419 - LJ56VTY
9420 - LJ07OPF
9421 - LJ07OPG
9422 - LJ07OPH 
9423 - LJ07OPK*
9424 - LJ56VUD*
9425 - LJ07OPL*
9426 - LJ56VUF*
9427 - LJ07OPM*
9428 - LJ09CAA
9429 - LJ09CAE
9430 - LJ09CAO*
9431 - LJ09CAU
9432 - LJ09CAV
9433 - LJ09CAX
9434 - LJ09CBF
9435 - LJ09CBO
9436 - LJ09CBU*
9437 - LJ09CBV
9438 - LJ09CBX
9439 - LJ09CBY
9440 - LJ09CCA
9441 - LJ09CCD
9442 - LJ09CCE
9443 - LJ09CCF*
9444 - LJ09CCK
9445 - LJ09CCN
9446 - LJ09CCO
9447 - LJ09CCU
9448 - LJ09CCX
9449 - LJ09CCY
9450 - LJ09CCZ
9451 - LJ09CDE
9452 - LJ09CDF
9453 - LJ09CDK
9454 - LJ09CDN
9455 - LJ09CDO
9456 - LJ09CDU
9457 - LJ09CDV
9458 - LJ09CDX
9459 - LJ09CDY
9460 - LJ09CDZ
9461 - LJ09CEA
9462 - LJ09CEF
9463 - LJ09CEK
9464 - LJ09CEN
9465 - LJ09CEO*
9466 - LJ09CEU

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (9400 Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Dennis Trident 2
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 24 seats on the lower deck. Those that contain * means that there is 26 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2006, 2007 and 2009
Length: 10.2m

As you can tell, Abelio didn't really order alot of Enviro 400s. However, some of them have loud ZFs and cooling fans when moving. I haven't really ridden alot of this batch. Although, I did ride a few on rail replacement service.



Go Ahead London

E Series (E1-E39)

E1 - SN06BNA
E2 - SN06BNB
E3 - SN06BND
E4 - SN06BNE
E5 - SN06BNF
E6 - SN06BNJ
E7 - SN06BNK
E8 - SN06BNL
E9 - SN06BNO
E10 - SN06BNU
E11 - SN06BNV
E12 - SN06BNX
E13 - SN06BNY
E14 - SN06BNZ
E15 - SN06BOF
E16 - LX06EZL
E17 - LX06EZM
E18 - LX06EZN
E19 - LX06EZO
E20 - LX06EZP
E21 - LX06EZR
E22 - LX06EZS
E23 - LX06EZT
E24 - LX06EYY
E25 - LX06EYZ
E26 - LX06EZA
E27 - LX06EZB
E28 - LX06EZC
E29 - LX06EZD
E30 - LX06EZE
E31 - LX06EZF
E32 - LX06EZG
E33 - LX06EZH
E34 - LX06ECT
E35 - LX06ECV
E36 - LX06FKL
E37 - LX06FKM
E38 - LX06FKN
E39 - LX06FKO


Specification

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (E Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Built in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (4-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Trident
Transmission: Voith
Seating: 45 seats on the upper deck and 28 seats on the lower deck. 19000 has 30 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2006
Length: 10.8m

E Series (E40-E128)

E40 - LX56ETD

E41 - LX56ETE

E42 - LX56ETF

E43 - LX56ETJ

E44 - LX56ETK

E45 - LX56ETL

E46 - LX56ETO

E47 - LX56ETR

E48 - LX56ETT

E49 - LX56ETU

E50 - LX56ETV

E51 - LX56ETY

E52 - LX56ETZ

E53 - LX56EUA

E54 - LX56EUB

E55 - LX56EUC

E56 - LX56EUD

E57 - LX07BYH

E58 - LX07BYC

E59 - LX07BYD

E60 - LX07BYF

E61 - LX07BYG

E62 - LX57CHV

E63 - LX57CHY

E64 - LX57CHZ

E65 - LX57CJE

E66 - LX57CJF

E67 - LX57CJJ

E68 - LX57CJO

E69 - LX57CJU

E70 - LX57CJV

E71 - LX57CJY

E72 - LX57CJZ

E73 - LX57CKA

E74 - LX57CKC

E75 - LX57CKD

E76 - LX57CKE

E77 - LX57CKF

E78 - LX57CKG

E79 - LX57CKJ

E80 - LX57CKK

E81 - LX57CKL

E82 - LX57CKN

E83 - LX57CKO

E84 - LX57CKP

E85 - LX57CKU

E86 - LX57CKV

E87 - LX57CKY

E88 - LX57CLF

E89 - LX57CLJ

E90 - LX57CLN

E91 - LX57CLO

E92 - LX57CLV

E93 - LX57CLY

E94 - LX08EBP

E95 - LX08EBU

E96 - LX08EBV

E97 - LX08EBZ

E98 - LX08ECA

E99 - LX08ECC

E100 - LX09EZU

E101 - LX09EZV

E102 - LX09EZW

E103 - LX09EZZ

E104 - LX09FAF

E105 - LX09FAJ

E106 - LX09FAK

E107 - LX09FAM

E108 - LX09FAO 

E109 - LX09FAU

E110 - LX09FBA

E111 - LX09FBB

E112 - LX09FBC

E113 - LX09FBD

E114 - LX09FBE

E115 - LX09FBF

E116 - LX09FBG

E117 - LX09FBJ

E118 - LX09FBK

E119 - LX09FBN

E120 - LX09FBO

E121 - LX09FBU

E122 - LX09FBV

E123 - LX09FBY

E124 - LX09FBZ

E125 - LX09FCA

E126 - LX09FCC

E127 - LX09FCD

E128 - LX09FCE

EN Series (EN1-27)

EN1 - SN58CDY

EN2 - SN58CDZ
EN3 - SN58CEA
EN4 - SN58CEF
EN5 - SN58CEJ
EN6 - SN58CEK
EN7 - SN58CEO
EN8 - SN58CEU
EN9 - SN58CEV*
EN10 - SN58CEX
EN11 - SN58CEY
EN12 - SN58CFA
EN13 - SN58CFD
EN14 - SN58CFE
EN15 - SN58CFF
EN16 - SN58CFG
EN17 - SN58CFJ*
EN18 - LK08FLH
EN19 - LK08FLJ
EN20 - LK08FLL
EN21 - LK08FLM
EN22 - LK08FLN
EN23 - LK08FLP
EN24 - LK08FLR
EN25 - LK57EJN*
EN26 - LK57EJO*
EN27 - LK08FKX*

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (E Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Dennis Trident 2
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 26 seats on the lower deck. Those that contain * means that there is 24 seats on the lower deck.
Year:  2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009
Length: 10.2m


Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (EN Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Dennis Trident 2
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 24 seats on the lower deck. Those that contain * means that there is 26 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2007
Length: 10.2m

Go Ahead. Another big company. That bought sooo many Enviro 400s too! Most are from Bexleyheath, Orpington, Merton and Barking (River Road) depot. The early Enviro 400s were situated in Stockwell and Peckham depot operating on routes 196 and 37 as well as some other strays
to the routes. They also got some Ex-First buses too.


Arriva London

T Series (T1-T65)

T1 - LJ08CVS

T2 - LJ08CVT                              

T3 - LJ08CVU

T4 - LJ08CVV

T5 - 205CLT

T6 - LJ08CVX

T7 - LJ08CVY

T8 - LJ08CVZ

T9 - LJ08CWA

T10 - LJ08CWC

T11 - LJ08CVF

T12 - LJ08CVG

T13 - LJ08CVH

T14 - LJ08CVK

T15 - LJ08CVL

T16 - LJ08CVM

T17 - 217CLT

T18 - LJ08CVO

T19 - 519CLT

T20 - LJ08CVR

T21 - LJ08CUU

T22 - LJ08CUV

T23 - LJ08CUW

T24 - 324CLT

T25 - LJ08CUY

T26 - LJ08CVA

T27 - LJ08CVB

T28 - LJ08CVC

T29 - LJ08CVD

T30 - 330CLT

T31 - LJ08CTV

T32 - LJ08CTX

T33 - LJ08CTY

T34 - LJ08CTZ

T35 - LJ08CUA

T36 - LJ08CUC

T37 - LJ08CUG

T38 - LJ08CUH

T39 - LJ08CUK

T40 - LJ08CUO

T41 - LJ08CSO

T42 - LJ08CSU

T43 - LJ08CSV

T44 - LJ08CSX

T45 - LJ08CSY

T46 - LJ08CSZ

T47 - LJ08CTE

T48 - LJ08CTF

T49 - LJ08CTK

T50 - LJ08CTO

T51 - LJ08CYC

T52 - LJ08CYE

T53 - LJ08CYF

T54 - LJ08CYG

T55 - LJ08CYH

T56 - LJ08CYK

T57 - LJ08CYL

T58 - LJ08CYO

T59 - LJ08CYP

T60 - LJ08CYS

T61 - LJ08CXR

T62 - LJ08CXS

T63 - LJ08CXT

T64 - LJ08CXU

T65 - LJ08CXV

T199 - SN08AAE 

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (T Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Bulit in: Gulidford, England
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (5-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Dennis Trident 2
Transmission: ZF Ecomat
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 26 seats on the lower deck. Those that contain * means that there is 24 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2009
Length: 10.2m

These Enviros are based in their north and south depots - Palmers Green and Croydon. T199 was previously at Garston depot before it moved to Croydon then Barking. Simliar thing for T65 as it was at Croydon then moved to Barking after returning home. I have no idea what the CLT means. If you know, mention in the comments below it can be very helpful since some of the other buses have it.

Onto the final company that ordered Enviro 400s at the time:


Quality Line RATP Group

ADE Series (ADE40293-ADE40312) The company was formerly known as Epsom Coaches (a.k.a. Quality Line) hence why I put the DD fleet numbers in brackets as that was they were known as before RATP took over. 

ADE40293 (DD01) - SK07DZA

ADE40294 (DD02) - SK07DZB

ADE40295 (DD03) - SK07DZC

ADE40296 (DD04) - SK07DZD

ADE40297 (DD05) - SK07DZE

ADE40298 (DD06) - SK07DZF

ADE40299 (DD07) - SK07DZG

ADE40300 (DD08) - SK07DZH

ADE40301 (DD09) - SK07DZJ

ADE40302 (DD10) - SK07DZL

Specification:

Body: Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 (ADE Series)
Manufacturer: Alexander Dennis
Built in: Falkirk, Scotland
Doors: 2
Gearbox: (4-speed)
Engine: CumminsISBe
Chassis: ADL Trident
Transmission: Voith
Seating: 41 seats on the upper deck and 26 seats on the lower deck.
Year: 2007
Length: 10.8m


There you go. All of the early Enviro 400s that were built for the London operators. This took long to prepare so Part 2 may take some time...

Anyway, hope this proved useful if wanted to tick off certain Enviro 400s that you have missed out on.

Its alot to take in but nevertheless thanks for reading and see you in the next blog! :)

Happy riding! :)

My favorite routes in London (Part 2/2-Trains)

Hello and welcome to the fourth blog that has been written.

I will be conluding on my favorite routes in London with the trains this time.

Central Line (Epping/Woodford to West Ruislip and Ealing Broadway) 1992 Stock Trains

First up is Central Line. Central Line is operated by London Underground running from Epping/Woodford via Central London towards Ealing Broadway and West Ruislip. The allocation is 1992 stock trains. In my opinion, these are not that bad they accelerate and slow down pretty well. Also the frequency is good but to be honest it serves alot of stations (49) with 74km for the whole line so it makes sense to have alot of trains arriving at the station. One common downside though is the air conditioning. There is no air con on the train at all, unless you stand at the back near the middle of the train while the train is moving. Otherwise, it is a good train and I would recommend  riding it. Central Line began operating on the 30th June 1900.

Victoria Line (Walthamstow Central-Brixton) 2009 Stock Trains

Second is Victoria Line. Victoria Line is part of London Underground going from Walthamstow Central to Brixton via Central London areas. The trains that are used is 2009 stock trains. Now, I have only ridden the central areas of the lines but seriously this line is really reliable. If you miss a train the next one is in 1 MINUTE! Yes it is that fast serving 16 stations and a total of 21km. So this is no excuse then frequency wise - I wonder how the signalling system is managed here must be quite interesting to say the least- for the journey itself. The sounds are slightly similar to the S stocks when accelerating and decelerating but the train is amazing with real time announcements and delays to other lines which is impressive. So overall a huge fan of this train and hope to do the full journey in the future. The Victoria Line opened on 1st September 1968.

Jubilee Line (Stratford to Stanmore) 1996 Stock Trains

Third is the Jubilee Line. Jubilee Line is also run by London Underground from Stratford to Stanmore going past the main central stations. However, trains can commonly terminate at West Hampstead, Willesden Green or Wembley Park while in the other direction it can go to North Greenwich. The allocation here is 1996 stock trains that are great. The trains have last been refurbished in 2017 with the grey poles but there are still a few unrefurbished trains around containing yellow poles. Fast sections that show the best out of the train is West Ham to Canning Town and Canary Wharf to Canada Water. Again, frequency is reliable and has 27 stations in total with the total length of 36.2km. Air conditioning is okay on these trains but a few weeks ago Thursday was bad considering the heatwave and it felt like a microwave inside. Thankfully that day the Class 345 provided good air conditioning so I appreciated that alot. Jubliee Line opened on the 1st May 1979.

Great Northern (British Rail Class 365s)

Well the Class 365 joins the list next. The Class 365 is operated by Great Northern (formerly known as GOVIA) doing express services towards Ely, Kings Lynn and Peterborough. Great Northern's fleet consist of 313s (most are getting withdrawn), 365s, 387/1s, 700/1s, and 717s (replacing the 313s). Previously, the service was operated by First Capital Connect from the 1st April 2006-13 September 2014. That was when First decided to cease their train operations and replace the existing stock such as the Class 321s in 2016 with Class 387s. Since then most have been transferred over to Greater Anglia with some still the livery and a few to Scotrail. Anyway, Iam a huge fan of these trains because I remember them doing the stopping services e.g. Potters Bar, Hatfield. To this day, I really like the acceleration and the regenerative braking some of them have. Who knows how long they will go on for but I would give it a ride in my opinion. Great Northern took over First Capital Connect since autumn 2014.

Docklands Light Railway (Rolling Stock B90, B92 and B2K)

The DLR follows up. Docklands Light Railway operate a variety of lines e.g. Stratford-Woolwich Arsenal/Canary Wharf, Bank-Lewisham/Woolwich Arsenal and Tower Gateway to Beckton. There has been no refurbishment at all on the DLR stocks since they have been built. In total there are 45 stations on the line with the length of the line being 38km. The sections that I have been on is the Stratford-Lewisham branch was how it was before the line got shortened to Canary Wharf and the Beckton branch  which I only ridden from Canning Town-Custom House at present. Theres a reason why this train is unique: You can sit at the front of the train and enjoy the view! Yep, no kidding. Compared to other trains on the London Underground they mostly have the drivers cab but for these it is quite different and does not have it. Personally, these trains are very good especially the journeys around Canary Wharf which are really stunning. If there is one route that you should really try its definitely the DLR. Although, the frequency can be a bit long if you miss one but thats during off peak so it makes sense. Nevertheless, ride it you don't know what you are missing out on. DLR began to operate on the 31st August 1987.

TFL Rail (Class 345s)

Finally, its the Class 345s. The Class 345s are operated by TFL Rail on two lines between Liverpool Street and Shenfield and Paddington to Hayes and Harlington. Abelio Greater Anglia used to operate previously on the GEML before it was taken over in 2015 and Heathrow Connect did the Paddington to Heathrow Terminal 4 service until 2018. Now I have mainly ridden on the Liverpool Street - Shenfield section and personally I think these trains are good. These are a huge upgrade to the Class 315s which are still operating on the line meaning extra standing space (useful during rush hour)  very good air conditioning that is ideal during the summer time and more. Although some enthusiasts prefer the Class 315s for their motor sound, I think these trains fairly good. They run fully on weekends and through some rush hour services too. They are pretty much the same to the Class 710s which run on the London Overground. I have taken some Heathrow Connect trains in past and they are okay to be honest. TFL Rail began takeover of the Abelio Greater Anglia line on 31st May 2015 and Heathrow Connect in May 2018. 

Right here is the specification for the lines that I have mentioned in this post:



London Underground 1992 Stock

Constructed between: 1991-1994
Entered public service in: 1993
Stock replaced: British Rail Class 487, 1962 Stock
Manufacturer: British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL now known as Bombardier Transportation)
Built at: Derby Litchurch Lane Works
Maximum speed: 62mph

Lines served: Central and Waterloo and City lines
Last refurbishment: Central Line (in 2011) Waterloo and City (in 2006) - done by Wabtec Rail UK
Total bulit: 680 cars
Formed of: 8 cars (Central Line) 4 cars (Waterloo and City - makes sense as its really short)
Depots (where trains are kept): (Central Line) White City, Hainault and West Ruislip. (Waterloo and City Line) Waterloo.

This stock is a deep level tube meaning that it runs mainly underground.


London Underground 2009 Stock

Constructed between: 2007-2011
Entered public service in: 2009
Stock replaced: 1967 Stock
Manufacturer: Bombardier Transportation
Built at: Derby Litchurch Lane Works
Maximum speed: 50mph
Line served: Victoria
Last refurbishment: None at present
Total bulit: 47 cars
Formed of: 8 cars
Depot: Northumberland Park

This train stays underground the whole time unless it is going back to the depot. It is one of two lines to run underground.




London Underground 1996 Stock

Constructed between: 1996-1998 and 2005
Entered public service in: 1997
Stock replaced: 1983 Stock
Manufacturer: GEC Alsthom Metro Cammell (known as Alsthom)
Built at: Washwood Heath, Birmingham
Maximum speed: 62mph
Line served: Jubilee
Last refurbishment: 2017 but at the time of publish there are still trains unrefurbished
Total bulit: 441 cars
Formed of: 7 cars
Depots: Neasden and Stratford Market.

This is another train that also runs deep level through the central sections.





British Rail Class 365

Constructed between: 1994-1995
Entered public service in: 1995
Stock replaced: None
Manufacturer: Previously known as BREL York in 1970 until it was changed to ABB York in 1989.
Built at: York
Maximum speed: 100mph
Line served: Great Northern
Last refurbishment: 2013-2016
Total bulit: 41 units (however one was involved in the Potters Bar rail crash in 2002)
Formed of: 4 to 8 cars
Depot: Hornsey (possibly but unsure)

Mainly used for national rail services on express routes such as London Kings Cross to Cambridge, Peterborough and Ely. However some were on lease to Scotrail, so they should be coming back fairly soon.




Docklands Light Railway Rolling stock B90/B92/B2K/B07 

Constructed between: 1991 (B90) 1993-1995 (B92) 2001-2002 (B2K) 2005 (B07)
Entered public service in: 1991 (B90) 1993 (B92) 2001 (B2K) 2008 (B07)
Stock replaced: P86 and P89 stock
Manufacturer: Bombardier Transportation
Bulit at: Brugge, Belgium (B90/B92/B2K) Bautzen, Germany (B07)
Maximum speed: 50mph
Line served: Docklands Light Railway
Last refurbishment: 2004 (all the units* and 2013 mainly to the front of the train for the B90/B92 and B2K only)
Total bulit: 149 cars
Formed of: 2 to 3 cars
Depots: Poplar and Beckton depot.

The B stands for Beckton DLR depot where the trains are maintained and kept at. Whereas P standed for Poplar for the previous stocks P86 and P89.

*In 2004 the B90,B92 and B2K stocks, was refurbished containing a different livery: red and blue including grey doors. As mentioned before, the front of the train was repainted black 9 years after (2013) matching the B07 stock that you will see currently.



British Rail Class 345

Constructed between: 2015-2019
Entered public service in: 2017
Stock replaced: Class 315 (in progress) Class 360
Manufacturer: Bombardier Transportation
Bulit at: Derby Litchurch Lane Works
Maximum speed: 90mph
Line served: TFL Rail (to be Crossrail)
Last refurbishment: Since most are still being built, they have not been refurbished.
Total bulit: 70 are supposed to built for Crossrail
Formed of: 7 cars at present (when Crossrail is close to opening then it will be extended to 9 cars)
Depots: Old Oak Common and Ilford

These trains run overground for the time being but when Crossrail opens then it will also run underground.

Features of the Class 345

• Walkthrough carriages meaning you can walk from the front to the back similar to the S7/S8 stocks and Class 710s
• Air conditioned throughout 
• Passenger information system showing/announcing the next station and current service on the London Underground 
• Wifi introduced and 4G to be included soon

And that is it for now. Hope you enjoyed this one.


Thank you for reading this blog, have a good day and happy riding! :)

My favorite routes in London (Part 1/2-Buses)

Hello and welcome to the third blog that I have written.

Today, I will giving an opinion on my favorite routes starting off with the buses. Lets get started...

1.  London Buses 222 (Hounslow-Uxbridge)

The first route that I like is 222. 222 was operated by London United Ratp Group (French company) with Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s and a few Scania Omnicitys. It goes from Hounslow Bus Station-Uxbridge via Hounslow West, Cranford, Harlington Corner, Sipson Road, West Drayton and Cowley. From Hounslow West onwards to about Harlington Corner where bus routes 90, 111, 140 and 285 join, you can see airplanes land every minute at Heathrow which is quite nice. The driver was quite fast too since it was on an Enviro 400 and reached speeds of 47mph on Sipson Road.

 After passing through the suburbs of Sipson, West Drayton is seen served by GWR and TFL Rail (soon to be Crossrail) and the only terminating bus route, U1. Before reaching Uxbridge, Yiewsley and Cowley suburb areas were seen before approaching Belmont Road. Overall, I really enjoyed the route and did the return on the same day. Ever since September 2017, the route has been run by Metroline with Volvo B5LH Gemini 3s. However on some occasions, TEs and Gemini 1s had appeared but unfortunately this very rarely happens now. I have not ridden the 222 under Metroline since the takeover although, I could give it a try and see how it is. I recommend riding the route. 

2. London Buses 81 (Hounslow-Slough)

The second route that I like is 81. 81 is operated (at the time of post) by London United Ratp Group (French company) with Alexander Dennis 400s and some Scania Omnicitys. The route goes from Hounslow Bus Station-Slough via Hounslow West, Cranford, Harlington Corner, Bath Road, Harmondsworth, Longford, Colnbrook High Street, and Langley. There were some tight sections of the route near Longford which is intresting to see considering that a double decker bus could go through it. Once again, this was another amazing route and if you havent tried it do so.

3. London Buses 173 (King George Hospital-Beckton)

The third route is 173. 173 is operated by Arriva London (German company) with Alexander Dennis 200s (sometimes), 400s Wright Gemini 2 DLs (to be on the safe side, DW is easier) and Volvo B7TLs (VLAs). The route goes from King George Hospital-Beckton via Little Heath, Chadwell Heath Lane, Chadwell Heath, Becontree Heath, Dagenham Heathway, Ripple Road, and Newham Way. The Enviro 400s are not too bad but the DWs and VLAs are quite good. I am quite surprised how Barking managed to save VLA56 and VLA57 ( both Voith VLAS) from Norwood bus garage as I thought they would be gone. However, I believe VLA56 has been withdrawn. The frequency is alright too. So if you are searching for a thrashy route try the 173 and see what you might get out of it.

4. London Buses 205 (Bow Church-Paddington)

Next is 205. 205 is operated by Stagecoach London (British company) with Alexander Dennis E400Hs and some Enviro 400H MMCs. The route goes from Bow Church-Paddington via Bow Road, Mile End, Mile End Gate, Whitechapel, Aldgate East, Aldgate, Liverpool Street, Old Street, City Road, Angel, Islington, King's Cross St Pancras, Euston, Euston Square, Warren Street, Great Portland Street, Regents Park, Baker Street, Marylebone (rerouted away from the station as of 15th June 2019 onwards) and Edgware Road. Well my goodness what a route and allocation. The Enviro 400H are so good and acclerate perfectly. Once you past through Whitechapel and Aldgate you are properly inside the City of London. The buildings are district/business like and everywhere you see people going in and out to their destinations. Honestly, this route is awesome and these Enviro 400Hs are my favorite from Stagecoach. Again, another route to consider noting down.


Now that this is out of the way, here are some of routes that I haven't tried yet which could be intresting - and if you are interested then its worth taking note.

Routes that I haven't tried yet but considering

1. London Buses 265 (Putney Bridge-Tolworth)

265 is operated by London United Ratp Group (French company) with Enviro 200 MMCS. The route goes from Putney Bridge to Tolworth via Putney Church, Putney Common, Barnes, Barnes Common, Roehampton Lane, Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, Alton East Estate, Roehampton Vale, Kingston Vale and New Malden. I have watched a full journey before on Youtube and it was quite quick. If you wish to watch this video click here. There is some good thrash sections of the route and when I clicked to view the full journey it was amazing. I feel as if the MMCS suit the route and definitely will be going on it soon.

2. London Buses 135 (Crossharbour-Old Street)

135 is operated by Go Ahead London (British company) with Volvo B5LHs formed of an Enviro 400 MMC body. It goes from Crossharbour Asda, to Old Street Station via Mudchute, Eastferry Road, Westferry Road (DLR station), Heron Quay, Canary Wharf, Westferry Road, Westferry, Limehouse, Aldgate East, Aldgate, Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street. I have heard good things about this route especially being very scenic around the Canary Wharf areas and the vehicle allocation. Now I have actually seen this route before in Aldgate and the vehicles do suit it I must say. This route will be quite cool to try...

3. London Buses N86 (Stratford-Harold Hill)

 The final route iam looking to try is N86. N86 is operated by Stagecoach London (British company) with Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s. Compared to the daytime 86 which runs from Stratford to Romford, N86 goes via the same routing but is extended to Harold Hill, Dagnam Park Square. The route passes the following areas: Forest Gate, Woodgrange Park, Manor Park, Ilford, Seven Kings, Chadwell Heath, Romford, Gallows Corner and Hilldene Avenue. This route only runs at night and is one of the many night bus routes not to be allocated with hybrid buses which most are due to the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) in Central London. Also, this would be my first time trying a night bus route since I haven't ridden on one before so I will see how it goes!

I understand it has been a while since I have written blogs but I will be writing alot more since it is the summer break so expect more soon!

Thank you for reading this blog, have a good day and happy riding! :)