Thameslink and Great Northern

[313201]

RE: Thameslink and Great Northern
They could be used on lines that were mentioned in a post at around 00:11 yesterday where the poster menioned lines where 3 car sets coupled to 6s would be better than spending x amount more to extend platforms for 8 car sets.

I would have thought that the cost of in a sense fixing the pep units and giving them a new lease of life would be comparable or maybe a bit less than tearing down old stations and building more up to date stations.

It is also a potential that if there are and traction motors and traction gear available as spares from class 313, 314 & 315 sets that have already met their end which could be used to repair those sets still in traffic and while the removed parts are being cleaned up and repaired the spare parts recovered from the sets could be fitted.

The units could be used as extra stock on wcml routes from liverpool to crewe, liverpool to preston or blackpool or maybe york to scarborough if the wires ever get there.

The other possible use for them could be conversion to network rail departmental units, postal units like the 325s or fit them with batteries do they could work routes like the settle to carlisle line and eliminate air pollution.

I realise my ideas might seem pointless but at least 1 unit ( 313121 ) was put into departmental use but their 25kv capability could allow them to be used as rescue units to recover a failed train ( subject to correct couplings being fitted ) which would also further eliminate air pollution or better still, sell them to indian railways for their suburban network.

I'm not sure what the elecy voltage is on indian railways but with a few alterations to the units power systems its quite likely they would be very useful over there because they would possibly give comfort for passengers who don't enjoy the indian peak hour super dense crushload where 12 car trains which should carry about 1,500 passengers often carry upto 5,000.

I know I've used the potentially annoying term "possibly" quite a lot in my posts but when the topic of potential for re-use crops up unfortunately it does become a habit.

The other use for the 313s could be to put them on the route to brighton to supplement the current southern fleet of 19 or 20 units and give availability for extra peak hour capacity but convert the door controls for guards control.

So even if re-traction of these units is not possible there are several possibilities for re-use.