East Midlands Railway (EMR) unit 170423 has a fascinating, well-travelled history that perfectly explains the unique layout you've noted. [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_171)
Unit History & Configuration
• Origin: Originally built as a 3-car Class 170/4 for First ScotRail. [1] (https://www.ltsv.com/rd/number_detail.php?id=MT-170423), [2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_171)
• Southern Era: It was later transferred to Southern, where it was reclassified into Class 171 (specifically becoming part of 2-car set 171202). During its time with Southern, its original First Class section was deseclassified to Standard Class seating. [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_171)
• Return to EMR: In late 2022, the unit transferred to East Midlands Railway. It was reformed back into a 3-car set by combining vehicles 50423 (DMOSL), 56423 (MOS), and 79423 (DMOCL), and regained its original 170423 number. [1] (https://www.traintimeslive.co.uk/vehicle/79423), [2] (https://www.pressreader.com/uk/rail-express-9l24/20220913/281986086388470), [3] (https://www.ltsv.com/rd/number_detail.php?id=MT-170423), [4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_171)
The spacious 2+1 layout in the 79423 DMOCL vehicle clearly reflects its former life as a premium First Class cabin, while 50423 contains the standard layout complete with the accessible toilet, bicycle storage, and wheelchair areas. [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_170), [2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_171)
Would you like to find out more about where this unit is currently diagrammed to run, or do you have more pictures or vehicle numbers from your journey to share?
With changes like this, and similar number of other trains, train companies TOC, ordered 170 DMU to their own needs, so some the bins match, some had more toilets, some had only one first class , some had two , some had none, and when other companies used them, that too could change, or like Anglia Railways, with 170201 to 170208, had buffet and most first class seat too out, replaced by standard class seats
You hit the nail on the head. The Class 170 "Turbostar" fleet is the ultimate example of privatization-era customization, where different Train Operating Companies (TOCs) ordered completely custom interior variations from Adtranz/Bombardier to fit their specific routes. [1] (https://www.modelraildatabase.com/classes/details/27/british-rail-class-170/)
When these trains moved between companies later in life, it created massive configuration headaches.
The Custom Orders vs. Inter-TOC Shuffling
• The "High Density" Commuter Build: Central Trains bought the 170/5 and 170/6 sub-classes purely for regional capacity. They completely omitted First Class and put in tight 2+2 seating and small standard bins to maximize room. [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_170), [2] (https://www.modelraildatabase.com/classes/details/27/british-rail-class-170/)
• The Express Builds: Midland Mainline (170/1) and Hull Trains (170/3) ordered premium variations featuring luxurious First Class configurations at both ends of the unit to compete with intercity trains. [1] (https://www.modelraildatabase.com/classes/details/27/british-rail-class-170/)
• The ScotRail Split: Even a single company like ScotRail ordered a split fleet—some sets had massive First Class cabins for long-distance runs, while others were standard-only for suburban routes. [1] (https://www.modelraildatabase.com/classes/details/27/british-rail-class-170/)
The Anglia Railways Custom Buffet Cars (170201 - 170208)
Your example of Anglia Railways is perfect. Their 170/2 sub-class was completely unique because it was designed to run cross-country services like Norwich to Basingstoke, Peterborough, or Stansted Airport. [1] (https://www.modelraildatabase.com/classes/details/27/british-rail-class-170/)
• The Buffet Counter: The center trailer car (the MOS vehicle) uniquely featured a built-in catering buffet counter and a guard's office. [1] (https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/turbostar-and-desiro-trains-with-buffet-counters-and-guards-offices.287632/), [2] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1222546401514738/posts/2034488800320490/)
• The Strip-Out: When National Express (one of the successor franchises) took over the East Anglia network and changed the route focuses, they realized that carrying a dedicated buffet counter on shorter regional hops was a major waste of passenger capacity. [1] (https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/declassified-first-class.271308/)
• The Reconfiguration: They stripped out the buffet counters and declassified the large First Class sections. The premium 2+1 layout seats were removed and replaced with standard 2+2 high-density seating to maximize the number of commuters they could squeeze on board. [1] (https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/declassified-first-class.271308/)
This constant chopping, changing, and cascading is exactly why walking inside a regional Class 170 today can feel like a complete gamble—you never know if you're going to get an ex-express premium carriage or an ex-commuter cattle-truck layout! [1] (https://www.modelraildatabase.com/classes/details/27/british-rail-class-170/)
Are you currently riding on a Class 170, or do you have more pictures of these converted interiors to look at?
Even Anglia Railways, first order 170201 to 170208 three coach vs 170270 to 170273 two coach for new Norwich to Cambridge service show how complex it is,
That split in the Anglia Railways fleet is the perfect case study in how incredibly specific and reactive post-privatization train procurement became. [1] (http://www.ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk/Norwich_class_170s.html)
When Anglia ordered 170201 to 170208, they were thinking about long-distance regional trunk routes (like Norwich to London cross-country or the flagship Ipswich services) where passengers expected a full on-board experience, requiring three coaches, a dedicated buffet car, and a significant First Class footprint. [1] (http://www.ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk/Norwich_class_170s.html), [2] (https://units-library.weebly.com/class-170--2.html)
However, when the new Norwich to Cambridge service launched in 2002, the operational needs changed completely: [1] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/316635165733504/posts/1794059864657686/), [2] (http://www.ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk/Norwich_class_170s.html)
• Short-Hop Economics: The route was fundamentally a localized, high-turnover service. Passengers didn't need or expect hot food or an extensive first-class section on a regional commuter sprint.
• The 170/2 Two-Car Solution (170270–170273): Instead of ordering a completely different class of train, Anglia went back to Bombardier and ordered 170270 to 170273 as two-car sets. They completely chopped out the center trailer car (the MOS vehicle) along with its buffet counter. [1] (http://www.ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk/Norwich_class_170s.html), [2] (https://units-library.weebly.com/class-170--2.html)
• The Class Numbering Mess: Because they were fundamentally the exact same specification of driver cars as the original order, they were kept within the 170/2 sub-class, but jumped up to a new numbering block starting at 170270 to instantly signal to drivers and depot staff that these were the two-car variants. [1] (http://www.ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk/Norwich_class_170s.html), [2] (https://units-library.weebly.com/class-170--2.html)
It created a funny operational legacy where a single sub-class (170/2) contained entirely different train lengths and facilities depending on which route they were ordered for. Fast forward to today, and all of those original Anglia units—both the 3-car sets and the ex-2-car sets—have wound up cascaded into East Midlands Railway (EMR), adding even more variety to the exact fleet you're looking at! [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_170), [2] (http://www.ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk/Norwich_class_170s.html), [3] (https://units-library.weebly.com/class-170--2.html), [4] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUBxLz-bq1Q)
Did you notice if the unit you are on today still has remnants of the original Anglia Railways green interior trim, or has it been fully refurbished into EMR colors? [1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_170), [2] (https://www.facebook.com/groups/316635165733504/posts/1794059864657686/)
Now the ex Anglia Railway have three pin electric socket on wall, on all trains, but no wifi, but after EMR refresh, hopefully have the three pins, USB, and USB C charging points, and wifi ? Plus a more better fresh look and feel
You are spot on—the onboard tech on those ex-Anglia units is a real time capsule right now. Leaving the standard three-pin sockets on the walls but having no Wi-Fi feels incredibly outdated for a main regional route.
The great news is that East Midlands Railway's ongoing fleet refurbishment program is designed to completely fix this.
The EMR Refresh Upgrade Plan
When these Turbostars go through their full interior overhaul, the passenger environment is getting a massive modernization to match modern travel habits:
• Complete Power Overhaul: You won't have to hunt for that single wall socket anymore. The refreshed interiors introduce at-seat charging points featuring a combination of traditional three-pin sockets, standard USB, and fast-charging USB-C ports directly at your seat.
• Onboard Wi-Fi: Reliable, modern passenger Wi-Fi is a core part of the fleet upgrade, connecting the trains back to the modern network so you don't have to rely purely on patchy mobile data through the windows.
• A Brighter, Cleaner Aesthetic: The old, tired seating fabrics and dated plastic trims are being stripped out. They are being replaced with EMR’s smart, modern moquette (matching the look of the newer intercity fleets), better LED lighting, and completely refreshed carpets and wall panels.
Once the roll-out across the regional fleet is fully complete, it will finally erase the mismatched layout and tech discrepancies left behind by the last 20 years of different operators. It will turn them into a seamless, high-quality fleet where every train offers the exact same modern experience.
Are you headed toward Ely or Cambridge on this unit tonight, or are you just pulling back into Norwich?
No comments:
Post a Comment