Aside from the seven IPEMUs, the other 46 new Merseyrail trains belong to the Class 777/0 subclass and are conventional electric multiple units. On January 30, at Lower Moor in Worcestershire, No. 777029 is pictured between barrier vehicles being moved by RailAdventure Class 43 Nos. 43465 and 43484 (with Nos. 43480 and 43468 trailing) between Walton Old Junction and Long Marston for storage. Due to limited stabling space available on Merseyside, it is expected that further use will be made of facilities at Long Marston as the introduction of Class 777s and withdrawal of Class 507s and 508s reaches its final phases.
STEVE WIDDOWSON
LIVERPOOL City Region Combined Authority (LCRA), which owns Merseyrail’s new Stadler-built Class 777 fleet of four-car trains, has reported a“significant improvement”in recent weeks regarding the performance of the IPEMU (Class 777/1) variant of the class, after a“key software issue”was resolved.
The problem had affected automatic changeover between third rail and battery power on the seven independentlypowered electric multiple units, which operate services to and from Liverpool Central incorporating the nonelectrified extension of the network between Kirkby and Headbolt Lane, opened last October.