View allAll Photos Tagged replacing
2021 McGraw-Hill Building replacing windows - 42nd St NYC refurbished New York City green blue tile Art Deco buildings architecture McGraw Hill Midtown Manhattan McGrawHill forty-second Street penthouse office buildings publishing magazine magazines rooftop sign penthouse forty second 03/02/2021 bldg blue sky March
Demolition markers designate a bridge that will be replaced along the MKT Trail near Scott Blvd. There are plans to replace bridges 13 and 14 during the winter. Until then, they will remain open for use.
Still working to fix the LCD. Which apparently I broke while replacing the backlight. I can't seem to solder worth crap so I can't get the lcd frame back on.
Demolished and replaced with offices in 1959. It was located next to Harcourt Street Station railway yards.
It was originally designed to be the centre point of a development called Wellington Square.
The site is now partially occupied by Deloitte House at 29 Earlsfort Terrace and Montague House (1999) which faces on to both Adelaide Road and Hardwicke House (2000) on Hatch Street.
The Class 730 trains operated by West Midlands Trains are among the most significant additions to the railway in the West Midlands for several decades. They are part of Alstom's Aventra family of electric multiple units and were ordered as part of a major programme to replace ageing trains, increase capacity and modernise services operated under the West Midlands Railway (WMR) and London Northwestern Railway (LNR) brands.
There is an important distinction in the terminology. West Midlands Trains is the company that operates both WMR and LNR services. The three-car Class 730/0s are the trains used under the West Midlands Railway brand, while the five-car Class 730/2s are used principally by London Northwestern Railway. Both belong to the same overall West Midlands Trains Class 730 programme, but they have different specifications and roles.
Origins of the Class 730
The story begins in October 2017, when West Midlands Trains was awarded the franchise covering local services around Birmingham and the West Midlands as well as London Northwestern Railway services. One of the central promises of the new operation was a major investment in new rolling stock.
West Midlands Trains announced an order for a large fleet of new trains, with the electric trains based on Bombardier Transportation's Aventra design. The original order called for 81 Aventra units, but the specification was subsequently altered. The final programme produced 84 Class 730 units, comprising 48 three-car trains and 36 five-car trains, giving a total of 324 carriages.
The trains were to be constructed at Derby Litchurch Lane Works, continuing a long tradition of railway manufacturing in the East Midlands. Bombardier was subsequently acquired by Alstom, meaning that although the project originated as a Bombardier order, the trains were ultimately completed and delivered under Alstom ownership.
The choice of the Aventra platform was significant. Aventra was designed as a highly adaptable family of electric multiple units, with different formations and specifications capable of being produced for different operators.
The Class 730 therefore shares its broad technological ancestry with other Aventra fleets in Britain, although the West Midlands trains have their own interiors, equipment and operating requirements.
Building the trains
Construction of the first Class 730s began at Derby around 2020. The first completed unit was unveiled in September 2020, although the trains did not immediately enter passenger service. Extensive testing and commissioning were required before they could be authorised for use on the national railway.
Testing included work in Britain and at the Velim railway test centre in the Czech Republic. Testing of Class 730s on the West Midlands network began in 2021, while the three-car fleet received authorisation for service from the Office of Rail and Road in 2022.
The trains' introduction was delayed compared with the original expectations. This was part of a wider period of delays affecting new rolling stock programmes across Britain's railway industry, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the complexity of introducing a completely new train type contributing to the lengthy process.
The first Class 730s eventually entered passenger service in November 2023, although the initial operation was with the three-car units.
The three-car Class 730/0
The Class 730/0 is the version most closely associated with West Midlands Railway.
There are 48 three-car units, numbered 730001–730048. They were designed principally for high-frequency suburban and regional services in the West Midlands.
Each three-car unit has approximately 201 seats, with a much larger standing capacity than the trains they replaced. WMR gives a total nominal capacity of 546 passengers per three-car unit, compared with 397 for a three-car Class 323 and 387 for a four-car Class 350.
This illustrates one of the main reasons for their introduction.
The Class 730s were not designed simply to provide newer trains. They were designed to provide substantially greater capacity, particularly on busy commuter routes.
The trains have wide, relatively open interiors with considerable standing space. They are equipped with Wi-Fi, power points at every seat, digital passenger information screens and accessible toilets.
The seating arrangement reflects their intended use. They are particularly suitable for relatively short urban and suburban journeys, where carrying a large number of passengers efficiently can be more important than maximising the number of seats.
This is one reason the 730/0 has a different character from the five-car LNR trains.
First passenger service
The first Class 730 passenger service in the West Midlands ran on 12 February 2024, when 730018 operated between Wolverhampton and Walsall.
This was an important milestone because it represented the arrival of a completely new generation of electric trains on WMR's network.
The Wolverhampton–Walsall route had previously been operated by Class 350 electric multiple units. A three-car Class 730 could carry considerably more passengers, particularly in terms of standing capacity, making it much better suited to the high-frequency nature of the route.
The introduction also marked the beginning of the replacement of older rolling stock across the West Midlands.
The Cross-City Line
The most important deployment of the WMR Class 730s came on Birmingham's Cross-City Line.
The Cross-City Line links Lichfield Trent Valley, Birmingham New Street and Redditch/Bromsgrove, passing through the centre of Birmingham and serving a large number of densely populated communities.
For decades, the route had been synonymous with Class 323 electric multiple units.
The 323s were introduced in the early 1990s and had become one of the defining trains of the West Midlands railway. By the 2020s, however, they were approaching the end of their planned operational life.
The Class 730s were introduced as their replacement.
The first 730-operated Cross-City service ran on 15 April 2024, departing Birmingham New Street for Lichfield Trent Valley at 06:06.
The transition was deliberately gradual. During the spring and summer of 2024, Class 323s and Class 730s operated together while the new fleet was introduced and the older trains were withdrawn.
WMR expected the transition to be substantially complete by the autumn of 2024.
One of the striking features of the new operation was the decision to run two three-car Class 730s coupled together on the Cross-City Line.
This produced a six-car train with capacity for more than 1,000 passengers.
That represents a major increase over the three-car Class 323s that previously dominated the line.
The introduction of the 730s therefore represented not merely a change of train type but a substantial change in the capacity philosophy of the route.
Replacing the Class 323s
The replacement of the Class 323s was historically significant.
The 323s had themselves represented a major step forward when introduced in the 1990s. They were modern, fast-accelerating electric trains designed specifically for intensive suburban services.
By the time the 730s arrived, however, the 323s were around thirty years old.
The new Aventras provided substantially more capacity and modern passenger facilities.
The change therefore mirrors an earlier stage of British railway history: the Class 730s were doing for the 323s what the 323s had previously done for older generations of rolling stock.
The 730s were effectively the third major generation of electric suburban trains to become associated with the Cross-City Line.
The difference is particularly noticeable in the interiors.
The 323s have a comparatively traditional arrangement with considerably more seating.
The 730/0s prioritise space, standing capacity and accessibility.
That reflects the changing nature of passenger demand on Birmingham's increasingly busy suburban railway.
The Landmark Class
The WMR Class 730/0 fleet has acquired an additional identity as the “Landmark Class”.
The units are being named after significant landmarks and locations in the West Midlands.
The first officially named unit was 730018 “Hurst Street”, named on 23 May 2024 ahead of Birmingham Pride. It received a special Pride-themed livery featuring a rainbow motif.
The choice of Hurst Street was particularly appropriate because Birmingham's famous Gay Village is centred around Hurst Street.
The naming programme subsequently gave the 730 fleet a strong regional identity.
Rather than simply being anonymous numbered units, the trains became a moving collection of references to the history, architecture, culture and identity of the West Midlands.
One of the later named units was 730xxx “Jess Carter”, named in July 2025 in honour of England footballer Jess Carter, who grew up in Warwickshire.
This demonstrates that the naming scheme has expanded beyond physical landmarks to include people with strong connections to the region.
The Landmark Class idea is consequently part of WMR's effort to give the new fleet a distinct local identity.
The five-car Class 730s
The other major part of the West Midlands Trains Class 730 story concerns the five-car units used by London Northwestern Railway.
There are 36 of these trains, giving LNR a fleet of 180 new carriages. They are generally referred to as Class 730/2.
Their role is quite different from that of the three-car WMR units.
Where the 730/0s are intended primarily for dense suburban and regional services around Birmingham, the five-car trains are intended for longer-distance LNR services, particularly those associated with the West Coast Main Line.
The five-car units have a substantially larger capacity and include features intended for longer journeys.
The first of these entered passenger service on 9 June 2025. LNR introduced the fleet on services to and from London Euston, replacing older rolling stock and increasing overall capacity.
The introduction provided 42,000 additional seats across LNR services and was associated with a reported improvement in passenger satisfaction on the Trent Valley Line.
The five-car trains are also fitted with open gangways, allowing passengers to walk through the train rather than being confined to individual vehicles. They have charging facilities and other modern passenger amenities.
Their deployment means that the overall Class 730 fleet operated by West Midlands Trains now covers two quite different railway environments.
The three-car 730/0 is essentially a high-capacity suburban train.
The five-car 730/2 is a higher-capacity regional/inter-city-style train.
Both use the Aventra platform, but their interiors and operational roles differ.
The significance of the Aventra design
The Class 730 is part of a major transformation of British railway rolling stock.
The Aventra family was intended to provide a modern replacement for several generations of older electric multiple units.
For West Midlands Trains, the decision to order Aventras was particularly ambitious because it formed part of a much larger fleet renewal programme.
The trains were built at Derby Litchurch Lane, which gave the project a significant local manufacturing connection. Alstom has described the trains as Derby-designed and built, continuing the region's historic relationship with railway manufacturing.
That connection is particularly appropriate given Derby's importance in British railway engineering.
The Class 730 programme therefore links the railway's historic manufacturing traditions with modern train production.
Their technical character
The Class 730s are electric multiple units, receiving power from the overhead electrification system.
This makes them fundamentally different from many of the diesel trains that have historically operated on West Midlands Railway routes.
Their maximum speed depends on the subclass and operating specification, with the five-car LNR units designed for higher-speed West Coast Main Line operation.
The trains incorporate modern traction equipment, regenerative braking and sophisticated electronic control systems.
Regenerative braking is particularly valuable on intensive electric services because energy generated during braking can be returned to the electrical system rather than simply being dissipated as heat.
The trains also have modern passenger information systems and onboard connectivity.
The result is a train that is technologically far removed from the Class 323s it replaced.
The wider West Midlands Trains fleet programme
The Class 730s were not ordered in isolation.
The same 2017 fleet investment programme also produced the Class 196 Civity diesel multiple units, built by CAF.
Those trains were introduced on non-electrified WMR routes from 2022 onwards.
The 730s therefore form the electric half of a much larger fleet-renewal programme.
The combination was intended to replace a substantial proportion of the older West Midlands Trains fleet and provide more capacity across the network.
This explains why the arrival of the 730s coincided with the withdrawal or reassignment of older trains.
The programme represented one of the largest investments in West Midlands railway rolling stock for many years.
A changing railway company
There is also an important corporate chapter in the history of these trains.
West Midlands Trains originally operated the services under the franchise system.
In July 2025, the Department for Transport confirmed that West Midlands Trains would transfer to public ownership as part of the government's Public Ownership Programme. The transfer took place on 1 February 2026.
The Class 730s therefore arrived during the final years of the private franchise era and became part of the fleet as the operator moved into public ownership.
The trains themselves, however, remain associated with the familiar West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway brands.
This gives them a place in a particularly interesting transitional period in British railway history.
They were ordered under the franchising system, manufactured during the final years of the private concession and introduced into passenger service shortly before and during the move towards public ownership.
The 730s in 2026
By 2026, the Class 730 fleet is no longer an experimental newcomer.
The three-car WMR fleet has become established on the Cross-City Line and other West Midlands services.
The five-car LNR fleet has completed its introduction and is working services to and from London Euston, as well as other longer-distance routes.
The introduction of the LNR fleet was completed in 2025, with Alstom reporting in June 2026 that the rollout had been completed and that the trains had produced a significant increase in customer satisfaction on the Trent Valley Line.
The fleet is therefore now entering the next phase of its history: regular everyday operation.
That is significant because the Class 730 programme was conceived many years before the trains actually became commonplace.
The first order was announced in 2017.
The first completed train appeared in 2020.
Testing occupied several years.
Passenger service began with the WMR units in 2024.
The LNR five-car fleet followed in 2025.
By 2026, the fleet has finally reached the operational role for which it was ordered.
Why the Class 730s matter
The historical importance of the Class 730s lies less in their individual mechanical novelty than in what their arrival represents.
They mark the replacement of a generation of trains that had themselves become part of the identity of the West Midlands.
The Class 323 had become synonymous with the Cross-City Line.
The Class 350 had become closely associated with the electrified routes between Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Northampton and London.
The 730 programme has begun replacing both types in different roles.
The change is particularly visible on the Cross-City Line, where the distinctive sound and appearance of the 323s have given way to the much more modern Aventras.
The new trains also reflect changing passenger expectations.
Wi-Fi, power at seats, digital information, accessible toilets and improved accessibility are now expected features rather than luxuries.
The much greater standing capacity reflects another change: railway operators increasingly need to carry very large numbers of passengers within constrained infrastructure.
The ability to run two three-car units as a six-car train gives WMR considerable flexibility.
The same principle applies to the five-car LNR units, which provide a substantial increase in capacity without requiring trains as long as some traditional locomotive-hauled formations.
An interesting historical irony
There is a pleasing railway-history irony in the Class 730 story.
The Cross-City Line's Class 323s were introduced as modern trains in the early 1990s.
For more than thirty years, they were the new generation.
By the 2020s, they had themselves become historic trains.
The Class 730s have now taken their place.
The same process has occurred repeatedly throughout railway history.
The Class 730s will eventually be replaced by something newer, just as they are replacing the trains that came before them.
For now, however, they represent the modern face of electric railway travel in the West Midlands.
The Class 730 fleet and its future
The fleet is still relatively young.
The first trains were built only around six years ago, while many entered passenger service much more recently.
Their expected working life therefore stretches well into the future.
They are likely to become increasingly important as passenger numbers grow and the West Midlands continues to develop its railway network.
The early indications are that the investment has already had a substantial impact. West Midlands Railway's new Cross-City fleet received a national award in 2025 after being credited with transforming journeys on the route.
The wider WMR and LNR operation also experienced strong passenger growth, with combined journeys reported to have increased substantially.
The Class 730s have consequently arrived at a time when the railway is experiencing renewed demand.
Their large capacity makes them particularly appropriate to that situation.
In summary
The Class 730 trains operated by West Midlands Trains originated from a major 2017 order placed after West Midlands Trains took over operation of the West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway networks. The trains are members of Alstom's Aventra family and were constructed at Derby Litchurch Lane Works. The final programme comprises 84 units: 48 three-car Class 730/0s for West Midlands Railway and 36 five-car Class 730/2s principally for London Northwestern Railway.
The three-car 730/0s entered passenger service in February 2024, initially on the Wolverhampton–Walsall route, before being introduced onto Birmingham's Cross-City Line from April 2024. On the Cross-City Line they replaced the long-established Class 323 fleet and can operate in pairs as six-car trains carrying more than 1,000 passengers. They provide considerably more capacity than the trains they replaced and feature modern facilities including Wi-Fi, power points, digital information screens and accessible toilets.
The five-car 730/2s followed in June 2025 under the London Northwestern Railway brand. Their introduction added 180 carriages and increased capacity on services to and from London Euston, with the trains featuring open gangways and modern passenger facilities. By 2026 the rollout of the five-car fleet had been completed.
The WMR 730/0 fleet has also developed its own regional identity as the “Landmark Class”, with individual trains being named after West Midlands landmarks, places and notable people. The first was 730018 “Hurst Street”, named in May 2024 in connection with Birmingham Pride.
The Class 730s therefore represent a major transition in the history of the West Midlands railway. They are the product of an order conceived in 2017, built in Derby, introduced after several years of testing and delay, and now form one of the principal fleets of the modern West Midlands railway. Their arrival has replaced trains that were themselves once considered cutting-edge, increased capacity on some of the region's busiest routes and introduced a new generation of electric trains to Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
Buses replace trains for the 20 miles of route between Three Bridges and Brighton. This is for engineering works but are they really working on the entire 20 mile stretch of track and if not, what aren't the trains running apart from where they are actually working?
We prepared the site plan, applied for and obtained the building permit as required. We handled all inspections. All soil was fully compacted. We poured with 4000 PSI concrete. We hand troweled the concrete with a double broom finish We cut all expansion joints accordingly.
Buses replace trains for the 20 miles of route between Three Bridges and Brighton. This is for engineering works but are they really working on the entire 20 mile stretch of track and if not, what aren't the trains running apart from where they are actually working?
We can't have you walking around your neighborhood and the streets of San Francisco shouting expletives, so...
The next time you feel "that way," and see one of of these (and there are plenty of them to see in SF) smile, think of us and replace your expletives with unbridled laughter.
People may still look at you a little funny, but hey, it's San Francisco!
It is important to have a trusted auto shop to replace brakes for your car,to insure quality and well picked brakes.
Wood deck replaced with colored salt finish patio. - Davis, CA
A. Townsend Concrete, a concrete contractor serving: Vacaville, Fairfield, Suisun City, Winters, Dixon, Davis, Woodland, Rio Vista, West Sacramento, Esparto, and Solano & Yolo county California.
Follow these steps to add replace your lost passport quickly. Visit our site for more information: www.us-passport-service-guide.com/
this is the old ramp before Rebuilding Together of the Triangle built a new ramp for one of my neighbors. One of the home's inhabitants had taken a couple of bad falls and was happy to get a new ramp that was up to code. The area nonprofit received funding from Lowe's for the materials (Durham, NC 2011)
2017-JUL-29; Mark Bauer replaces the car door handle on his Pontiac Solstice. A new handle was improved with epoxy and steel shavings.
In our new house (only 30 years old) in Japan, the kitchen has hideous wallpaper that only its designer could love. We plan to replace the wallpaper when the time is right...
Follow these steps to add replace your lost passport quickly. Visit our site for more information: www.us-passport-service-guide.com/