Random Transport Chatter

[piratescooby]

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-t ... rovements/ , massive project , Plan your route up north very carefully .

[Redirect Left]

This is quite a nice thing to see;
In the UK, a growing movement is putting a group of volunteers in (somewhat) control of catching speeding motorists, backed up with Community Support Officers recording the details of any motorists breaking the law. Hopefully this idea continues to grow and catch more and more of the motorists that are constantly speeding putting lives at risk.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-43841859

[Hyronymus]

I just saw an item on Scottish news about the curved windscreens for the new class 385: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-43031527. I'm not aware how these issues normally are raised in the press on this side of the North Sea but is this all hot air?

[Pilot]

I just saw an item on Scottish news about the curved windscreens for the new class 385: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-43031527. I'm not aware how these issues normally are raised in the press on this side of the North Sea but is this all hot air?

The 385s have been one farce after another, and obviously struggling to see signals properly is quite the issue, especially when you're trying to make out a single yellow vs. a double yellow signal. They're now not expected to enter service until December 2018, a year later than originally planned, and Scotrail are having to lease older trains (Class 365s) to cover for the temporary shortfall, but even these aren't expected to enter service until June, as driver's need to be trained on them. Probably quite an embarrassment for Hitachi, who are generally one of the top manufacturers.

[Redirect Left]

and Scotrail are having to lease older trains (Class 365s) to cover for the temporary shortfall, but even these aren't expected to enter service until June, as driver's need to be trained on them. Probably quite an embarrassment for Hitachi, who are generally one of the top manufacturers.

I'm just happy the ole' Happy Trains (365s) are finding a new home so soon, as their future was for a short while undertermined, and may have at least in part made an early retirement to the scrap heap. Which is a shame, they're nice trains, even if our dear Geo has drove them all to within an inch of their respective lives .

I wouldn't mind seeing some 365s operate in the Yorkshire area, although unfortunately i doubt there is any real need for them.

[Hyronymus]

Hitachi took over AnsaldoBreda, the famous Italian company who builds truly unique trains even if it is supposed to be a series (Dutch Fyra, Norwegian BM 72, Danish IC4). Can it be that the Italians are taking over Hitachi quality systems .

But to get back to the news article: Scotrail tried to point out that these things happen during testing while Afsem claimed it to be an outrage. Is the truth somewhere in between both opinions?

[YNM]

But to get back to the news article: Scotrail tried to point out that these things happen during testing while Afsem claimed it to be an outrage. Is the truth somewhere in between both opinions?

Given that the window pane is almost never perpendicular to the line of sight, it might be true. Imagine looking to a light source from a fishbowl perhaps.

[Pilot]

Hitachi took over AnsaldoBreda ... Can it be that the Italians are taking over Hitachi quality systems

As much as Scotrail probably wish that they had that excuse, these sets are mostly being built in the UK itself, with some built over in Japan too The Italian's are just building our Class 802s instead; god help us!

Scotrail tried to point out that these things happen during testing while Afsem claimed it to be an outrage. Is the truth somewhere in between both opinions?

Well, normally trains are tested at somewhere like Old Dalby, or Velim in the Czech Republic; actual test tracks that aren't mainline. As far as I know, the majority of the 385s testing has been done in the UK out on the mainline, so therefore problems are likely far more publicised. There are also some software issues that have come to light since too.

However, surely it doesn't take a genius to realise that bright lights in the night reflect weirdly off of curved windscreens?

I'm just happy the ole' Happy Trains (365s) are finding a new home so soon, as their future was for a short while undertermined, and may have at least in part made an early retirement to the scrap heap.

That could soon be their future yet. Scotrail are only temporarily leasing them to make up for the shortfall in stock as it stands. Of course, if the 385 program becomes a complete failure (which I doubt), then maybe the 365s will have a reprieve, but there isn't enough of them!

It'll also be interesting to see if the delays to the 385 program has an impact on Scotrail's planned stock cascade to Northern.

[Geo Ghost]

even if our dear Geo has drove them all to within an inch of their respective lives .

I wouldn't mind seeing some 365s operate in the Yorkshire area, although unfortunately i doubt there is any real need for them.

They've still got plenty of life in them, just hopefully it's utilised
They have their flaws, but overall they are brilliant work-horses. However they won't be able to stay on Scotrail after Autumn. They aren't too great when it comes to heavy snow fall sadly.

[Redirect Left]

They have their flaws, but overall they are brilliant work-horses. However they won't be able to stay on Scotrail after Autumn. They aren't too great when it comes to heavy snow fall sadly.

Clearly built for the south then. Also means they might not handle some North routes. Shame, it'd be sad to see them scrapped so young (compared to a lot of other fleets in use). Hopefully after Scotrail are done, they'll be cascaded again - although it seems franchise agreements are all pushing for new stock rather than cascaded where possible.

[Badger]

They have their flaws, but overall they are brilliant work-horses. However they won't be able to stay on Scotrail after Autumn. They aren't too great when it comes to heavy snow fall sadly.

Clearly built for the south then. Also means they might not handle some North routes. Shame, it'd be sad to see them scrapped so young (compared to a lot of other fleets in use). Hopefully after Scotrail are done, they'll be cascaded again - although it seems franchise agreements are all pushing for new stock rather than cascaded where possible.

We'll (Northern) take them, the 321/322s are s***!

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We'll (Northern) take them, the 321/322s are s***!

As far as I know, the 321/322s go off lease soon anyway. Although as I live in Wakefield, they're one of the most common trains I see and use (WKF, between LDS & DON route). I don't find them too bad, other than 3+2 seating - but i think most modernish shorter distance commuter trains have them now.

[Badger]

We'll (Northern) take them, the 321/322s are s***!

As far as I know, the 321/322s go off lease soon anyway. Although as I live in Wakefield, they're one of the most common trains I see and use (WKF, between LDS & DON route). I don't find them too bad, other than 3+2 seating - but i think most modernish shorter distance commuter trains have them now.

They fail really quite often.

[Geo Ghost]

We'll (Northern) take them, the 321/322s are s***!

I'll have them! 321s were lovely to drive (if you weren't trying to get anywhere fast or go up hill..) and had far more comfortable to travel on than the new stock.
And the air-con was brilliant in the cabs Far better than everything else.

[Pilot]

We'll (Northern) take them, the 321/322s are s***!

But what about your shiny new trains that are coming to replace the 321/322s? Surely you'd much rather have those!

321s were lovely to drive (if you weren't trying to get anywhere fast or go up hill..)

Northern use them in Yorkshire. Lot's of hills there, so they're buggered!

[Geo Ghost]

Northern use them in Yorkshire. Lot's of hills there, so they're buggered!

Ah yes.. not the best for that. Doesn't help that someone thought it was a good idea to put all the motors and heaviest equipment in a single coach down the middle Made acceleration raaather slow.

[Badger]

We'll (Northern) take them, the 321/322s are s***!

But what about your shiny new trains that are coming to replace the 321/322s? Surely you'd much rather have those!

Once they've got past that one inevitable major fleet-stopping failure, yes.

[Redirect Left]

Virgin Trains East Coast, which operates on the East Coast Mainline (ECML) will be brought back into public control on the 24th June.

The franchise, a joint venture of Stagecoach & Virgin, which despite the name Virgin Trains East Coast, is massively owned by Stagecoach and Virgin have a very small share of it.
The failure has been blamed on the companies, as they 'got their bid wrong', and overestimated the profitability of the line. The companies had promised to pay £3.3bn to run the franchise until 2023, but late last year it became clear that was not realistically going to happen.

This will be the third in just over a decade that this route (the ECML) has been put into public ownership.

BBC News

With the failure rate of this route, is it due to the Department for Transport giving inflated or overly optimistic figures in the invitation to tender, or is it genuinely the TOCs promising way too much?

[Geo Ghost]

Well, who ever saw that coming ay...?

[Arch9enius]

Well the LNER was the least rich of the big four apparently... Maybe something to do with a lack of population in the areas it served? Thanks Willy the genocidal b****** conqurerer.. .

When the franchise was awaded I noted that Virgin had 10% of the stake, but their name all over the trains... which means they would own 100% of the cock up in the eyes of the public if things went tits up.

Are the trains going back to th old East Coast colours? I liked those. Otherwise, I think the whole things a put-up job. If we find out Chris Grayling or one of his chums owns Hornby, we can assume he's done it so they can make ££££s selling a bunch of class 43s / 91s etc. with new stripes on 'em....