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Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Mon 21 May, 2018 06.53
by thegeek
I think there are some S106 payments involved - there's a *lot* of housing going up in the area. Which is good, because London does need more houses, though I'll miss the 'industrial hinterland inhabited by artists' feel that Hackney Wick used to have.

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Tue 24 Jul, 2018 13.05
by thegeek
ScotRail's got the first of its 385s in service.

Meanwhile, in North & East London...

the Gospel Oak to Barking Line (aka the GOBLIN) has now finally been electrified, about a year late. But the new Class 710s still aren't ready, because NR still haven't signed off the train management software. All of Bombardier's software people are busy with getting the Class 345s to play nicely with the Heathrow tunnel: the Elizabeth Line's launch in December is something of an immovable object.

This wouldn't be a problem, except the GOBLIN's Class 172s are required for the West Midlands Railway in November, and the leasor has already taken back one unit. This means there's only enough trains to operate the core timetable (and none of the extra services that used to run to provide extra capacity), and none spare for when they break down in hot weather. Turns out Turbostars aren't built for this kind of heat.

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Wed 25 Jul, 2018 23.54
by thegeek
I wonder if the trainspotting local MP who got to test drive of a 710 today asked any questions about the delay?

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Sat 13 Oct, 2018 11.07
by cwathen
No longer living in Devon (and no longer using the railway that much any more either), I'm a bit out of the loop with the cascade plan down there.

Was surprised to see that GWR have GWR'd up their pacers even though they're going soon (sometimes between December and March apparently). They do actually look quite smart with a repaint, even though they're the same tired old trains underneath. Still have the old Wales & West safety announcement on them too (I was hoping they'd press the wrong button and I'd get to hear the 'steward will be shortly be passing through with a trolley service of drinks & light refreshments' announcement which seems to happen once in a while, but no such luck).

I was even more surprised to hear that they're cascading out the 153's to TFW. They are a useful way of extending a service by an extra carriage and there is nothing else like them around. I thought their final fate would be to be permanently coupled up to a 150 to create 3 carriage trains rather than withdrawing them.

Although I'd heard the 150/1s were going, I didn't realise their withdrawal was almost complete and they only had 1 unit left in service (which I saw, and didn't bother taking a picture of as didn't realise until later that it was the only one left). Not heard anything about 150001 & 002 (the original 3 carriage prototypes) - are they staying with GWR?

Also, where are the 158's that were supposed to move west once the Turbos started taking over the Bristol area services? The turbo cascade seems pretty much complete, yet I didn't see any 158's at all running around Devon.

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Sat 13 Oct, 2018 14.28
by Alexia
cwathen wrote: Sat 13 Oct, 2018 11.07 Was surprised to see that GWR have GWR'd up their pacers even though they're going soon (sometimes between December and March apparently). They do actually look quite smart with a repaint, even though they're the same tired old trains underneath.
Pacer withdrawal will be December 2019 as the new DDA regs start in Jan 2020.
I was even more surprised to hear that they're cascading out the 153's to TFW. They are a useful way of extending a service by an extra carriage and there is nothing else like them around. I thought their final fate would be to be permanently coupled up to a 150 to create 3 carriage trains rather than withdrawing them.
Could possibly be due to storage capacity in the new upcoming Exeter depot that will be holding all the extant 15x stock once the Turbo cascade is complete.
Although I'd heard the 150/1s were going, I didn't realise their withdrawal was almost complete and they only had 1 unit left in service (which I saw, and didn't bother taking a picture of as didn't realise until later that it was the only one left). Not heard anything about 150001 & 002 (the original 3 carriage prototypes) - are they staying with GWR?
150001/2 are staying I believe because they've had full internal refurbs as well as external - in fact I was on 150002 the other day, she scrubs up well.
Also, where are the 158's that were supposed to move west once the Turbos started taking over the Bristol area services? The turbo cascade seems pretty much complete, yet I didn't see any 158's at all running around Devon.
Still some Turbos being used in Thames valley while 800 sets rolling out. Also perfect storm of 15x unit maintenance backlog, Turbo ride height modification backlog, engineering work and unit refurbishment programme overrunning.

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Sat 13 Oct, 2018 23.57
by WillPS
cwathen wrote: Sat 13 Oct, 2018 11.07 No longer living in Devon (and no longer using the railway that much any more either), I'm a bit out of the loop with the cascade plan down there.

Was surprised to see that GWR have GWR'd up their pacers even though they're going soon (sometimes between December and March apparently). They do actually look quite smart with a repaint, even though they're the same tired old trains underneath. Still have the old Wales & West safety announcement on them too (I was hoping they'd press the wrong button and I'd get to hear the 'steward will be shortly be passing through with a trolley service of drinks & light refreshments' announcement which seems to happen once in a while, but no such luck).
Trains get repainted more than you might think - typically these days TOCs opt to use the very cheapest paint which only has a warranty of 5 or so years (in line with their expectations in terms of franchise length). The terms of their rolling stock lease dictates that paint jobs have to be kept 'in warranty'. Since they had to put something on, might as well have been green...

Both Northern and South West Trains had trains repainted in the same (or very similar) livery in the period between confirmation they were not going to continue and the end of their franchises. On the surface it seems bonkers, but that's the state of privatisation in the 2010s.

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Sun 14 Oct, 2018 02.40
by Martin Phillp
I noticed that London Overground's Class 378 units are getting a refurb already after 8 years of service on the East London Line to closely match the new 710s for the Gospel Oak/Barking and the Watford DC line.

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Sun 14 Oct, 2018 17.11
by thegeek
Martin Phillp wrote: Sun 14 Oct, 2018 02.40 I noticed that London Overground's Class 378 units are getting a refurb already after 8 years of service on the East London Line to closely match the new 710s for the Gospel Oak/Barking and the Watford DC line.

The class 710s have finally had Network Rail type approval, and are out accumulating miles:

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Sun 14 Oct, 2018 21.53
by Alexia
Not fond of that black. Not sure what purpose it serves.

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Mon 15 Oct, 2018 00.53
by Martin Phillp
At least the green in the moquette stops it looking too similar to the old District line D Stock one.

Re: Public Transport in your particular part of the region

Posted: Mon 15 Oct, 2018 08.15
by Pete
the black is horrid. prefer the old moquette. still don't like non-yellow ends.

so it's a no from me.