• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Thameslink/ Class 700 Progress

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Failed Unit

Established Member
Joined
26 Jan 2009
Messages
8,857
Location
Central Belt
Don't be silly, the mere mention of class700s entitles posters to get back to all things GN, (including 101 reasons why class700s don't apply to them). :)

Don’t understand don’t apply to them comment?

But fear not more 700s hit great northern next week including some peak services. Luckily for me because of staff training issues my service won’t suffer the large reduction in seats until late March.

We will see all the viewpoints recycled as we look in envy at St Albans as capacity on most trains is increased from 8 coaches to 12 with their extremely frequent service.

However I will genuinely be interested to see how they are received closer to London where passengers never got a seat anyway.

One question however. How is passengers in excess of capacity recorded. I assume it is no longer seats as you no longer see Thameslink services on the list.
 

physics34

Established Member
Joined
1 Dec 2013
Messages
3,681
Don't be silly, the mere mention of class700s entitles posters to get back to all things GN, (including 101 reasons why class700s don't apply to them). :)


hahahahaha! Think a new GN thread needs to be created.
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,257
Don’t understand don’t apply to them comment?

But fear not more 700s hit great northern next week including some peak services. Luckily for me because of staff training issues my service won’t suffer the large reduction in seats until late March.

We will see all the viewpoints recycled as we look in envy at St Albans as capacity on most trains is increased from 8 coaches to 12 with their extremely frequent service.

However I will genuinely be interested to see how they are received closer to London where passengers never got a seat anyway.

One question however. How is passengers in excess of capacity recorded. I assume it is no longer seats as you no longer see Thameslink services on the list.
Any service with stops within 20 mins of its main terminus has a capacity for Pixc calculations that includes the standing allowance, which AIUI is 4 per sq m on a 700. 700 operated services will only appear in DFT crowding stats if the standing capacity is exceeded.
 

Failed Unit

Established Member
Joined
26 Jan 2009
Messages
8,857
Location
Central Belt
Any service with stops within 20 mins of its main terminus has a capacity for Pixc calculations that includes the standing allowance, which AIUI is 4 per sq m on a 700. 700 operated services will only appear in DFT crowding stats if the standing capacity is exceeded.

That is interesting as even on the 700s I have travelled on some very cosy services. But as the terminating point is Brighton and the train empties at Blackfriars it won’t count. Lies. Damn lies and statistics.
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,257
That is interesting as even on the 700s I have travelled on some very cosy services. But as the terminating point is Brighton and the train empties at Blackfriars it won’t count. Lies. Damn lies and statistics.
The main terminating point for PIXC is further defined as the main destination if a through service, and would be “London”, and for the GN part of the Network it will be the calls at Finsbury Park that define the service as stopping for PIXC.
AIUI the Midland side has trains non stop to St Albans, and they might be different for PIXC calculations.
 

Skimble19

Established Member
Joined
12 Dec 2009
Messages
1,487
Location
London
Maybe the Great Northern staff need to spend a day at Haywards Heath or Faversham to see how it's done.
Quite a few of the platform staff did, for an entire week tho rather than just a day..! Unfortunately and rather coincidentally, the continued issues with coupling take place at Greater Anglia stations, where there are no GN staff...
Isn't the station at cambridge staffed by GA? Maybe they're not wanting to employ more staff in order to do these splits. Maybe if GTR funded them...
Would be better off just putting GTR staff in rather than paying for Greater Anglia staff, but yes, either would help.
hahahahaha! Think a new GN thread needs to be created.
There does seem to be a lot of GN threads and they definitely all drift :lol: perhaps one central thread is the answer? :lol:
 

physics34

Established Member
Joined
1 Dec 2013
Messages
3,681
Quite a few of the platform staff did, for an entire week tho rather than just a day..! Unfortunately and rather coincidentally, the continued issues with coupling take place at Greater Anglia stations, where there are no GN staff...
Would be better off just putting GTR staff in rather than paying for Greater Anglia staff, but yes, either would help.
There does seem to be a lot of GN threads and they definitely all drift :lol: perhaps one central thread is the answer? :lol:

yep, separate one for GN discussion, split from threads about the rolling stock classes themselves.
 

Class 466

Established Member
Joined
5 Mar 2010
Messages
1,407
To get this back on topic- all 1T/2Txx services running are now calling at London Bridge - not publicly advertised, but the PIS on 700s is set up to announce the call.
 
Joined
31 Jul 2010
Messages
359
If they are calling at London Bridge again does anyone know Whose dispatching them? Is it GTR or as they were talking about originally and what I suspect will be happening Southeastern? If so another opportunity for passsing the buck with delays, stations operations, assisted travel and control communication etc etc
 

AM9

Veteran Member
Joined
13 May 2014
Messages
14,190
Location
St Albans
... We will see all the viewpoints recycled as we look in envy at St Albans as capacity on most trains is increased from 8 coaches to 12 with their extremely frequent service.

With over 3m* season tickets at St Albans, (most of them leaving St Albans for London every workday morning), it's necessary for many frequent 8 & 12-car trains to provide the service. None of the EM services provide any capacity there.
*That's more than Stevenage, Hitchin and Letchworth added together.

However I will genuinely be interested to see how they are received closer to London where passengers never got a seat anyway. ...

They had even less chance of seats when they were graced with four-car class319s in the peak. At least the 700s give them plenty of safe standing room and the trains will be quicker when the new full timetable starts.
 

Class 466

Established Member
Joined
5 Mar 2010
Messages
1,407
If they are calling at London Bridge again does anyone know Whose dispatching them? Is it GTR or as they were talking about originally and what I suspect will be happening Southeastern? If so another opportunity for passsing the buck with delays, stations operations, assisted travel and control communication etc etc
The one I travelled on self dispatched like they do in the rest of the core.
 

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
29,070
If they are calling at London Bridge again does anyone know Whose dispatching them? Is it GTR or as they were talking about originally and what I suspect will be happening Southeastern? If so another opportunity for passsing the buck with delays, stations operations, assisted travel and control communication etc etc

Yep, the driver does it.
 

ComUtoR

Established Member
Joined
13 Dec 2013
Messages
9,397
Location
UK
I didn't think London Bridge was DOO. Is this purely for the crew call ?
 

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
29,070
I didn't think London Bridge was DOO. Is this purely for the crew call ?

Now, I'm not 100% sure of my ground here. But it was always the intention that the 700s would be driver dispatch at London Bridge, and I thought that was being done. The train I alighted from had no dispatcher in sight of the front 3 coaches (ie no one would have confirmed it clear) and I didn't see the CD RA light up (although I wasn't specifically looking for it).

So on balance I am reasonably sure that it is driver dispatch, but I wouldn't bet the house on it until I can see it again tomorrow!
 

ComUtoR

Established Member
Joined
13 Dec 2013
Messages
9,397
Location
UK
It's DOO for Class 700s on Platforms 4 and 5

Now, I'm not 100% sure of my ground here. But it was always the intention that the 700s would be driver dispatch at London Bridge, and I thought that was being done.

Cheers guys. I'll poke my side for an Ops notice as the DOO one we had was purely for the core stations. Driving for both companies has issues... :/
 

bengley

Established Member
Joined
18 May 2008
Messages
1,840
3og50LE.jpg
 

ComUtoR

Established Member
Joined
13 Dec 2013
Messages
9,397
Location
UK
Cheers again. Us 'boys in blue' don't get 'gentlemen in grey' notices until someone goes in the office and moans. The last one I got was for the Inhibit L2 reminder.
 

bengley

Established Member
Joined
18 May 2008
Messages
1,840
Cheers again. Us 'boys in blue' don't get 'gentlemen in grey' notices until someone goes in the office and moans. The last one I got was for the Inhibit L2 reminder.
It's funny, that reminder to inhibit level 2 followed a few publications explaining a new 'start of mission' process. These publications didn't specifically state that these were not to be used until ATO goes live!
 

ComUtoR

Established Member
Joined
13 Dec 2013
Messages
9,397
Location
UK
I've noticed that more and more units now need to inhibit by default and it no longer holds over. Seimens told me on one of their depot surgeries that we should always do it 'just in case' but now it looks like its being forced. I never skipped it but no the brakes don't release and you get that red box thingy.
 

bengley

Established Member
Joined
18 May 2008
Messages
1,840
I've noticed that more and more units now need to inhibit by default and it no longer holds over. Seimens told me on one of their depot surgeries that we should always do it 'just in case' but now it looks like its being forced. I never skipped it but no the brakes don't release and you get that red box thingy.
I've only ever had to do it on prep, not had any which weren't inhibited by default yet!
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,429
Location
Yorkshire
Just a reminder this thread is to discuss class 700 progress. Please use other threads to discuss other issues (e.g. there is a Great northern and Thameslink May 18 service changes thread)

Also just a gentle reminder of our forum rules regarding external content:

  • If referring to an external source you should put the text in QUOTE tags, provide details of the source (this would normally be a hyperlink, if possible) and make a relevant comment to promote discussion.
In particular, bear in mind blind people cannot read text contained within images, so a text quote or description (as appropriate) needs to be added for all images.

If anyone has any questions or concerns please contact us directly. Many thanks for your understanding.
 

387star

On Moderation
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
6,653
Any videos of these tl services serving london bridge through platforms?

As I said before hats off to anyone who has commuted for over three years via crystal and the hills

I also wonder whe ATO training will start in earnest... I guess not such a priority given the delays in the programme

Also interested in the talk of Peterborough and Cambridge services starting within a month or so (ahead of May)

Quite fancy an excuse to stroll around Cambridge without the hassle of changing
 

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
29,070
Any videos of these tl services serving london bridge through platforms?

As I said before hats off to anyone who has commuted for over three years via crystal and the hills

I also wonder whe ATO training will start in earnest... I guess not such a priority given the delays in the programme

Also interested in the talk of Peterborough and Cambridge services starting within a month or so (ahead of May)

Quite fancy an excuse to stroll around Cambridge without the hassle of changing

The programme is on schedule, in terms of delivery of infrastructure capability and trains.
 

hwl

Established Member
Joined
5 Feb 2012
Messages
7,354
Any videos of these tl services serving london bridge through platforms?

As I said before hats off to anyone who has commuted for over three years via crystal and the hills

I also wonder whe ATO training will start in earnest... I guess not such a priority given the delays in the programme

Also interested in the talk of Peterborough and Cambridge services starting within a month or so (ahead of May)

Quite fancy an excuse to stroll around Cambridge without the hassle of changing
Peak hours has always been through Palace (or Norbury) not just for the last 3 years which is why the rebuild is such a big change...
 

tsr

Established Member
Joined
15 Nov 2011
Messages
7,400
Location
Between the parallel lines
I was on a Weymouth to Waterloo train, 2x444, a couple of years ago and all the toilets were out of order. The train had an extended confort break at Bournemouth, then an additional stop at Basingstoke.

GTR generally do not now hold trains (or stop additionally) for comfort breaks. Although SWR is also a busy network, GTR are simply dealing with equal network constraints in a different way - it can be impractical to delay services heading towards the East Croydon/West Croydon/TL Core corridors if there is a staffed station where people can use the facilities.

They do. But also proves you can’t believe a word GTR say when they lie to passengers in this way. I know that “because we don’t train out staff” isn’t going to go down well but lies are found out. We know they dont train staff as it is thankfully keeping the 700s off great northern a bit longer.

It is annoying about the gangways. Many diagrams don’t couple / uncouple all day but they are still locked out of use.

I believe the gangways are actually locked out of use due to inherent flaws with the internal “second-man’s side” gangway door mechanisms - a design which Bombardier had about a decade to get feedback on (via repeated feedback from Electrostar crews) and then correct, but they didn’t.

On services expected to run without a rostered second member of crew, which applies to the vast majority of 387s at some point during their journeys, there isn’t anybody to check the doors are safe and secure during transit. So the main cab door (the other one, which is rather more robust) is locked at each end of the corridor connection.

There is barely any extra time taken to set up the gangway doors in the corridor connection positions - about 20 seconds on 387s, especially because one of the steps for securing the doors is actually removed on the newer variants of Electrostars!

Peak hours has always been through Palace (or Norbury) not just for the last 3 years which is why the rebuild is such a big change...

Not always. There were originally a select few which did operate via London Bridge.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top