I would take anything posted by the social media team as a believe it when I see it. Seems a bit daft considering that off peak many stations such as Hadley wood don’t have people wanting to use every door off peak. (Although this is true at Essex road).
Considering these are air conditioned trains opening door unnecessarily will compromise the passenger environment. This was actually one of the reasons why the 313 had the buttons reinstalled in the 1990s
For me rule one of dealing with GTR. Take whatever is posted from the social media team as guidance - not fact. They get things incorrect a lot. For example the said that using the corridor connections on the 387s was unsafe. I challenged this post with their senior management with the view why is your company putting passenger at risk using them on Gatwick express. Should I be highlighting this to ORR. They responded that in the end that the social media team had posted incorrect information and they don’t use the connections because they are inept at running a TOC. (Ok they really said they haven’t trained the staff and hope to use them again in the future. Probably will be when we get someone decent running the franchise)
They frequently get things wrong about ticket acceptance on buses. When trains will stop etc. Many times since May we have seen them state train x will stop at y. Passengers on the platform report it passing non-stop. A admit it possibly was the plan but it just re-enforcing the point that what they post is often not fact.
I digress. But i will wait and see when the come into operation. I doubt the social media team have the knowledge. If they do I don’t see the benefits to opening all door all the time. A big step backwards to the 313s in the 1980s it wasn’t popular then.
To defend them. They are only as good as the information provided. (I hope they are wrong. It will make the journeys much less enjoyable on a cold winter evening or hot summer day having doors open unnecessarily - why bother with climate control?)
Aren't most splits and joins at Cambridge now? That's a Greater Anglia station.
It was certainly wrong to say the corridor connections are unsafe though. Would have been easier to say the real reason, but I suppose they thought they weren't going to be blaming anyone by saying unsafe.. even though once you say something is unsafe you're going to have to expect further questions.
I'm astonished that GTR runs units with the inter unit gangways locked. I can't think of any other TOC that does this.
Terrible customer service from a terrible operator. Apparently as they don’t have their own staff at Cambridge they can’t trust the GA staff to do it. They operate the same units on Gatwick express with them in use. They could have resolved this but now if you get on the wrong unit and want to use Ashwell and Morden you are in for a longer ride than you expected as it is not possible to correct your mistake.
Greater Anglia do so too apparently.
SW 455s do too I think?
I believe the requirement to open / close connections on 387s was aborted when it was decreed two drivers were required (by ASLEF) to meet the timings at Cambridge. I may be wrong.
Not to mention 318s in Scotland and 455s on Southern having the connections removed.
The one plus with 387s on the GN is that they do at least allow emergency front / rear egress in the single bore tunnels. 365s obviousy do not, but then LNER, Hull, GC and charters don't either.
And the Class 450s/444s too because they certainly did in SWT days.
Do they not allow that anymore on the Desiro fleet? It's still available on the sprinter fleet for sure.
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