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Class 350 - Glass compartment - What is it?

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Trainfan2019

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I keep seeing a glass compartment on London Northwestern Class 350s, can anyone tell me what this is or was please? It is situated next to first class but I have only seen it on the class 350s with unrefurbished blue(?) seats. I have only seen it with blinds down as in the photo I took below.

20190911_165618.jpg
 
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43096

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I keep seeing a glass compartment on London Northwestern Class 350s, can anyone tell me what this is or was please? It is situated next to first class but I have only seen it on the class 350s with unrefurbished blue(?) seats. I have only seen it with blinds down as in the photo I took below.
It's the guard's office.
 

Bletchleyite

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But never used by guards in practice, and not fitted out on later variants.

I believe they were used as such on SWT? The 350/1s were diverted from there (they were going to be 450s) so it remained in place. However, Silverlink, LM and now LNR prefer to have the guards in a rear or intermediate cab.
 

swt_passenger

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I believe they were used as such on SWT? The 350/1s were diverted from there (they were going to be 450s) so it remained in place. However, Silverlink, LM and now LNR prefer to have the guards in a rear or intermediate cab.
Regularly used on SWT, but the exact same fit not used on LM because there was no trade union agreement. There are previous threads about this, so little point in debating it all again, but now becoming of academic interest as they’re gradually removed on 450 and 444 to provide additional seating space.
 

RailWonderer

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SWT have them on 450s and like to sit in them on busy full and standing peak services, the new refurbishment is getting rid of them so I can imagine guards are a bit upset (unless they're allowed to sit in first like LNR staff are).
I did a thread on this (350 locked room mystery) one of the mods could combine the threads.
 

Trainfan2019

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Guards office? I never thought of that, it's a new one on me! Thanks for all the replies. Hadn't realised there was a thread on the subject, sorry.
 

causton

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the new refurbishment is getting rid of them so I can imagine guards are a bit upset (unless they're allowed to sit in first like LNR staff are).

I think they would rather sit in the back cab?!?!?
I have only seen a guard on LNR sit down in first once or twice, and that was to have a quick chat with their manager as they were travelling on the train.
 

43096

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I think they would rather sit in the back cab?!?!?
I have only seen a guard on LNR sit down in first once or twice, and that was to have a quick chat with their manager as they were travelling on the train.
They’d rather sit in the back cab so they can just do the doors and not have to actually be visible on the train.
 

Energy

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They’d rather sit in the back cab so they can just do the doors and not have to actually be visible on the train.
I was surprised to find out 350s have guards, whenever I've been on one I haven't noticed any staff
 

RailWonderer

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They do seem to have gained a tendency to hide, other than wittering over the top of the autoannouncer with exactly the same information but less clear.
They are very reclusive, like moles in holes they’re good at discreetly hiding. Although the last one I had was talking to a family and helping out with a pushchair while locking the doors and was quite personable. A rare breed.
 

Bletchleyite

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They are very reclusive, like moles in holes they’re good at discreetly hiding. Although the last one I had was talking to a family and helping out with a pushchair while locking the doors and was quite personable. A rare breed.

There appear to be one or two (you get to recognise them) who are out and about in the passenger compartment doing tickets and assisting with stuff - but it is literally just one or two. The rest appear to act like old-style Merseyrail guards (even they are very different these days, often seen patrolling the passenger compartment with assistance, even if they are non-revenue) - doors release, doors close, ding ding, read paper, repeat.
 

swt_passenger

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They are very reclusive, like moles in holes they’re good at discreetly hiding. Although the last one I had was talking to a family and helping out with a pushchair while unlocking the doors and was quite personable. A rare breed.
When we discussed this in 2011 or so, we had an LM guard post that using the guards office wasn't agreed by the union because it was unsafe to be amongst the passengers. There wasn’t many in agreement with that...
 

Bletchleyite

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When we discussed this in 2011 or so, we had an LM guard post that using the guards office wasn't agreed by the union because it was unsafe to be amongst the passengers. There wasn’t many in agreement with that...

That's comedic, given that the south WCML tends to be a bastion of civility, with any kind of antisocial behaviour issue beyond casual fare dodging pretty much confined to trains between about 2100 and 0015 on a Saturday evening.
 

swt_passenger

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Here’s the post, from Dec 2011:
“I do think we are getting away from the subject here. Stop the Guard bashing.

The RMT agree the guard needs a place of safety to work from. The area in the train is not. Also with guard operated doors and I think we all agree the DOO is a poor arrangement and we should have a guard on all trains for operations and safety before revenue.

With LM services being commuter trains over 90% of their network the guard needs to be in the back to operate the doors as the is often no room in the train when busy to do this.”

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/class-350-guards.56718/#post-896953
 

43096

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They do seem to have gained a tendency to hide, other than wittering over the top of the autoannouncer with exactly the same information but less clear.
Too many guards are like this. They add zero value, cost lots and frankly are behaving like “turkeys voting for Christmas” as they make a great case for DOO.
 

Bletchleyite

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Too many guards are like this. They add zero value, cost lots and frankly are behaving like “turkeys voting for Christmas” as they make a great case for DOO.

There are plenty of ticket office staff who make a good case for closing those, too. It's all very sad - I'd rather keep them with them all offering excellent, professional and knowledgeable service.
 

Sprinter153

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I can’t say I have the same experience as many here. I’ve found WMT senior conductors, or at least those at Crewe, New Street and Northampton that I would have come across on the Liverpool/Trent Valley routes, tend to be relatively visible and proactive in checking tickets. There are a number of very thorough Crewe guards at the very least.
 

cjmillsnun

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Here’s the post, from Dec 2011:
“I do think we are getting away from the subject here. Stop the Guard bashing.

The RMT agree the guard needs a place of safety to work from. The area in the train is not. Also with guard operated doors and I think we all agree the DOO is a poor arrangement and we should have a guard on all trains for operations and safety before revenue.

With LM services being commuter trains over 90% of their network the guard needs to be in the back to operate the doors as the is often no room in the train when busy to do this.”

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/class-350-guards.56718/#post-896953

still seems odd that they were accepted by RMT south of the river.
 

cjmillsnun

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The culture for revenue guards on SWT/SWR is markedly different from other TOCs - there is a very strong customer service leaning.
A lesson for other TOCs perhaps. I can remember SWT’s absolute legends poster (which was a pop at GTR who were at the time undergoing the pain of the strikes)
 

Bletchleyite

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A lesson for other TOCs perhaps. I can remember SWT’s absolute legends poster (which was a pop at GTR who were at the time undergoing the pain of the strikes)

Possibly so. I'd certainly say they make the best use of guards of any TOC (they call them that too, not any "supersenior conductor" type waffle) and they very much do justify their existence.
 

RealTrains07

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LNR will be removing the guards office (like the 444 and 450s) as part of the gradual refurbishment as slow as that might be

I think the guards reclusive nature is part because they are usually always in the rear cab on the 350s these days
 

Bletchleyite

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LNR will be removing the guards office (like the 444 and 450s) as part of the gradual refurbishment as slow as that might be

I think the guards reclusive nature is part because they are usually always in the rear cab on the 350s these days

Or the cab in coach 8 of a 12-car. But they don't have to be except at certain stations (I think)!
 

LowLevel

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The day goes much faster when you're out and about in the train, believe me!
 
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