3141
Established Member
Where, please? I did not spot them.
Up above the seats. But now I'm wondering whether you were referring to areas where luggage can be stacked. I didn't see those.
Where, please? I did not spot them.
The rules for "commuter services" (which is what GA call the West Anglia route) only say "reservations not available" and have a blank in the "number of cycles allowed". The 4 bikes per unit limit is on "regional services" only (now 6 on new trains) and that is enforced. I've seen people with bikes ordered out of the wheelchair bays by GA staff into the vestibules although you often don't see any staff on those trains.Erm, no, the official limit on the current electric units is four per unit, not per carriage, and you're supposed to use the wheelchair area for them.
Now, I've taken my bike many times on GA services with way more than 4 bikes and almost always used the vestibules, as that's common practice and tolerated. But the rules are four per unit. Which would be equivalent to 6 spaces on 720/5 or 12 spaces on a 720/1
In theory yes they could complain to DfT, but rumour at time was that Abellio 'won' by £600m, so other bidders probably relieved they kept well out of it. Would be difficult to argue "if we knew you wouldnt enforce Abellio's contract we would have agreed the terms they offered" as on any basis it seems Abellio grossly overbid, so hard to see what losses the losers could claim they suffered.
Regarding this point, 317501 and 506 have gone to Kilmarnock and come back but so far as I know they haven't carried any passengers yet. I think 317502 is up there now.Yes but they are in breach of various other commitments, see below an old post of mine, from this thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/franchise-obligations-not-delivered.182424/
No one really knows what goes on behind the scenes. Legally DfT appear to have a strong breach of contract case, but one suspects they dont pursue them (a) because they dont have the energy/expertise to do so and (b) because it would be embarassing to draw attention to the failure to deliver on all the things they annoucned when they awared the franchise and (c) because if the did sue Abellio or other franchisees it would just mean they wont bid in future franchise competitions, see eg Stagecoach, National Express
A selection of GA Franchise Commitments:
- By 31 Oct 18 - 27 x 317 to be fitted with ASDO and 96 platforms to have ASDO beacons. Seems to have been abandoned
- No date specified, but must mean by 31 Dec 19 latest - 27 x 317 to have PRM mods. Only one sent away so far so no prospect of 27 being done by deadline
Yes but they are in breach of various other commitments, see below an old post of mine, from this thread https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/franchise-obligations-not-delivered.182424/
No one really knows what goes on behind the scenes. Legally DfT appear to have a strong breach of contract case, but one suspects they dont pursue them (a) because they dont have the energy/expertise to do so and (b) because it would be embarassing to draw attention to the failure to deliver on all the things they annoucned when they awared the franchise and (c) because if the did sue Abellio or other franchisees it would just mean they wont bid in future franchise competitions, see eg Stagecoach, National Express
A selection of GA Franchise Commitments:
And then there is the 720 mess, which gets worse by the day.
- By 31 Oct 18 - 27 x 317 to be fitted with ASDO and 96 platforms to have ASDO beacons. Seems to have been abandoned
- No date specified, but must mean by 31 Dec 19 latest - 27 x 317 to have PRM mods. Only one sent away so far so no prospect of 27 being done by deadline
- "The Franchisee shall implement the Approved Detailed Design for each of the Redevelopment Stations in order that the redevelopment work is completed in accordance with the Approved Detailed Design by no later than: (a) 31 December 2019 in the case of Broxbourne Station, Cheshunt Station, Harlow Town Station and Southend Victoria Station; (b) 31 December 2020 in the case of Cambridge Station". Is this happening? Dont see any evidence of it on the ground
- "By no later than the next Fares Setting Round occurring after 1 May 2018, the Franchisee shall make available to passengers for the remainder of the Franchise Period Anytime Flex Carnet and the -Off Peak Flex Carnet". Never happened
- "By no later than 30 April 2019, the Franchisee shall launch a six (6) month pilot utilising near field communication". What are the chances??
- "By no later than 30 January 2019, the Franchisee shall use its best endeavours to implement cloud based post-pay ticketing on Passenger Services between London Stations and Southend, Norwich or Cambridge ". Nope
- TSR2 May 19 - extra TPH off peak to Hert East and Southend Vic, extra TPH Liv St to Norwich (extension of Ipswich semi fast), Norwich Camb extended to Stansted Airport all day. Nope, Nope, Nope and Nope
- "infrastructure works at each of Hertford East, Wickford, Manningtree, Kings Lynn, Elsenham, Ware, St Margarets and Enfield Lock Stations as are necessary to enable any Passenger Services comprised of 10 rolling stock vehicles to call at such Stations by no later than 1 September 2018". Nope - NR have this down as a 2021 event. No info on what stock is expected to run to Hert East until then
- STAR, originally due Dec 18, deferred by NR to May 19, now extra services not expected until Sept 19 earliest
- By 31 Dec 2018 ontrain wifi on entire existing fleet. Nope
- TSR3 May 20 - extra 1144 services a week. No chance. I would be surprised if it was half that number.
Guess they are sitting in Ilford somewhereRegarding this point, 317501 and 506 have gone to Kilmarnock and come back but so far as I know they haven't carried any passengers yet. I think 317502 is up there now.
The proposed development would result in substantial harm to the character, special interest and significance of the remaining listed building at Hertford East Railway Station and Hertford Conservation Area. The public benefits would not outweigh the harm to the heritage asset. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies HA4 and HA7 of the East Herts District Plan 2018 and Section 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
OiOf course if this was local Essex businessmen (yeah Surrey bias ) there would be an unfortunate welding accident leading to an unfortunate fire.....
They can have 5 cars until the council changes its mind!
That's only really a public admission of what was common knowledge already. As far as I can tell, no real progress has been made on the 720s for some time. When things start moving again we'll have a better idea when they'll enter service away, but as of know, they've been 6 months away for about the last 6 months. Unless a breakthrough is made imminently (which with christmas approaching seems unlikely), I think Summer 2020 will be more likely. I still think several will be in service before 2021, but certainly not that many, perhaps only sufficiently many to displace the 360s and some of the worst 317s.As if the problems with the Stadlers weren’t bad enough, it was mentioned on BBC Look East tonight the introduction of the Bombardiers has been further delayed to Spring 2020. Presumably this is when they expect to start being delivered to GA for testing?
Will any 720s be in service before 2021? The 745s commenced delivery many months ago and none are in service yet.
Can someone remind me when (or where to find when) the 360/1s go off-lease? It was already tight to my recollection but I don't recall how tight. It's very possible that the 360s may go off-lease before any 720s replace them. Fortunately for GA with 4-car unit fleets, they can just accommodate for this by running all the 12-car peak services as 8s, and I don't think they necessarily pick up much of a penalty for that do they?Looks like the middle of next year is likely to see plenty of fun and games with the EMU fleet then.
Looks quite likely the 360s may be returning off lease before there is anything to replace them and even when the Aventras do come in they are going to be plagued by the usual start of bathtub curve issues.
If I was GA I would be trying to get the 379 lease extended even further than it already has been as a contingency with this in mind before someone else snaps them up, you'd hope that they would have learnt their lesson from the DMU fleet disaster and if they haven't then serious questions need to be asked.
2020 doesn't look encouraging at all.
360's go off lease in August 2020Can someone remind me when (or where to find when) the 360/1s go off-lease? It was already tight to my recollection but I don't recall how tight. It's very possible that the 360s may go off-lease before any 720s replace them. Fortunately for GA with 4-car unit fleets, they can just accommodate for this by running all the 12-car peak services as 8s, and I don't think they necessarily pick up much of a penalty for that do they?
Can someone remind me when (or where to find when) the 360/1s go off-lease? It was already tight to my recollection but I don't recall how tight. It's very possible that the 360s may go off-lease before any 720s replace them.
Fortunately for GA with 4-car unit fleets, they can just accommodate for this by running all the 12-car peak services as 8s, and I don't think they necessarily pick up much of a penalty for that do they?
Still possible then but increasingly unlikely.360s are all due off least on 30th August 2020 according to Angel Trains themselves.
There are 3 class 321/9s and 5 class 322s but GA has 21 class 360s. Not many gaps would be covered. Keeping 379s seems a more likely tactic but it all depends on getting the Stansted Flirts in service soon enough. Do we know when 379s are leased until and if Macquarie has anyone else wanting them yet?Might be able to get the Class 321/9s and Class 322s to cover some of the gaps - some are already in storage if not off lease as I recall.
379 lease has been extended.There are 3 class 321/9s and 5 class 322s but GA has 21 class 360s. Not many gaps would be covered. Keeping 379s seems a more likely tactic but it all depends on getting the Stansted Flirts in service soon enough. Do we know when 379s are leased until and if Macquarie has anyone else wanting them yet?
379s could well be going to GN to allow 387s to return south of the river as 700 availability is not as good as expected. Watch this space.There are 3 class 321/9s and 5 class 322s but GA has 21 class 360s. Not many gaps would be covered. Keeping 379s seems a more likely tactic but it all depends on getting the Stansted Flirts in service soon enough. Do we know when 379s are leased until and if Macquarie has anyone else wanting them yet?