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Class 345 progress

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samuelmorris

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345038 is now out East as I'm currently sat on it at Liverpool Street. Has that new train smell!
First time into London from my area for a few weeks yesterday, saw several units I hadn't seen before such as 040, 041 and 052 in the sidings yesterday but both my out and return trips were pairs of 315s - different pairs too. Now that I know any ride on a 315 could be my last on that unit, this doesn't normally bother me during winter, but despite the lack of luggage racks, carrying equipment into town is much easier on 345s with the extra space between the longitudinal seats and the back of the adjacent transverse ones. It's a bit of a faff putting heavy stuff on the elevated racks on 315s - trips like this have made me appreciate that the 345 interior layout is actually superior in more ways than at first you might think.

I notice that the version numbering seems to be a little slapdash with Z1.00 and Z0.100 and P_D+11 and PD+12. I am assuming that these are just typing mistakes in the reports.
Probably, the year '20198' is mentioned, so that report clearly wasn't proofread too well. Not sure what to make of that report really, things are happening, but the fact that the software release mandatory for the 9-car units to be anywhere close to fit for use still wasn't done is concerning. I'm not sure I'd be satisfied that progress is being made until that issue is cured, even if the delay component is small, you can get away with that for regional services, but absolutely not for intensive metro services, even the ones that exist outside the COS.
 
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hwl

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Probably, the year '20198' is mentioned, so that report clearly wasn't proofread too well. Not sure what to make of that report really, things are happening, but the fact that the software release mandatory for the 9-car units to be anywhere close to fit for use still wasn't done is concerning. I'm not sure I'd be satisfied that progress is being made until that issue is cured, even if the delay component is small, you can get away with that for regional services, but absolutely not for intensive metro services, even the ones that exist outside the COS.

I suspect there is a noticeable difference between test environment and GWML. e.g. not having all DOO equipment installed at the go/no go point in mid Nov.

What is promising is that suggestion of Jan/Feb start for 9 car given the MTR having enough on their plate with taking over the stoppers tomorrow probably quite sensible overall to go with 7 car even if they were pretty sure of 9 car as there is just so much to get in place overall. Amuch more sensible sign overall.
 

samuelmorris

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I suspect there is a noticeable difference between test environment and GWML. e.g. not having all DOO equipment installed at the go/no go point in mid Nov.

What is promising is that suggestion of Jan/Feb start for 9 car given the MTR having enough on their plate with taking over the stoppers tomorrow probably quite sensible overall to go with 7 car even if they were pretty sure of 9 car as there is just so much to get in place overall. Amuch more sensible sign overall.
Perhaps I'm being a bit cynical but deadlines that are surprisingly short suggest more to me 'ambitious' than 'promising'. The 7-car solution is of course sensible and I'm glad they've taken it, but I'm not convinced from what I've heard so far that 9-car operations will be ready that early. We'll see I suppose.
 

hwl

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Perhaps I'm being a bit cynical but deadlines that are surprisingly short suggest more to me 'ambitious' than 'promising'. The 7-car solution is of course sensible and I'm glad they've taken it, but I'm not convinced from what I've heard so far that 9-car operations will be ready that early. We'll see I suppose.

Realistically there is always a 2month + delay in CR information hence plenty of time for things to advance, e.g. 4 months between the last report and potential 9car running.
 

kevin_roche

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Realistically there is always a 2month + delay in CR information hence plenty of time for things to advance, e.g. 4 months between the last report and potential 9car running.
Hopefully there will be an update with less delay this week when the London Assembly Transport Committee meet tomorrow, though it will be from the Crossrail team so probably should be treated with caution.
 

Peter Mugridge

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Have things gone smoothly with the Paddington - Reading full introduction this morning? One thing I am wondering is if the diagrams interwork with the Hayes shuttles or if those are still two self contained diagrams?
 

cactustwirly

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Have things gone smoothly with the Paddington - Reading full introduction this morning? One thing I am wondering is if the diagrams interwork with the Hayes shuttles or if those are still two self contained diagrams?

Not really, the **** hit the fan because of a track defect at Burnham, with lots of services delayed or cancelled.
 

JonathanH

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Have things gone smoothly with the Paddington - Reading full introduction this morning? One thing I am wondering is if the diagrams interwork with the Hayes shuttles or if those are still two self contained diagrams?

Hayes shuttles are self contained. Reading is something like 5 all-day units with some middle of the day swaps and extras in the peak.
 

pacenotes

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Bit crap that they have 7 carriage trains on tho.

I get an after peak train which was packed this morning, Not sure if it's because of the disruption or just shorter trains with less seats.
 

matt_world2004

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There's a sign at Hayes and Harlington on platform 4 saying "9 car 345 inhibit front doors" the sign is at the wrong end of the platform Inthe direction of travel so I guess it's for when the trains are wrong roaded for any reason.
 

hwl

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Bit crap that they have 7 carriage trains on tho.

I get an after peak train which was packed this morning, Not sure if it's because of the disruption or just shorter trains with less seats.
better than 0!
Should be 2 months-ish before 9car.
 

Chris125

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Visible progress - 345 caught on camera at Heathrow *during service hours*

 

Peter Mugridge

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Looks good at Paddington right now. If anyone is chasing anything 345 064 just left on the 12.43 to Reading and 345 008 is on the xx.47 Hayes shuttles. The 13.13 Reading will be 345 012.
 

Nippy

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Annoyingly on Sunday, a 345 suffered a partial headlight failure at Reading. Apparently because of the lack of yellow front it meant it had to go at 20 mph back to OOC. Left Reading at 19:00, back on OOC at 21:45 after being regulated along the route.... Let's hope this doesn't happen too often.......
 

kevin_roche

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Visible progress - 345 caught on camera at Heathrow *during service hours*
Wow, I wonder does this mean they managed to get GW-ATP and ETCS to cohabit peacefully?

In the most recent reports they say that the problems with ETCS at Heathrow were solved.

I was told by one of the people implementing it that interference between GW-ATP and ETCS was not the issue.
I suspect that the failure of GSM-R at terminal 4 was more likely the issue. That was noted as fixed in the same report.
 

pacenotes

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Noticed today that the doors are fogging up. I've not seen it before but found it weird just the windows on the doors were fogged up?

Maybe someone has seen that on the east side running?
 

reddragon

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My sons regular 8-car 387 is now a 7-car 345 and he says that it was leaving people behind due to over-crowding whereas it didn't before.
 

matt_world2004

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My sons regular 8-car 387 is now a 7-car 345 and he says that it was leaving people behind due to over-crowding whereas it didn't before.
I think a 7 car class 345 has a higher capacity than an 8 car 387 but a lower setting amount a 7 car 345 will hold 1067 passengers or there abouts , I can't find the 387 capacity but my understanding is the carriage is smaller and there are more seats (thus reducing capacity)

448 seats on a 8 car 387 but considerably less standing capacity
 

Beemax

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I can foresee several complaints on the replacement of 387s with 345s , even when they are extended to 9 cars. The 345s may be good metro trains but they’re still metro trains, with high standing ratios, nowhere to store bags or umbrellas, no toilets and large door apertures - which may not be such an issue on the underground sections, but you would certainly feel it in a windy December day at Taplow.

My OH regularly travels from Reading to Ealing Broadway. She will now be taking the GWR into Paddington and travelling back to Ealing, which is about the same time-wise but more expensive. (There are no GWRs stopping at Ealing during rush hours, despite what has been said elsewhere on this forum)

Estate agents in Reading are always citing the ‘Crossrail ‘connection as a positive selling point, but I don’t think it will offer any advantages to Reading residents, even when it is fully operational.
 

transmanche

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My sons regular 8-car 387 is now a 7-car 345 and he says that it was leaving people behind due to over-crowding whereas it didn't before.

448 seats on a 8 car 387 but considerably less standing capacity
Indeed. A 7-car 345 has 350 seats and (according to Railway Magazine) enough standing room for a total capacity of "around 1200 passengers". (A 9-car 345 has 454 seats and room for 1046 standing, giving a total capacity of 1500 passengers.)
 

reddragon

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Indeed. A 7-car 345 has 350 seats and (according to Railway Magazine) enough standing room for a total capacity of "around 1200 passengers". (A 9-car 345 has 454 seats and room for 1046 standing, giving a total capacity of 1500 passengers.)
Unfortunately, passengers only see that the train is more crowded, not seating / standee figures!
 

matt_world2004

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Unfortunately, passengers only see that the train is more crowded, not seating / standee figures!
The crowding may have been due to the signal failure of there was left behinds on an 7 car 345 there would be more left behinds on an 8 car 387
 

transmanche

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Unfortunately, passengers only see that the train is more crowded, not seating / standee figures!
But not overcrowded to the extent that passengers cannot board and are left behind. (Unless you have more information to add to your earlier post?)
 

theking

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No way will a 387 have more capacity than a 345 even with an extra carriage. It's only circa 5 metres short of an 8 car 387 anyway plus no toilets longitudinal in both cab cars.

On the east it swallows the crowds I doubt the west is busier.
 

reddragon

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No way will a 387 have more capacity than a 345 even with an extra carriage. It's only circa 5 metres short of an 8 car 387 anyway plus no toilets longitudinal in both cab cars.

On the east it swallows the crowds I doubt the west is busier.

Maybe it is a result of timetable changes or passengers not being used to the trains, but after Maidenhead, passengers were being left behind!
 
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