D365
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Now that would be something I’d pay to see!
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Class 387 to GN
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Now that would be something I’d pay to see!
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No the driver/platform staff didn't forget, since the timetable change they are kept shut. As expected this hasn't gone down well with passengers but it's the current situation - not sure how long this will last or if it will be permanent though.
I struggle to see how this is in any way acceptable. Especially if they don't bother to annouce it until it's too late for pax to get off and move into the front unit.
I hope this person claims Delay Repay and it gets paid out.
How long will this be for? Presumably there's an aspiration to check over the coupling and be assured they can open the gangway doors again.
I know safety is key, but if 387s are considered unsafe for allowing passengers to walk through, who gets the blame? Bombardier? The ROSCO?
I know safety is key, but if 387s are considered unsafe for allowing passengers to walk through, who gets the blame? Bombardier? The ROSCO?
I'd heard that it was semi-permanent, which if true is bizarre?
They might as well get
What a farce. They might as well use 365s for the additional comfort and use unit deselect the rear unit at the stations requiring SDO. Seems as though unit deselect is effectively what’s in place.
What a farce. They might as well use 365s for the additional comfort and use unit deselect the rear unit at the stations requiring SDO. Seems as though unit deselect is effectively what’s in place.
That'll be an issue when the peak King's Lynn call at Ashwell & Morden from May 2018. Unit deselect won't work at all for this first/last station before London, with passengers 'trapped' on the wrong unit.
I'm still at a loss with this thread as to why bringing back 365s in place of 387s/700s is percieved as some sort of silver bullet...
But haven’t we effectively got unit deselect with the 387s given that you can’t walk through from one unit to another.
Unit deselect involves an entire unit's doors not opening at a station. So long as even a singular carriage's doors in the rear unit can open at a station, then they are providing a considerable capacity uplift. As far as I'm aware, 365s don't have unit deselect - they can be locked out by use of a driver's key but they can't then carry passengers, unless I've incorrectly remembered the facts.
bramling
Veteran Member
The real silver bullet is that the handful of platforms involved should simply be extended.
Likewise the stations between Stevenage and Potters Bar, I think of those the only one that’s a big problem is Welwyn GC.
This is where we come back to the issue that there are more 700/0s than /1s.
The twitter post linked to above says you had to be in the front 3 coaches to alight at certain stations. If this is correct then if you’re in coach 4 then you can walk through but if you’re in coaches 5-8 then you can’t get off as you can’t walk through from the rear unit to the front.
bramling
Veteran Member
It was the 317s which had until unit deselect. To my knowledge 365s have never used any form of SDO whilst on GN.
Fair enough, hadn't seen that. That's pretty shameful then, although I would hope that even so there would still be announcements on the platform to the effect of "Passengers for x must travel in the front 3 coaches of the train" - perhaps there needs to be some modifications to the TMS software to announce short platforms at the last place where people can change units then, or GN drop their aversion to having the interconnecting doors closed - after all, the Southern and GatEx divisions of the company seem to be fine with near identical units.
A total farce, but hardly surprising for GTR.
If theirs is consistent with the SE Networkers, then it is possible to open all doors except the frontmost/rearmost only.
I agree with this, the walkthrough is there for a reason,to allow flexiblity @ short stations &sdo.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
They were blocking walkthrough on the 379s by means of locking the gangways between units at least two years ago, so it's not something they have just suddenly started doing.
D365
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Do Greater Anglia (or London Overground) still operate the Class 317 gangways, or are those generally locked out? Tightlock couplings were never known for being the most dependable.
Do any 379s divide en-route? If yes, is it frequent?
Kings Lynn services divide at Cambridge, rear 8 terminate and front 4 go on.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
It was Stansted Express services on which I found the walk through locked... Those don't divide.
AS43
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This wouldn't ordinarily happen, so possibly the doors were locked out due to a fault, or the units were connected in haste. Aside from the aforementioned Cambridge splitters, multiple 379s operate with the connecting doors correctly in use.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
Ummm... it was multiple trips where I found I couldn't walk though. Haven't been for a while though as I got all the haulages back then...
On GA, The Stansteds are usually kept walk through. The King's Lynn portions are always kept shut.
Absolutely. Peak time trains from Cambridge to Kings Lynn have been packed to the rafters for years and platform extensions should have been done by now. IMO this relatively simple job should have been prioritised over the Cambridge North station.
I believe now that platform extensions will go ahead at Waterbeach next year to allow eight-car trains. Can anyone confirm this?
I think there may be an option to use SDO at Littleport and Watlington?
Failed Unit
Established Member
Ironically one of the advantages GTR gave us for the downgrade to the 387s was the corridor connection, and people us it when trains are splitting. I have see people walk through to get to the correct unit on the 1852 London KX departure between hatfield and WGC,
Typical GTR, but I guess they are trying to downgrade the good features of the 387s to get us ready for the 700s, when we will be happy we can walk through the entire train again. Something BR managed in the 1980s (can't recall many protesting when the 365s were introduced). But this isn't new to great northern. Hadn't the 317s had thier corridor connections welded shut?
Typical GTR, but I guess they are trying to downgrade the good features of the 387s to get us ready for the 700s, when we will be happy we can walk through the entire train again. Something BR managed in the 1980s (can't recall many protesting when the 365s were introduced). But this isn't new to great northern. Hadn't the 317s had thier corridor connections welded shut?
SDO at Littleport on the Up involves sitting over the barrow crossing, which is the only access on/off the Up platform.
The "simple job" also requires power supply upgrade, which is less simple.
bramling
Veteran Member
The Fen Line has its own issues, however south of Cambridge it's certainly not power which is the issue.
Personally I'm not really so fussed about gangway connections. Whilst it's a "nice to have", it never really caused massive issues on the 365s. Now we have the prospect of SDO naturally this adds a complication, but it's really not the end of the world.
South of Cambridge, IIRC, platform wise we're looking at:
1) Potters Bar - 8 to 12 - difficult, but there is room at the country end.
2) Hatfield - 8 to 12 - looks fairly easy, especially the up platform.
3) Welwyn GC - 8 to 12 - very difficult, and looks likely to require a complete remodelling of the area.
4) Welwyn North - 8 to 12 - looks fairly easy at first glance?
5) Knebworth - 8 to 12 - hard to say but looks like there should be space to at least extend the slow platforms.
6) Baldock - 8 to 12 - looks fairly easy.
7) Ashwell - 8 to 12 - looks fairly easy
8) Meldreth - 4 to 12 - looks fairly easy?
9) Shepreth - 4 to 12 - looks fairly easy?
10) Foxton - 4 to 12 - looks fairly easy?
Perhaps others could comment further, as the above is based on observations only.
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