GA 315 EMUs to be fitted with PIS

[slick]

As the title says! This comes under the programme that relates to passengers with reduced mobility which has already begun with the 315s receiving wheel chair space on the refreshed GA liveried units. As to when the system will be fully operational across the whole fleet is anyone's guess, although the announcement talks about the system being in an "operational state" in 2013. The pictures look promising, although the manufacturers have chosen to mount one double sided scrolling scrolling dot matrix display in the centre of each coach as a pose to two per coach like on 317s. Units will also be fitted with Call for Aid units in the wheelchair area.

What are your thoughts? Welcome addition? Or just another add on to a life expired unit? I wonder whos voice shall be used? With this addition it seems the 315s will still be around for some time to come! I for one welcome it, a decent PIS system would be excellent, hope they will be much better than the 317s, as pointed out in a previous post, the current GA 317 system leaves alot to be desired! No more smacking my hand on roller blind destination indicators!

 

[Aictos]

This is a good thing, hopefully First might follow suit - the trains need a PIS system especially in this day and age.

 

[jon0844]

I hope that FCC will look at this and see that there's now a workable option for the 313s. One (well two) screens per carriage isn't great, but it's better than nothing and the automated announcements would be a godsend for those stations where it's near impossible to see where you are!

 

[jopsuk]

You say there are pictures- are these publicly and freely available?

 

[317666]

As long as it a) isn't the same system as the 317s which is hopelessly unreliable and b) isn't one of those annoying ones which says all the calling points after every stop, then it should be alright!

 

[fgwrich]

As you say that it's a Single double sided system, it sounds like (and i would hope it is!) the same type as the Desiros & SWTs 159s then.

 

[Chris125]

I hope that FCC will look at this and see that there's now a workable option for the 313s. One (well two) screens per carriage isn't great, but it's better than nothing and the automated announcements would be a godsend for those stations where it's near impossible to see where you are!

Haven't the Southern 313's had them fitted for a while now? I expect the issue with FCC is not technical but financial.

Chris

 

[slick]

You say there are pictures- are these publicly and freely available?

Not at the moment, there are leaflets across GA depots with pictures of the modfications. Judging from outside the window in the picture, the train in question is in ilford shop and its definatley one of the modified units by the window paines. 804,806 and 809 have already been in and out so I would hazard a guess its 812. Unless one of the previous is back in. Maybe someone else could shed more light.

 

[jon0844]

Haven't the Southern 313's had them fitted for a while now? I expect the issue with FCC is not technical but financial.

Yes, but FCC could presumably approach the company doing the work (or more likely, the company doing the work approaches FCC if they've got any sense!) and get it done cheaper as a 'run on' job - even if it's another TOC.

But FCC presumably has no obligation to do this, so it will fall under the next franchise - whenever that might be.

 

[anthony263]

Well I suppose it is a good thing that the class 315's are having the work done on them now since they can then be deployed on the Cardiff Valley Lines once they have been displaced from the Greater Anglia area.

Of course this would depend if the WG decide to take up the option of using the class 315's rather than ordering new emu's.

 

[jopsuk]

Why are people so keen to inflict trains that will be nearly forty years old on the Valleys?

 

[DXMachina]

ON this board no train is ever allowed to be scrapped unless it's a pacer or a voyager. Be glad you aren't getting 52 year old A-Stock as some would apparently prefer others to have.....

 

[ainsworth74]

Why are people so keen to inflict trains that will be nearly forty years old on the Valleys?

Because they're far superior to what's there now? And I don't think anyone is proposing they spend the next ten years on those lines. More that they'd see out a last few years of service there until new units are sourced. Much like what happened over in West Yorkshire where elderly units were used at first before new trains were procured. Also by my reckoning they won't be that much older than the 308s were when they first appeared on WY routes.

ON this board no train is ever allowed to be scrapped unless it's a pacer or a voyager. Be glad you aren't getting 52 year old A-Stock as some would apparently prefer others to have.....

I must be some sort of radical then what with me being quite happy to see a lot of our 70s/80s era rolling stock being sent to the scrap heap soon and with no problem keeping Voyagers for another 20/30 years

 

[RobShipway]

Because they're far superior to what's there now? And I don't think anyone is proposing they spend the next ten years on those lines. More that they'd see out a last few years of service there until new units are sourced. Much like what happened over in West Yorkshire where elderly units were used at first before new trains were procured. Also by my reckoning they won't be that much older than the 308s were when they first appeared on WY routes.



I must be some sort of radical then what with me being quite happy to see a lot of our 70s/80s era rolling stock being sent to the scrap heap soon and with no problem keeping Voyagers for another 20/30 years

I must be a radical as well, as I quite like the Voyagers, Meridians and the Adelantes which quite a few people in this forum seem to hate.

 

[EM2]

Any chance they could get a full refurb at the same time? They do look very tired.

 

[anthony263]

Why are people so keen to inflict trains that will be nearly forty years old on the Valleys?

Easy even the class 315's are better than the pacers that currently operate the Valley lines routes.

Of course it also means the Cardiff Valley lines network can be wired more cheaply as the WG will have emu's ready to use rather than purchasing new emu's. Basically then the WG can order brand new emu's say around 2030 like what happened in yorkshire before the classs 333's arrived.

 

[barrykas]

Well I suppose it is a good thing that the class 315's are having the work done on them now since they can then be deployed on the Cardiff Valley Lines once they have been displaced from the Greater Anglia area.

And how are they going to run the West Anglia Inner Suburban services (Liverpool Street - Chingford/Enfield Town/Cheshunt/Hertford East) if they send the stock off to Cardiff?

 

[jopsuk]

How many units are required to run the Shenfield Metro, and how many the West Anglia metro services (including those to Hertford/Chingford that currently use 317s)?

 

[slick]

There are 39 315 unit diagrams on the GE side, and 16 on the WA. Nearly all Hertord east services are 317s. Off peak enfiled/cheshunt are solely 315s and chingfords are distrubuted evenly. To ease turnaround times london bound hertfords become chingfords. So usually your xx:18 xx:48 will be a 317 and the xx:03 xx:33 will be a 315 from enfield with the standard 9mins turn around in london. Many 317s are used in the morning peak on all inner suburabn routes. Then after many are stabled at chingford during the day. Then deployed onto the enfield, cheshunt, chingford lines later in the evening peak once more. Then lots of uncoupling to allow other 317 units to be released to ilford emud.

 

[jopsuk]

Interesting. 315s also operate to Bishops Stortford on the Stratford-Stortford service don't they? I've certainly seen them in the sidings there.
Perhaps a simpler question- how many units (if it was all to be one class) would be required to run all the current Enfield/Cheshunt/Hertford/Chingford/Stortford services as 8-carriage services (using 4-car units) at peak times?

 

[O L Leigh]

Interesting. 315s also operate to Bishops Stortford on the Stratford-Stortford service don't they? I've certainly seen them in the sidings there.

Only in times of dire need. There is an 8 car diagrammed to be stabled there overnight, however. It works down as the 2345 from Liv St via Seven Sisters (effectively a Cheshunt service extended to Bishops Stortford) and goes up empty to Broxbourne again in the morning to form a Hertford East service.

O L Leigh

 

[D365]

Most will be replaced on Shenfield Metro by the Crossrail 345 (12tph), but of course, that leaves Romford-Upminister and WA suburban... Perhaps some of the 12 317/1s currently on GN could be refurbed and revived with the 8/9 317/7s to allow the complete 315 fleet to move elsewhere.

 

[anthony263]

ATW I believe have 30 pacers however how many of them are used each day on the Valley lines network alone most of the time running in pairs.

In my opinion I think ATW would only need up to 20 class 315's with some class 313's working the Coryton - Radyr cityline service.

That said we will also have to see what happens with the Swansea - Cardiff swanline service as well as the services to Maesteg and Ebbw Vale. If the proposed Swansea - Bath service does happen maybe something like the class 319's would be better

 

[slick]

Here are some pics I took having driven the unit a few days ago..excuse the typical west anglia McDonalds rubbish :roll: As you can see they have also replaced the bars along the luggage racks and also the door handles which are now also red.

 

[GospelOak117]

I hope they are not as loud as the ones on the 317's!

I had a 317/8 the other day and it was so loud I came off the train with a headache, it didn't help that it was broken and sounded like 'TH........AIN IS FOR.................RPOOL STREE.........XT STATION...............THAMSTOW CENTRAL' every time it spoke lol

 

[jon0844]

Often these faults, like distortion, are isolated to a single carriage - so not a sign that a driver has thrown the volume up to 12.

 

[GospelOak117]

Ah thanks for that. I will meander through to a quieter part of the train next time then :P

 

[prod_pep]

A good addition to the 315 fleet I think. Pity they didn't reupholster the seats while they were at it into some form of Greater Anglia corporate moquette.

I don't suppose anyone has a photo of the disabled area and tip-up seats I understand a few repainted 315s (presumably 806 and 812) have been fitted with?

 

[christopher]

Nice to see the 315's get some TLC

However, I wish GA would get rid of any signs of pink! :-x

 

[GospelOak117]

However, I wish GA would get rid of any signs of pink! :-x

The only way I can not want to puke at that pink is imagine that it is just sun-faded orange, like you used to get on the vestibules of the 411's in their last days.

It is Hideous! What were they thinking? Light blue would have suited them a lot better!