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Greater Anglia Good and Bad Discussion
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Wivenswold
Established Member
Looks okay. Not only were the originals in First corporate colours but a new scheme will make it more obvious to users that they are new and not just cleaned.
At least they are doing something.
At least they are doing something.
samuelmorris
Established Member
I'm fine with a new colour scheme being applied, but if they had time to change the seat covers, I suppose that didn't extend to replacing the carpet? Doing one but not the other is primarily why the colours don't match but also negates much of the impression of refresh work having been carried out. The old carpets look almost as tatty as the seats on the 360s, so given that threadbare seats was mainly an appearance issue anyway, this hasn't achieved a whole lot. A cynical mind would suggest that they did exactly as requested and nothing more. What seems more likely is that the budget for doing work like this (both in financial & time concerns for fleet availability ) was too small to allow carpets to be replaced. Just wait for the seat complaints to turn into carpet complaints. It won't be long!
Given the use of the trains, it would seem better to replace the carpet with easier to clean vinyl as per the 321 class trains.
Definitely would be best to vinyl. Not too closely aware of the issues down there but stock availability seems to be a massive problem. I couldn't see the campaigners being happy if they'd taken out of service to replace carpet, lots more work than the seat covers.
Asked many pages ago but have the campaign asked for a regime like SQUIRE for future? It keeps franchisees of ScotRail on their toes.
Asked many pages ago but have the campaign asked for a regime like SQUIRE for future? It keeps franchisees of ScotRail on their toes.
I think vinyl for the floor is the way forward for any suburban commuter trains. It isn't as nice as carpet, but it's easier to keep clean. Can you imagine tube trains with carpets?
One day I'd expect carpet to be used purely on Intercity services, or trains that are trying to offer some form of luxury (e.g. airport trains) although even these will probably end up looking better in the long term by not having carpets.
I'm sure I've been on modern airport trains abroad which have a pretty basic interior layout, and people use them because they've got room for luggage and the train goes fast - and that's all they're worried about.
One day I'd expect carpet to be used purely on Intercity services, or trains that are trying to offer some form of luxury (e.g. airport trains) although even these will probably end up looking better in the long term by not having carpets.
I'm sure I've been on modern airport trains abroad which have a pretty basic interior layout, and people use them because they've got room for luggage and the train goes fast - and that's all they're worried about.
Wivenswold
Established Member
Or have vinyl in doorways and gangways and carpet in footwells?
Shunter_69
Member
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I saw the new 360 seat covers today and the picture on Twitter must be slightly distorted as the actual seat covers are black and grey (they were in the two units I saw (101 & 117) but I did only look in the first and standard class sections behind the cab).
The carpets were still original.
The carpets were still original.
Over the years it seems nobody has ever been able to decide which is best.
Vinyl in vestibules as this is where people step in with wet/salty shoes. Carpet in corridors and by seats.
Or (tough) carpet in vestibules to soak up mess, and easy clean vinyl flooring throughout the corridors and seating.
Or all vinyl or all carpet...
Laminate flooring in 1st Class? :roll:
I think Vinyl would be the best to keep clean, but could prove a slip hazard, so hard wearing carpet would do. Whatever is chosen won't be an issue if the trains are cleaned well, and regularly :roll:
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Wood effect vinyl would work well. It has been done to good effect on buses.
Yeah, I've seen wood effect flooring on buses and it doesn't actually look tacky as I thought it might.
Vinyl flooring doesn't have to be slippery and I assume there's a composition that makes it very grippy, as I've never felt any flooring to be slippery even on a very wet day.
As for first class, surely marble tiles are a must?!
Vinyl flooring doesn't have to be slippery and I assume there's a composition that makes it very grippy, as I've never felt any flooring to be slippery even on a very wet day.
As for first class, surely marble tiles are a must?!
samuelmorris
Established Member
I was thinking 'vinyl floors on longer commuter routes like Clacton? Not sure about that' - but when I think about it, 357s have vinyl floors, and when seated I'd happily go a long way on one of those. I don't think the floor type matters as much to commuters as people might think - carpets just added to the 'premier experience' the 360s delivered over the 321s when first introduced - I don't think extremely lax cleaning & replacement scheduling was considered at the time...
dk1
Veteran Member
Exactly what i thought when passing it at Ipswich Sunday. That really is an awful picture & cannot believe they are using it on the Twitter feed. It's like they want to encourage bad feedback. I can't understand it.
backontrack
Established Member
I may be sampling GA's services for the first time on Saturday. I'll report back to you if I do get to (prodding may be required).
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A certain banned user would, perhaps, be insisting on real wood parquet flooring and solid oak panelling in first class.... or maybe not...
samuelmorris
Established Member
And still it goes on...
The user profile has moved on, perhaps you should too?
I would like to see the inside of 360101 in person based on this thread - I gave them what I thought was strong but fair criticism of the colour scheme on twitter but if it looks better in person then fair enough. Trouble is, as someone who only uses the GEML as far as Shenfield, tracking down a 360 can be easier said than done!
The user profile has moved on, perhaps you should too?
I would like to see the inside of 360101 in person based on this thread - I gave them what I thought was strong but fair criticism of the colour scheme on twitter but if it looks better in person then fair enough. Trouble is, as someone who only uses the GEML as far as Shenfield, tracking down a 360 can be easier said than done!
There was an interesting Tweet fm Greater Anglia last night saying one of the 360's worked services ( 17:38 ) was cancelled due to a train fault, and it could not be run as a short formed 8 car service as according to Siemens it was locked in a 12 car formation.
This seems very odd to me unless the middle 4 car already had a fault on it and could only be used in the middle of 2 working 4 car trains.
Can anyone cast any light on this ?
This seems very odd to me unless the middle 4 car already had a fault on it and could only be used in the middle of 2 working 4 car trains.
Can anyone cast any light on this ?
Could be that the middle unit had a fault one end which meant the cab needs to be boxed in, if one of the end units failed and the resulting new end cab is faulted, and it can't be re-marshalled in time then they would have to run it as a 4 with the remaining good unit, or cancel it altogether.
There was a 360 running round last year that had to be boxed one end all the time due to damaged headlight cluster and window wiper from a fatality.
There was a 360 running round last year that had to be boxed one end all the time due to damaged headlight cluster and window wiper from a fatality.
There were other Tweets last evening about the cancellation of the 17:38 and AGA stated that the train had been vandalised (fire) at Clacton, (I presume on Tuesday night). There was also a suggestion that it was 360101 but that wasn't confirmed. If arson was the cause then the whole 12 car train may have been removed from service for forensic investigation?
Out of interest I've just travelled on 360117 which has the new seat covers. They didn't fill me with the horror that they did with some other reviewers. They are fine, they don't gel especially well with the purple carpet but they aren't too horrible. Ironically they would probably go better with the two tone grey carpets in the vestibules but this might be just too much grey overall though.
In first class they are different, more black and grey, with black leather trim.
I'll try and post some photos I took later.
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Out of interest I've just travelled on 360117 which has the new seat covers. They didn't fill me with the horror that they did with some other reviewers. They are fine, they don't gel especially well with the purple carpet but they aren't too horrible. Ironically they would probably go better with the two tone grey carpets in the vestibules but this might be just too much grey overall though.
In first class they are different, more black and grey, with black leather trim.
I'll try and post some photos I took later.
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Don't know why first photo came out rotated can't seem to fix it?
The 17:38 LST-IPS is cancelled again tonight, same excuse, vandalism but AGA aren't helping themselves by saying that it can't be realeased unless it is a 12 car, some clearer messaging on Twitter might help their case. Unfortunately a number of other cancellations tonight not helping matters either, 16:34 Braintree and 18:25 and 18:55 Southend Vic.
The 17:38 LST-IPS is cancelled again tonight, same excuse, vandalism but AGA aren't helping themselves by saying that it can't be realeased unless it is a 12 car, some clearer messaging on Twitter might help their case. Unfortunately a number of other cancellations tonight not helping matters either, 16:34 Braintree and 18:25 and 18:55 Southend Vic.
adrock1976
Established Member
I have had some views of this thread over the last few weeks or so.
A thought that has come into my mind whenever there are planned line closures for engineering works: With the reduction in services, do any of the spare units that are not used that day are worked on, in addition to the units that would normally be worked on?
This would help make a small dent into tackling the backlog of maintenance and servicing that has accumulated over the years.
A thought that has come into my mind whenever there are planned line closures for engineering works: With the reduction in services, do any of the spare units that are not used that day are worked on, in addition to the units that would normally be worked on?
This would help make a small dent into tackling the backlog of maintenance and servicing that has accumulated over the years.
Wivenswold
Established Member
1740 to Colchester Town is short formed too. No wonder passengers get so angry.
If you go for vinyl flooring, then it is important to make sure the flooring is hard wearing, easy to clean, and of a dark colour. The S Stock, 95ts refurbs and LO 378s use light colours, which means the floor in the seating areas is full of highly visible scuff marks despite not being very old at all, and with a lot of ground in dirt, especially next to any decorative lines that they've added (which I don't see the point of :?).
One such example from the 95ts:
SWT on the other hand with 455, 456 and 458/5 units have gone for dark coloured vinyl in the saloon, and a light colour for the doorway contrast. Personally I reckon carpet is definitely the way to go in doorways, to absorb any water from outside.
I had hoped to see the new seat covers on the 16:52 Clacton service (a 360) today from Stratford but I didn't. As I tend to stand on my journeys between Stratford and Chelmsford (by choice - this may sound odd/strange but I actually find it a fun personal challenge to complete the journey standing without having to hold onto anything, gives a good indication of one's personal route knowledge and even "heavy handed" driving if nothing else) I've not really looked too closely at the 360 seat covers. Most of the time I tend to only notice the darker "edge" areas. This evening I took the opportunity to look more closely and yes, the do look rather thread-bare. It will be interesting to see the new ones for real and see how much they do or don't improve the appearance.
As for flooring materials.... Hmmmm. Vinyl does seem the sensible choice for corridors, but it does somehow make the journey seem more, "cattle truck". I took a train from Brighton to Farringdon last year with vinyl throughout, no information displays and NO driver announcements. It seemed (and smelt) like a rolling public toilet. Not a pleasant experience at all.
I do get the impression that fleet maintenance is, shall we say, lower down on the priority list of AGA than other things. The 16:42 from Stratford cancelled due to a train fault, plus the other formation issues today. The ride into London on the 9:26 class 321 from Chelmsford was, at least in the very front vehicle, "lively". Reminds me of the class 312 slam doors - a dodgy shock or two perhaps?
Having said all that, a lot of this weeks problems were Not.. sorry, Network Rail's issues. It is a sad state of affairs when it take weeks to get a part for a set of points which then (by all reports) fail again within 3-4 days. It does make me wonder how much price is put above delivery times and the need to address the "bottom line" above cultivating the will to maintain the ability to manufacturer essential spares within the UK while senior management of Network Rail fly?
What are other peoples thoughts on this?
As for flooring materials.... Hmmmm. Vinyl does seem the sensible choice for corridors, but it does somehow make the journey seem more, "cattle truck". I took a train from Brighton to Farringdon last year with vinyl throughout, no information displays and NO driver announcements. It seemed (and smelt) like a rolling public toilet. Not a pleasant experience at all.
I do get the impression that fleet maintenance is, shall we say, lower down on the priority list of AGA than other things. The 16:42 from Stratford cancelled due to a train fault, plus the other formation issues today. The ride into London on the 9:26 class 321 from Chelmsford was, at least in the very front vehicle, "lively". Reminds me of the class 312 slam doors - a dodgy shock or two perhaps?
Having said all that, a lot of this weeks problems were Not.. sorry, Network Rail's issues. It is a sad state of affairs when it take weeks to get a part for a set of points which then (by all reports) fail again within 3-4 days. It does make me wonder how much price is put above delivery times and the need to address the "bottom line" above cultivating the will to maintain the ability to manufacturer essential spares within the UK while senior management of Network Rail fly?
What are other peoples thoughts on this?
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CockneySparrow
Member
Sometimes not possible as most line closures are at weekends like a Sunday and you will have to get crown point to work, also the trains will be in the wrong place
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They usually run the train on a certain set of diagrams so it ends up back at the depot naturally than physically driven there
dk1
Veteran Member
You would also have to rely on overtime to cover these additional one-off shifts at these depots. The maintainence staff are on rosters that would need to be officially changed & agreed by both sides before any alterations would be permitted.
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