Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
TBH I always thought they would be good units (really should be for that money), it's the Incredibly Expensive Procurement that has been the issue.
Having now taken one for a spin I'd agree with this. I think the units themselves are going to be excellent (and I look forward to seeing what TPE and HT do with theirs interior wise as they aren't shackled by the DfT in quite the same way) for many years to come and will be very popular.TBH I always thought they would be good units (really should be for that money), it's the Incredibly Expensive Procurement that has been the issue.
The main issue, by far, becomes the fact that the method of procurement chosen by the DfT has rendered the IEP units hideously expensive. I believe that those that have been procured by TOCs directly aren't all that much more expensive than a traditional unit?
I understood the overheight seats installed in GW HSTs, beyond requirements, like the safety notices all around, and the multiple safety announcements, were a particular personal thing of Moir Lockhead about safety, and now he has retired this is no longer an issue.
However, given that the GW had three major fatal HST accidents in recent times (Southall, Ladbroke Grove, Upton Nervet), they did have a particularly unlucky patch, which hopefully is not to be repeated.
That's undoubtedly helped by the R&D all being amortized across the DfT order, as far as I'm aware. Hitachi bid what they did on the assumption they wouldn't get further orders, as I understand it.The main issue, by far, becomes the fact that the method of procurement chosen by the DfT has rendered the IEP units hideously expensive. I believe that those that have been procured by TOCs directly aren't all that much more expensive than a traditional unit?
Was the "R&D" just fundamentally a case of taking the 395 design and sticking diesels under some of the floors. Same maximum speeds, same bodyshells, etc.That's undoubtedly helped by the R&D all being amortized across the DfT order.
Class 800s now being discussed on Jeremy Vine Show, Radio Two!
More hard seats??? When is someone gonna take a stand on this?
If you stand on them you will break them!
Are these the units assembled in Japan or have any come from Newton Aycliffe? Not that it makes much difference but that's just a poor job of assembly & testing.
If you stand on them you will break them!
Erm.. not sure that's meant to happen! First day in use yesterday and the first seat I sit on isn't even attached to the base and falls onto the floor!
.View attachment 35836
It did, there is a video on youtube and the guy has put commentary about what happened and why the train had to stop. Apart from the aircon issue most of it seems to be simple mistakes caused by train crews, which is to be expected when most have been driving 40 year old HSTs with completely different style/layout of controls.The 0600 from Bristol didn’t stop to put the pan up. The pan didn’t go up and it wasn’t due to any driver error either. It was one of the many reasons those two sets got pulled on arrival but that was the one fault that could have been lived with as there was enough diesel in the sets to complete the diagram.
The failure to switch from diesel to electric yesterday morning was nothing to do with an error by the train crew. Nor did the train stop to put the pan up, it stopped because the pan didn't go up on the move.It did, there is a video on youtube and the guy has put commentary about what happened and why the train had to stop. Apart from the aircon issue most of it seems to be simple mistakes caused by train crews, which is to be expected when most have been driving 40 year old HSTs with completely different style/layout of controls.
The failure to switch from diesel to electric yesterday morning was nothing to do with an error by the train crew. Nor did the train stop to put the pan up, it stopped because the pan didn't go up on the move.
Without wanting to say too much, let's just say it was a quick fix.Interesting that the sets in use today appear to be the same ones as on Day 1.
So the faults don't seem to have required much effort to resolve, and that Hitachi have full confidence in the sets.
Unfortunately nowadays technology goes up and quality goes down. All new trains are like this to varying degrees, but I doubt the seats are as bad as the ones on the class 700, though some people like them.More hard seats??? When is someone gonna take a stand on this? When is a customer group gonna study and review this? We need independent research to make sure train seats are comfortable for all shapes and sizes for a variety of distances....
That's possibly part of the reason. More completely the reason the 'Train Service' payments are high for the trains to be operated under the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) compared to leasing charges paid by a TOC to a ROSCO for an equivalently complex train, such as the Class 390, are, in no particular order, due to:That's undoubtedly helped by the R&D all being amortized across the DfT order, as far as I'm aware. Hitachi bid what they did on the assumption they wouldn't get further orders, as I understand it.
Currently on 1L76 from Cardiff, with 800006+800005. Remarkably impressed with the acceleration.
Seems that 1B40 is also a pair of 800s! Didn't know this!
Currently on 1L76 from Cardiff, with 800006+800005. Remarkably impressed with the acceleration.
Seems that 1B40 is also a pair of 800s! Didn't know this!
I might be joining at Reading for the final leg
How busy is the train?