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Keolis Amey Wales - Future Rolling Stock

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anamyd

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Wrong Ruth!

Welcome aboard. We will be calling AT the following principal stations. *stn A*, *stn B*, *stn C*, *stn D*, *stn E*, *stn F*, aaaaaand... *stn G* thank you.
 
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Bletchleyite

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I do like the jingle, though (though it'd be even better if it was the first few notes of the Welsh national anthem). I love the way SNCF and SBB have a "signature" jingle, like some airports do[1], and it'd be a nice touch if TOCs did too more widely.

[1] Most notable would be "how much is that doggy in the window" at Geneva, sadly now replaced :) Also the Nederlandse Spoorwegen jingle which curiously is used on the Class 700s!
 

samuelmorris

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I do like the jingle, though (though it'd be even better if it was the first few notes of the Welsh national anthem). I love the way SNCF and SBB have a "signature" jingle, like some airports do[1], and it'd be a nice touch if TOCs did too more widely.

[1] Most notable would be "how much is that doggy in the window" at Geneva, sadly now replaced :) Also the Nederlandse Spoorwegen jingle which curiously is used on the Class 700s!
Any jingle to denote that a message is forthcoming. The simple two-tone used on Electrostars would suffice. When there is no preceding sound, if the driver/guard speaking has a quiet mic, you often would never know something's being announced over the background conversation of other passengers. Of course, there are some cases where you'd never be able to hear the announcement regardless (e.g. any Mk3 EMU or the 92 tube stock) but at least some warning we're about to be spoken to would be nice. I can excuse this not being present on old units retrofitted with PIS, but on new units it's a little disappointing, especially when predecessors from the same company featured it (e.g. Electrostars vs. Aventras). I'm no fan of excessive noise and the PRM regulations for door opening chimes are excruciating but something simple and short to alert you to the fact a message is now being played is helpful for blind and able-sighted users alike.

As much as the rest of that system is maligned, the way 700s deal with this is quite good - the jingle only precedes PA notices, not general announcement spam. Were it up to me to design such a system I would probably use a singular tone (like that used on Mk4s) to precede an automated message and a longer sound (e.g. that used on 700s) to precede PA announements.
 

craigybagel

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I do like the jingle, though (though it'd be even better if it was the first few notes of the Welsh national anthem). I love the way SNCF and SBB have a "signature" jingle, like some airports do[1], and it'd be a nice touch if TOCs did too more widely.

[1] Most notable would be "how much is that doggy in the window" at Geneva, sadly now replaced :) Also the Nederlandse Spoorwegen jingle which curiously is used on the Class 700s!

The Jingle has been removed from 158s and replaced with a simple bing bong, so it would surprise me if the 150s will have it.
 

AlexNL

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[1] Most notable would be "how much is that doggy in the window" at Geneva, sadly now replaced :) Also the Nederlandse Spoorwegen jingle which curiously is used on the Class 700s!
NS stopped using the jingle on their Sprinter rolling stock, auto announcements now no longer have a jingle in front of them (although the "Dear passengers" drivel could be seen as one). On the FLIRT trains, manual announcements are preceded by a jingle which sounds like what can be best described as a doorbell.
 

Parallel

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Wrong Ruth!

Welcome aboard. We will be calling AT the following principal stations. *stn A*, *stn B*, *stn C*, *stn D*, *stn E*, *stn F*, aaaaaand... *stn G* thank you.

I've attached some recordings of the announcements on the 158s including my personal favourite where she thanks people for the train splitting at Machynlleth. Twice.

Someone has fiddled with the 158s announcements recently and now they sound very disjointed. The 'start of sentence' recordings have been used at the end so she now says 'We are now at Bridgend. This train is for MaeSTEG..." or "We are now at Welshpool. This train is for Birmingham InterNATIONAL..."

I too would be interested to know if Ruth is used on 150285 - I'd imagine she is, I don't think TfW would have had time to find/record a new voice - But if she's no longer recording, I expect they'll make arrangements for a new voice once the new trains are due.
 

Attachments

  • Ruth This train will divide Machynlleth.mp3
    194.1 KB · Views: 137
  • Ruth Pwllheli large gap.mp3
    400.3 KB · Views: 63
  • Maesteg.mp3
    154.6 KB · Views: 60
  • Ruth We Are Now At Ebbw Vale Town.mp3
    150.1 KB · Views: 45
  • Ruth Onboard 158 double.mp3
    258.3 KB · Views: 74

craigybagel

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most of the 158s, not all

It should be all - it was part of an update to the PIS system many months ago. It might still be heard if the call for aid is pressed, but the only other time you'll hear it on a 158 is when a manual announcement is made by a member of staff - it doesnt play for auromatic ones and I'm sure they've all been modded by now. I've certainly not heard it for a long time.

You'll still hear the Jingle on 175s though - it plays before the start of certain automated announcements but doesn't play for manual ones.
 

anamyd

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I've attached some recordings of the announcements on the 158s including my personal favourite where she thanks people for the train splitting at Machynlleth. Twice.

Someone has fiddled with the 158s announcements recently and now they sound very disjointed. The 'start of sentence' recordings have been used at the end so she now says 'We are now at Bridgend. This train is for MaeSTEG..." or "We are now at Welshpool. This train is for Birmingham InterNATIONAL..."

I too would be interested to know if Ruth is used on 150285 - I'd imagine she is, I don't think TfW would have had time to find/record a new voice - But if she's no longer recording, I expect they'll make arrangements for a new voice once the new trains are due.

Two Ruths?! Were the different instances of her playing out of different speakers or what...?
 

Parallel

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Two Ruths?! Were the different instances of her playing out of different speakers or what...?
I’m unsure, but the whole train (2 x 158) was doing it. Maybe the front 2 coaches weren’t talking properly to the rear 2! :lol:
 

anamyd

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Maybe we should go back on topic... It's around 5-6 months until the first of the 9x 769s and also the first cascades are due (5x FGW blue 153s I believe) with the 5x 230s following soon after and the 12x 170s and 3x Mk4 rakes due in late 2019 - do people reckon that the "quite old extra temporary trains" will actually happen in the first few months of the year...?
 

sw1ller

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Maybe we should go back on topic... It's around 5-6 months until the first of the 9x 769s and also the first cascades are due (5x FGW blue 153s I believe) with the 5x 230s following soon after and the 12x 170s and 3x Mk4 rakes due in late 2019 - do people reckon that the "quite old extra temporary trains" will actually happen in the first few months of the year...?

Yes. In fact, they think it should already be happening. Quite frankly, I’m appalled it isn’t.
 

Cardiff123

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Maybe we should go back on topic... It's around 5-6 months until the first of the 9x 769s and also the first cascades are due (5x FGW blue 153s I believe) with the 5x 230s following soon after and the 12x 170s and 3x Mk4 rakes due in late 2019 - do people reckon that the "quite old extra temporary trains" will actually happen in the first few months of the year...?
It needs to happen, but whether it will depends entirely on whether Northern release any 144s very soon. I can't see Northern's bus seated 142s being an acceptable standard for TfW.
Failing that, it depends on whether TfW (and Welsh Govt) are prepared to splash out on LHCS and the associated training costs that would come with that.
 

anamyd

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Yes. In fact, they think it should already be happening. Quite frankly, I’m appalled it isn’t.
where did you hear that...? James Price said at that meeting they would try and get some leased from February
 

tomos dafis

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Up until June 2019 an acceptable standard for tfw wiil be running a full timetable to save its reputation, even if that means getting hold of 144's or bus-seated 142's IF they become available for short-term lease.
 

Parallel

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Maybe we should go back on topic... It's around 5-6 months until the first of the 9x 769s and also the first cascades are due (5x FGW blue 153s I believe) with the 5x 230s following soon after and the 12x 170s and 3x Mk4 rakes due in late 2019 - do people reckon that the "quite old extra temporary trains" will actually happen in the first few months of the year...?
Probably not. Well, maybe a few units. I reckon it will be the second half of the year where they just take more or less absolutely anything that’s available. Does anyone know the likely order of units that will become available? I remember when GWR originally said they were going to replace Pacers from 2017 and we’re going into 2019 with all still in service on the Devon locals. Not that I’m complaining as GWR’s 143s are well looked after by Exeter depot. Anyway, the point I wanted to make is that GWR’s 143s and Northern’s 144s are actually a step up from the state of the 14x (and 150s) TfW are currently running!
 

anamyd

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I've heard a lot lately that the 2020 PRM deadline is just not going to be met, and I agree - I reckon arrangements will have to be made for an effective "pushback" to around late 2021. Otherwise, there will just not be enough units in service in 2020 if the Pacers, 153s and 27 of the 150s (all 24 158s and 9 of the 150s will be modified by the end of 2019) are just ripped straight out of the fleet, and that's *with* the Class 769, 230 and 170 PRM-compliant/accepted units added to the fleet during 2019 - I've worked out it would be 86 units (out of low 100s required):

150-285 and 8 other 150s (9 150s)
158-818 to 158-841 (24 158s)
170-270 to 170-273 and 170-201 to 170-208 (12 170s)
175-001 to 175-011 and 175-101 to 175-116 (27 175s)
230-006 to 230-010 (5 230s)
769-002 and 769-003, 769-006 to 769-008 and 4 other 769s (9 769s)

I'm assuming the 5 FGW blue 153s and the 12 Mark 4s are non-PRM - willing to be corrected if I'm wrong!
 

Cardiff123

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I've heard a lot lately that the 2020 PRM deadline is just not going to be met.......

Where have you heard this? From authoritative sources or just rumour and speculation?

I mean it's pretty obvious the deadline won't be met unless there's an influx of DMU's to cover for absent 150s next year, or TfW are prepared to put passengers through disruption much worse than what we saw this autumn and for a much longer period of time.........
 
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Parallel

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Indeed the 5 x 153s at GWR are not PRM compliant. If they are still operating the two ex-LM 153s, they have a PIS screen but no announcements or door sounders and are not fitted with retention tank toilets.
 

Nick Ashwell

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Would it not be possible to at least make the Mk4s compliant before they enter traffic? Even a slight delay would be acceptable if the Mk3s need to solider on an extra month or two?
 

anamyd

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Where have you heard this? From authoritative sources or just rumour and speculation?

I mean it's pretty obvious the deadline won't be met unless there's an influx of DMU's to cover for absent 150s next year, or TfW are prepared to put passengers through disruption much worse than what we saw this autumn and for a much longer period of time.........
The latter, admittedly.
 

158820

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Is there a water tight contract for the 170s to arrive in 2019?
With nearly all new rolling stock introductions seeming to take longer than advertised at the moment. I hope Anglia can't delay cascading the 170 s if the Flirts don't work out of the box.
 

Cardiff123

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Is there a water tight contract for the 170s to arrive in 2019?
With nearly all new rolling stock introductions seeming to take longer than advertised at the moment. I hope Anglia can't delay cascading the 170 s if the Flirts don't work out of the box.
TfW Rail should order more 230s and 769s, no cascades from anywhere can be relied upon.
 
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Have seen internal pics of 150 285 - much like the Northern refurb the Disabled toilet wipes out a fair few seats. The design for the external wrap has not been signed off yet but should be soon.

Any news on 150285 re-entering service? Or indeed any more 150s leaving for PRM modifications?
 
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