Merseyrail Class 777: How could these units be improved?

[yorkie]

From the class 777 updates thread, I see some people are posting suggestions for how these units could be improved; I've set this thread up so that the other thread can concentrate on updates.

Obviously this is is subjective and not everyone is going to agree, but if you have any suggestions for how these units could be improved, fire away...

 

[8A Rail]

Reading the 'original' Class 777 thread, and comment was made about the doors and until today never given it a thought! However, after some photography at Hunts Cross Station, I boarded a train for Liverpool Central to record a Class 777 at the station (a requested image). In the 30 minutes I was there, two Class 777's appeared namely 777004 (Kirkby line) and 008 (Ormskirk line). As an observation, what amazed me after passengers got off and on the Units at different door openings was the amount of times different doors shut, opened, shut, opened etc with the first thing that sprang to mind, if the doors continue to go at that rate, it won't too long for the door mechanism's will need replacing!

As others have suggested, other Stadler Units have a similar system and indications suggesting the doors are robust and reliable. OK it is early days but time will tell if this is a short term 'operational' issue but I wonder if the timing of the doors need to be re-adjusted? As I've stated just a casual observation.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Biggest priority - replace the seats. They are absolutely and utterly dire. Hard, narrow and an awkward shape that curves the back of a tall person unnaturally. The worst railway seat I've come across for a long time.

Technical improvements like not relying on an Internet connection for the PIS (what a stupid design).

Lower level of lighting, it is excessive. Ideally add working daytime light level variation as Pendolinos have (if it's there, it's rubbish).

Nicer interior scheme, it's really rather drab, the new Merseytravel bus shows how it should be done.

There are other things they could and should have done like wider doors (they are quite narrow compared to the 50x and can't really fit two streams of people) but obviously this sort of thing is a bit late to fix.

 

[OL-3944]

The LCD panels which contain train running information ie arrival times etc the text is way too small. You literally need to be sat under or next to it to read all the information available.

 

[lrailadventure]

Lower level of lighting, it is excessive. Ideally add working daytime light level variation as Pendolinos have (if it's there, it's rubbish).

Not just a lower level of lighting (which is far too bright 99% of the time), but also stop it from doing the random flashing on and off.. if they want varied lighting levels, fine, but it needs to be gradual not just no lights to all lights.

That lighting issue, combined with the flashing around the doors (although I know this is for accessibility for visually impaired travellers so probably can't be changed or reduced) gives me a wonderful headache if I have the misfortune of travelling onboard a 777.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The LCD panels which contain train running information ie arrival times etc the text is way too small. You literally need to be sat under or next to it to read all the information available.

Agree. I'm astonished they meet PRM TSI - they certainly wouldn't meet the old RVAR which was a bit stricter.

The "TV format" displays used by other TOCs seem to me to be better than these vertically narrow ones. Trying to be too clever? There are a lot of issues caused by this with these units.

 

[MattRat]

Surprised no one's mentioned legroom in the airline style seats yet, or lack thereof.

 

[karlbbb]

I'd agree that the door-timeout needs to be increased. It's barely 10 seconds at the moment and I saw a door opened and closed 4 times this morning just waiting on a platform for about a minute due to being early.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Surprised no one's mentioned legroom in the airline style seats yet, or lack thereof.

Yes, legroom is poor, though to be fair it's no worse than an average bus and they do fulfil the same role. It's the poor design of the shape of the seat that concerns me more, though the lack of legroom means I can't compensate for that by slouching as I do in e.g. a 170 where the "wings" are a bit low not to.