Merseyrail Class 777 introduction updates

[geoffk]

Platforms will not need lengthening, the door positions deliberately avoid this.

OK thanks, saves a lot of expenditure.

 

[stuart100100]

The guys who were showing people around mentioned the doors will be opened by passengers once they are released rather than them all opening like they do now which might take a bit of getting used to as it's been done the other way for so long

 

[Skie]

Yeah, that will be comedic for a while as people get used to it.

Doors will open automatically at underground stations though. Best of both worlds really, and keeps the HVAC from working overtime at some of the windswept embankment stations in the winter.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yeah, that will be comedic for a while as people get used to it.

Doors will open automatically at underground stations though. Best of both worlds really, and keeps the HVAC from working overtime at some of the windswept embankment stations in the winter.

Will they have the "Doors will open automatically at the next station" announcement like the 700s do, I wonder, to save people stabbing at the buttons?

 

[samuelmorris]

Will they have the "Doors will open automatically at the next station" announcement like the 700s do, I wonder, to save people stabbing at the buttons?

Or try. I can confirm that doesn't work

 

[Bevan Price]

I see Merseytravel have got a mock-up of the new train which the Liverpool Echo have been to visit and done an article on. Looks very smart - apparently going on display at Lime Street in November to the public.

Edited to add the correct link in!

Mock-up of one coach is at Lime Street this week and for the next week or two. It is just outside the main concourse, use the entrance/exit next to the enquiry office.
One of the Merseytravel staff said there would be minor differences between the mock-up and the actual trains, including slightly softer seats.

 

[childwallblues]

Mock-up of one coach is at Lime Street this week and for the next week or two. It is just outside the main concourse, use the entrance/exit next to the enquiry office.
One of the Merseytravel staff said there would be minor differences between the mock-up and the actual trains, including slightly softer seats.

Two of us visited the mock up on Tuesday and were told that the seats were hard because of the use of fire retardent materials as the trains travelled underground.
The mock up has every variety of seating/standing/disabled/bicycle area and will not be the one to be used in service.
Approx six units are due to arrive in 2019.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Mock-up of one coach is at Lime Street this week and for the next week or two. It is just outside the main concourse, use the entrance/exit next to the enquiry office.
One of the Merseytravel staff said there would be minor differences between the mock-up and the actual trains, including slightly softer seats.

Ooh, good, I'm in Scouseland this weekend.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Ooh, good, I'm in Scouseland this weekend.

Scouseland? Liverpolis you mean...

 

[childwallblues]

Scouseland? Liverpolis you mean...

Never heard that one before.Perhaps you really are on another planet.
Foreugners!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Never heard that one before.Perhaps you really are on another planet.
Foreugners!

Sorry, was a reference to a discussion in another thread, which @Bletchleyite was party to.

 

[507 001]

Visited the mock up today.

All I can say is that whilst they have some nice features, I’m not convinced at all.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Visited the mock up today.

All I can say is that whilst they have some nice features, I’m not convinced at all.

Some nice features being air-con which will make things MUCH quieter in the tunnels!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Visited the mock up today.
All I can say is that whilst they have some nice features, I’m not convinced at all.

Can passengers open/close the doors?
The cheap as chips 507/8 only have guard open/close which means the doors are open in cold/bad weather whether you like/need it or not.
Even the 230s will have selective door opening.

 

[samuelmorris]

I imagine they'll be climate control sensitive, so they'll close automatically (but stay released) after a set period as per most modern stock. I think I saw that discussed somewhere.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Can passengers open/close the doors?
The cheap as chips 507/8 only have guard open/close which means the doors are open in cold/bad weather whether you like/need it or not.
Even the 230s will have selective door opening.

This was a deliberate decision by BR, in line I guess with Tube practice being the same. The 508s had door buttons before they moved north, they were plated over by Merseyrail.

 

[childwallblues]

Sorry, was a reference to a discussion in another thread, which @Bletchleyite was party to.

That is why it was on here?

 

[Skie]

Can passengers open/close the doors?
The cheap as chips 507/8 only have guard open/close which means the doors are open in cold/bad weather whether you like/need it or not.

Underground the doors will work as they currently do. At all other stations they will be opened by the passengers. The mockup doesn't have close door buttons (probably too much potential for abuse) but I'd imagine they will auto-close eventually though Merseyrail dwell times tend to be fairly short

 

[KevinTurvey]

Waiting for departure at Ormskirk or Kirkby in the pouring rain, snow, etc with auto closing doors means at least the interiors will stay dry and reasonably warm then!

 

[trash80]

I had a look at the mock-up today, quite impressive though the front end really does look it is from Terrahawks

 

[507 001]

I had a look at the mock-up today, quite impressive though the front end really does look it is from Terrahawks

It would be impressive if it was comfortable to sit in. Even more so if it had guards controls for the doors, but that’s another can of worms.

 

[trash80]

Seats seemed ok, though only sat in them for a couple of minutes, no worse than other new trains. Comfy seats are too old skool for today's thrusting digital railway perhaps?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Had a go myself too. It's a smaller Euro FLIRT through and through with a feel very much like the Swiss ones including seat hardness but for one very big design issue - the headrest is quite hard and sticks out so like the awful Class 800 seat pushes the back of my shoulders forward uncomfortably. The bloke who was taking feedback (who was of fairly average height) sat in it and confirmed he noticed it as well. It was a bit like sitting in a car seat without putting the headrest up.

They should just use the standard FLIRT seats used in Switzerland which are the same vague shape but don't have this issue.

 

[507 001]

Seats seemed ok, though only sat in them for a couple of minutes, no worse than other new trains. Comfy seats are too old skool for today's thrusting digital railway perhaps?

I’m not one who is normally bothered by seats. I generally find seats that others don’t like to be quite comfortable (319s for example!)

I sat on the 777 for a few minutes, and could feel my back twinging.

 

[simple simon]

Underground the doors will work as they currently do. At all other stations they will be opened by the passengers. The mockup doesn't have close door buttons (probably too much potential for abuse) but I'd imagine they will auto-close eventually though Merseyrail dwell times tend to be fairly short

Door close buttons are nice but as you suggest, only when used properly. In London the Class 378 Overground trains have both door open and close buttons - and the close feature has been deactivated - because of abuse. Instead doors auto-close after a while. Passengers must open doors at all stations, whether above or below ground.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Here's a pic of it, by the way (this is my photo for once!)

One thing of note is that it wasn't built by Stadler but a local company who went bust in the middle of production but allegedly "the lads still came and finished it even though they weren't getting paid".

There's only one coach, the thing that looks like another platform with one in it is a mirror!

 

[trash80]

One thing of note is that it wasn't built by Stadler but a local company who went bust in the middle of production but allegedly "the lads still came and finished it even though they weren't getting paid".

Well thats Liverpolitans for you

 

[geoffk]

And from March 2019 (post Brexit) we will be able to ignore European regulations for any stock that remains exclusively within UK.

UIC surely, nothing to do with the EU.

 

[geoffk]

Just a thought - I wonder if any consideration was given to ordering the new units with shoes for side contact, rather than top contact, live rail? This was the system used on the Manchester - Bury line and the advantages were reduced risk of the live rail icing up and improved safety. Of course, the live rails themselves would have to be replaced on around 150 miles of track. Not sure if it could be done over two weekends, one for each line! Any comments?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just a thought - I wonder if any consideration was given to ordering the new units with shoes for side contact, rather than top contact, live rail? This was the system used on the Manchester - Bury line and the advantages were reduced risk of the live rail icing up and improved safety. Of course, the live rails themselves would have to be replaced on around 150 miles of track. Not sure if it could be done over two weekends, one for each line! Any comments?

Not really viable due to the phase-in period.