Northern Unit Refurbishments

[northwichcat]

Have power sockets/USB charging points been installed? And what about WiFi? Wasn't this within the specification?

Wifi has to be on all Northern services by the end of 2019. USB charging points have to be fitted to all 158s by the end of 2019 (including the 8 arriving from Scotrail) and will be fitted to the 195s and 331s when they are built.

certainly the same PIS which needs some work as it tends to repeat the same uninformative message for the entire journey!

They've just not programmed in all the routes properly yet. The ones on the 150s currently just scroll the destination, despite the fact the destination is usually short enough to fit on without scrolling.

 

[JaJaWa]

Interior reminds me a lot of pre-refurbishment East Coast.

https://acumen-da.com/history-item/2001-5/

 

[507 001]

I would have to disagree about the livery I think it looks quite good and a big improvement on fussy but dull old livery. The only thing I would change would be the front fairing and paint it yellow or blue rather than grey.

The livery is ok, but it's nothing to write home about.

I can't see why TOCs seem to think it's a good idea to paint trains white!

It's certainly not as nice as the WAG ATW livery or even GWR!

 

[Brian Aylott]

I can't see why TOCs seem to think it's a good idea to paint trains white!

They possibly don't but DfT does - they consider a light grey/white saves repainting when the franchise operator changes - its much quicker and cheaper to just change the vinyls

Anyhow does the livery matter that much to the customers?
Probably to one or two in a million it does!

Brian

 

[Bletchleyite]

You can vinyl over the top of any livery. The entire fGW livery is vinyl.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mr Mean]

I have travelled on this unit and have to say I'm not impressed. The carpets are awful and already look mucky, plus they really clash with the seats colour. The seats are already looking creased and I expect the fabric to start fraying and coming away from the seat bases soon. Unfortunately it just felt like your typical cheap northern refresh rather than a refurbishment. Laminate flooring and new seat would have made such a difference.

Outside the white is going to look dirty in no time at all as it was already showing signs of muck.

Such a wasted opportunity. I really hope this unit is a one-off to test opinions rather than the finished product.

 

[507 001]

They possibly don't but DfT does - they consider a light grey/white saves repainting when the franchise operator changes - its much quicker and cheaper to just change the vinyls

Anyhow does the livery matter that much to the customers?
Probably to one or two in a million it does!

Brian

But it just looks filthy all the time! And Joe Bloggs off the street does notice when things are dirty!

 

[Brian Aylott]

The entire fGW livery is vinyl.

Not so

Brian

 

[JaJaWa]

The lack of Deutsche Bahn branding is interesting

 

[43096]

The entire fGW livery is vinyl.

Not so



Brian

It depends which version of the GW livery you're referring to. There are plenty!

 

[pjm0512]

The lack of Deutsche Bahn branding is interesting

It has now appeared on station timetables.

 

[joshy.fre_2003]

Is 158 752 out today?

 

[Adam0984]

Have power sockets/USB charging points been installed? And what about WiFi? Wasn't this within the specification?

It looks similar to the GWR refurbishment, certainly the same PIS which needs some work as it tends to repeat the same uninformative message for the entire journey!

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

This is just phase 1 of the refurbishment to 752. Wifi and at seat charging is in another phase

 

[sprinterguy]

Not so

Brian

On the class 800 set, it is - photo of it being applied here:
http://www.railmagazine.com/galleries/exclusive-gwr-class-800-inside-north-pole/image/14177

I appreciate however that units going for refurbishment are actually receiving a green base coat before vinyl decals are applied over the top, as trains do actually have to be repainted once in a while to protect the bodywork.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

This is just phase 1 of the refurbishment to 752. Wifi and at seat charging is in another phase

Yes, the statement from Alex Hynes that "trains will be phased in and out of refurbishment" does provide evidence that the refurbishment work is being carried out in stages. Seems a strange way to go about it, to me: I would have thought that having a train out of service for two separate periods would extend the total amount of time that it is out of service compared to getting all of the work out of the way at the same time. This "softly, softly" approach also lessens the positive impression the refurbished trains will have on the passenger.

 

[northwichcat]

The lack of Deutsche Bahn branding is interesting

It has now appeared on station timetables.

There were suggestions DB would float Arriva on the stock exchange so maybe if they are planning to do that before 2019 they don't want to start applying a DB logo to the train and potentially have to remove them less than half-way through the franchise. Timetables will obviously be replaced every few months.

 

[pjm0512]

That's very interesting.

Thanks Mr. Collins.

 

[Andyh82]

Not impressed, looks like the same bland light refurbishment we are used to. There won't be a wow factor, customers will just notice everything has been over painted blue.

White livery on a diesel is not good, it'll be brake disc brown before long.

 

[Rail Blues]

Looks absolutely gash.

The multicoloured 'N's and the cursive font makes it look like something off a primary school minibus.

The interior looks dated and bland (quite an achievement to manage both at the same time) The seat covers and the carpets don't match and whoever said it looks like a rehash of the old GNER interior was dead right.

Aren't Northern required to refurbish trains to 'Like new' condition. That looks like a cheap refreshed interior, not a proper refurbishment.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Not impressed, looks like the same bland light refurbishment we are used to. There won't be a wow factor, customers will just notice everything has been over painted blue.

White livery on a diesel is not good, it'll be brake disc brown before long.

Looks absolutely gash.

The multicoloured 'N's and the cursive font makes it look like something off a primary school minibus.

The interior looks dated and bland (quite an achievement to manage both at the same time) The seat covers and the carpets don't match and whoever said it looks like a rehash of the old GNER interior was dead right.

Aren't Northern required to refurbish trains to 'Like new' condition. That looks like a cheap refreshed interior, not a proper refurbishment.

To quote a certain minor character from Spaced...

"IT'S NOT FINISHED!" :roll:

 

[J-2739]

Doubt they would do this, but it would be great if they fitted out full air conditioning on the 150s to improve passenger comfort. How hard would that be? Examples such as the 165s for Chiltern and even overseas (R42 for NYC) has proven this can be done.

 

[CosherB]

Doubt they would do this, but it would be great if they fitted out full air conditioning on the 150s to improve passenger comfort. How hard would that be? Examples such as the 165s for Chiltern and even overseas (R42 for NYC) has proven this can be done.

Just ask anyone working on the Renatus project!

 

[47802]

Doubt they would do this, but it would be great if they fitted out full air conditioning on the 150s to improve passenger comfort. How hard would that be? Examples such as the 165s for Chiltern and even overseas (R42 for NYC) has proven this can be done.

No chance , comment from elsewhere that a business case will need to be developed to justify fitting new seats on the 158's so I suspect the chances of new seats for 150/155/156 is about nil along with Air Conditioning.

But I do agree with you, my interpretation of as good as new would be something like the Renatus 321's, and you could argue that should include Air Con as well as that's pretty much standard on new trains. But I doubt the Dft would see it that way, it is Northern we are talking about after all:cry:

 

[J-2739]

Yeah, I see where you're both coming from.

Northern being Northern, they'd probably buy a bunch of usb powered fans that come cheap, plug them all over a 150, and still convince their sheep that they are infact top of the range Mitsubishi stuff!!

 

[BurtonM]

I'm not keen, it's far too much like the old livery, and appliance white is a bad, bad choice. I concur silver would have been better. The n things are daft, and look a bit like the old Network West Midlands logo as well as faces.
Can't we in the north have a livery that's not blue?!
It's a little thing but the fact the unit numbers aren't in Rail Alphabet also detracts from it.

 

[Darren R]

I can't imagine that fitting air conditioning to the Sprinter fleet is going to be much of a priority for Arriva. Personally, I don't think it's necessary, given that all the windows open.

It seems I now have an answer to the question what shall we moan about once Northern's Pacers have finally gone to the great scrapyard in the sky. Turns out we're going to moan about the livery and the corporate font instead!

 

[YorkshireBear]

It seems I now have an answer to the question what shall we moan about once Northern's Pacers have finally gone to the great scrapyard in the sky. Turns out we're going to moan about the livery and the corporate font instead!

And the quality of the refurb on the sprinters..... come on easy one there you missed out.

 

[J-2739]

To be honest with you, I actually thought the refurbishment wasn't half bad at first, but opening my eyes wider, it looks pretty gross. It looks like they got the carpet from some cheapo retailer and that PIS is rank- looks like a plasma from the 90's. The seats aren't a pretty picture as well.

Hope this interior is not applied to the 150s , but I'm not betting odds on that. If they did do that, at least including top of the range A/C would sooth the ugly atmosphere.

 

[47802]

To be honest with you, I actually thought the refurbishment wasn't half bad at first, but opening my eyes wider, it looks pretty gross. It looks like they got the carpet from some cheapo retailer and that PIS is rank- looks like a plasma from the 90's. The seats aren't a pretty picture as well.

Hope this interior is not applied to the 150s , but I'm not betting odds on that. If they did do that, at least including top of the range A/C would sooth the ugly atmosphere.

I'm not sure why your making a big thing about Air Con on the 150's it clearly isn't going to happen, I'm not sure how easy it would be to fit anyway in the case of the 165's they are very similar to 166's which are fitted with Air Con.

In any case I think there are 122 new or cascaded Air Con trains coming to Northern which should be a vast improvement.

 

[J-2739]

Just saying.

It would be nice though!

 

[Starmill]

Does anyone know if it's in service today?