Pendolino problems

[Failed Unit]

The Pendos are designed to be fast and carry a lot of passengers.

Many people read or sleep on them and so are not all that fussed that they only have a partial view.

Ofcourse HST toilets don't smell, they dump everything on the tracks...

So are the mk4 sets, they don't have that problem. A lot of people do not want a 4 hour journey starting a bit of plastic which is why DfT has specified that the seating must be much better on the IEP than the Pendo, which was incidently researched to be the least like IC train by passengers.

Other trains with retention toilets don't smell though.

No a Mk4 just attacks the trackside gangs with stuff (not sure if that has been fixed now)

 

[graham125hst]

No a Mk4 just attacks the trackside gangs with stuff (not sure if that has been fixed now)

Yuck!!

Last weekend I went on an East Coast MK4 train from York to London for the first ever time. I still think the MK3 carriages are nicer but the MK4 ones are still miles better than the pendolino ones.

As has been mentioned before I find the pendolinos cramped and smelly, plus the windows dont help things either. Mind you every time I have been in standard class we have managed to move to seats next to a window that are not reserved and the train manager has not said anything while checking tickets.

One thing I have found is if you book advance and get restricted view seats just keep booking and on about the 6th time you should still get tickets at the same price but with a window view. Then you just delete the the other five. I have tried using East Coast to book with its "view" facility but that was no good as it splits the two of us up to give us both views rather than being sat together next to a window.

 

[dk1]

Other trains with retention toilets don't smell though.

I can assure you that 170s often do & passengers then do not have the luxury of a sliding door/vestibule between it & them.

 

[asylumxl]

I can assure you that 170s often do & passengers then do not have the luxury of a sliding door/vestibule between it & them.

Agreed. The toilets are only as smelly as the passengers output really...

To OT, if you leave human feces and urine together they do tend to smell. As I'm sure you're more than aware, they produce some pretty nasty chemicals.

 

[Old Timer]

Ah but that is modern rubbish. Not the old BR stock with retention toilets

 

[Failed Unit]

I can assure you that 170s often do & passengers then do not have the luxury of a sliding door/vestibule between it & them.

I haven't noticed myself (but I am not in a position to dispute they don't have a problem).

Travelling on the following trains with CET:

159, 170 (CT and Scotrail), 16x? 185, 365, 375, 377, 450, 460, 465 & Mk4's

I have never noticed a smell on any of them - the press seems to have picked on on the virgin issues (although pongolino does make a good headline )

 

[MCR247]

I've had a smelly toilet on a 170,377, 450 & 158

 

[Edvid]

Have the various TOCs considered air fresheners like Heathrow Express?

 

[Failed Unit]

Have the various TOCs considered air fresheners like Heathrow Express?

Central trains did, EMT still seem to have them on the locals but I am not sure about London Midland or XC's former CT routes.

 

[jon0844]

Have the various TOCs considered air fresheners like Heathrow Express?

I've seen battery powered air fresheners on various trains. FCC brought them in very early into the start of their franchise (2006 or 7).

They do make a big difference!

 

[royaloak]

I've had a smelly toilet on a 170,377, 450 & 158

Well close the door behind you then!

 

[SWT Driver]

Damned pervert. Having a smelly toilet...

Why not a woman like any other man.

 

[Geezertronic]

I challenge you - or anyone really - to find one of those seats reserved and take a picture.

I tend to get H08 reserved quite a lot. I'd send you screenshots of my bookings on thetrainline.co.uk but I can't really be bothered to copy and paste that many times I tend to move to either H01 or H03 if they are not occupied or reserved as I like looking out of the window (even at grass).

I take onboard some of what people say about the Pendolino's (mainly the rattling) but I ignore the majority of it as I think people are just moaning for the sake of moaning. Brummie's can either catch a London Midland 350 to Euston, a Chiltern service from Moor Street to Marylebone or a Nat Ex bus to wherever that drops you off in London if they are that fussed about window alignment, the toilet smell (that I have never experienced) or any of the other whinges. For me, the service ex Birmingham International to Euston is just what I need when I need to visit London, other methods of travel are just too slow.