State of GWR’s IETs

[CapitalStar378]

The state some of the units are in when they arrive at Paddington is atrocious. Rubbish all over the place. Anyone else noticed the same?

There are only small bins in the vestibules, nothing in the carriages. While people should take their litter, this doesn't help.

 

[800301]

Wait so is 802003 returning to service anytime soon? It's the last one I have to spot but has been at Eastleigh for around a year

Should be in the next few weeks with it’s apparently ‘noticeable’ modifications

 

[fgwrich]

Wait so is 802003 returning to service anytime soon? It's the last one I have to spot but has been at Eastleigh for around a year

I assume that this is a permanent fix rather than the previous patching.

003 Returned back to North Pole on the 5th of May, so is either undergoing further examination by Hitachi (probably to compare the before and after) or a slow return to service. As for the fix, I should hope so - this is the first of GW's 80X fleet to receive the treatment - you can just about make out the chunkier Y bracket underneath the repainted cab door and cab end.

Eastleigh Works 802003 +73141

GWR 802 003 being inspected outside the works. 73141 in the foreground not easy to get a shot of but I see it's now carrying the name "Spa Valley 25th anniversary".

www.flickr.com

802003

GWR 802003 finally leaves Eastleigh since 27/06/2022!! Working is 5X77-11:29-Eastleigh Arlington-Reading, then works 5Q77 to North Pole IEP Depot. **This is the first unit to come down to Eastleigh for fatigue cracks in their yaw damper brackets that are to be repaired at Arlington Fleet...

www.flickr.com

There are only small bins in the vestibules, nothing in the carriages. While people should take their litter, this doesn't help.

It is another area of the 80X design which is disappointingly poor. It cant cost them much more to add some small bins inside the saloon - the HSTs did, even having 'slim bins' to fit in the smaller spaces between seat and wall.

 

[43096]

the HSTs did, even having 'slim bins' to fit in the smaller spaces between seat and wall.

Ah yes, the original "K9" bins - so named after their resemblance to the robotic dog on Doctor Who.

 

[mangyiscute]

003 Returned back to North Pole on the 5th of May, so is either undergoing further examination by Hitachi (probably to compare the before and after) or a slow return to service. As for the fix, I should hope so - this is the first of GW's 80X fleet to receive the treatment - you can just about make out the chunkier Y bracket underneath the repainted cab door and cab end.

Cheers, hopefully it'll be back soon. Just out of interest, do you have more information on what the repairs were and whether there will be a noticeable difference? (I'm sure there's a thread somewhere but I can't find it)

 

[Sly Old Fox]

There are bins in the saloons of 80x trains.

 

[800301]

There are bins in the saloons of 80x trains.

That is correct but there could be more

 

[sk688]

Have some GWR 800s recieved upgrades to the seat cushion or been replaced

Currently on 800 020 and the seats throughout the carriage seem much more padded and comfortable/less worn out , especially compared to 802 101 which I had between bath and reading, and other 9-car units generally

 

[irish_rail]

Have some GWR 800s recieved upgrades to the seat cushion or been replaced

Currently on 800 020 and the seats throughout the carriage seem much more padded and comfortable/less worn out , especially compared to 802 101 which I had between bath and reading, and other 9-car units generally

I've previously found the 5 car 800s the worst, so perhaps they have refurbished or replaced the seat cushions on some sets now. Heres hoping!

 

[AJDesiro]

One can only dream that these would get the cushions the 197s have, they're so much better!

 

[800001]

Very very slowly. Only 1 GW unit released so far (802003). I believe 2 LNER units completed - the advantage to the LNER unit seemingly involves less repainting.

Only one LNER complete so far, 800205.
The second of there’s is at Eastleigh now 800113.

 

[duncananderson]

There are only small bins in the vestibules, nothing in the carriages. While people should take their litter, this doesn't help.

It's even worse than that - not even all vestibules have bins. I've had occasions where I've taken my rubbish with me as I go to alight, only to find there's no bin in that particular vestibule, and I'm left carrying it down the platform at Paddington.

The thing I find frustrating about the IETs, is that they have potential to be a great thing, but were ruined by the penny-pinching specification. Fitting better seats, improving the ride quality a little, and perhaps a buffet on GWR, could really improve the passenger experience all round.

Currently, whilst I recognise the improvement in speed, capacity, and air quality in electric mode, I never enjoy a journey on one, because they are really uncomfortable.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Very very slowly. Only 1 GW unit released so far (802003). I believe 2 LNER units completed - the advantage to the LNER unit seemingly involves less repainting.

Just to confirm, Hitachi is paying for this, right?

 

[800001]

Just to confirm, Hitachi is paying for this, right?

Yea, all at Hitachi’s Cost

 

[greyman42]

There are only small bins in the vestibules, nothing in the carriages. While people should take their litter, this doesn't help.

Take their litter where?

 

[CardiffKid]

Take their litter where?

To a bin - either at home or at/outside a station (rather than leave it in the table)

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Just to confirm, Hitachi is paying for this, right?

Yea, all at Hitachi’s Cost

They’re paying for it up front. In reality, much of the cost of major repairs will have been hedged into the price of the IEP contract and therefore indirectly paid by the taxpayer through the DFT’s funding of GWR and LNER including their respective TARA contractual costs. It would be interesting to know how much pain Hitachi are actually taking in reality against their projected profit margins but we’ll never know. The joys of privately-owned, leased trainfleets!

 

[Clarence Yard]

They are paying for the mods but I don’t believe they have yet admitted liability so who pays in the end isn’t clear.

 

[LiftFan]

The thing I find frustrating about the IETs, is that they have potential to be a great thing, but were ruined by the penny-pinching specification. Fitting better seats, improving the ride quality a little, and perhaps a buffet on GWR, could really improve the passenger experience all round.

Currently, whilst I recognise the improvement in speed, capacity, and air quality in electric mode, I never enjoy a journey on one, because they are really uncomfortable.

It's a shame really- I know we had a need to replace the HSTs and these do have their upsides. It's just a massive shame that the improvement in speed, environmental impact and safety came with the enormous downgrade in the passenger experience. I'd be content if they'd kept the buffet car (complete with hot food offerings on services other than the Pullman dining), had seats that were comfortable, and dimmed the lights slightly.

 

[Wokingham]

Perhaps they could order 5 more 11car sets to run a flagship London Cornwall service

 

[jayah]

The 800 5 cars are in my experience by far the worst in terms of collapsed seat bases. Absolutely shocking. The 802 9 cars on the other hand are a little better in this respect. Is it I wonder a time thing ( ie after a certain amount of time the seat base cushion is just totally worn out, as the 800 5 cars are the oldest members of the fleet ). Id also be very interested to know if the problem has been acknowledged by GWR as I personally am getting fed up of travelling on the metal bar on long trips.

There is not a single seat in Standard class that doesn't have that metal bar syndrome. 802, 800 doesn't matter, they are all the same.

You are basically sitting on a metal railing with a piece of cloth over it.

A Voyager seat is like a Chesterfield armchair in comparison to an IET.

 

[Towers]

They’re paying for it up front. In reality, much of the cost of major repairs will have been hedged into the price of the IEP contract and therefore indirectly paid by the taxpayer through the DFT’s funding of GWR and LNER including their respective TARA contractual costs. It would be interesting to know how much pain Hitachi are actually taking in reality against their projected profit margins but we’ll never know. The joys of privately-owned, leased trainfleets!

Surely no contract is designed to include the phenomenal expense of a decade’s worth of massively complex repairs to the asset after only around 6 years of service?! Perhaps if contract relates to a particularly high risk asset or use, but I can’t imagine Hitachi intentionally designed the trains to shake themselves to bits!

 

[MotCO]

Surely no contract is designed to include the phenomenal expense of a decade’s worth of massively complex repairs to the asset after only around 6 years of service?! Perhaps if contract relates to a particularly high risk asset or use, but I can’t imagine Hitachi intentionally designed the trains to shake themselves to bits!

No, but it is a risk they take. In a good year, there would be no call upon the risk fund, and the funding can transfer to their profits. When a major problem like this comes along, they have to take it on the chin.

 

[Nick Ashwell]

Do DtF/TOCs not only pay for diagrams with the rest being Agility Trains cost?

Hitachi have already said the liability lays with their metal supplier and therefore it's up to them to go after that supplier in court for the cost?

 

[CapitalStar378]

he thing I find frustrating about the IETs, is that they have potential to be a great thing, but were ruined by the penny-pinching specification. Fitting better seats, improving the ride quality a little, and perhaps a buffet on GWR, could really improve the passenger experience all round.T

Penny pinching which somehow managed to cost a mint.

Completely agree on the things that would improve the train. As much as there are some improvements over the HSTs (leg room, total capacity, electric/ bi-mode train), the downgrades are more noticeable. People miss a buffet, this makes a train ride more of an experience. The seats are very uncomfortable, this is a view held by most reviews I've seen and heard., and don't seem to have lasted well so far. The lights are horrendous at night, this does seem to be a new standard accross many trains, but InterCity travel always used to be more a relaxing affair than local routes.

I've not travelled on a LNER 800, but will be in August, so will be interesting to see how a slightly better spec unit feels.

Let's hope that Grand Union specifications are a big step up.

 

[irish_rail]

It's a shame really- I know we had a need to replace the HSTs and these do have their upsides. It's just a massive shame that the improvement in speed, environmental impact and safety came with the enormous downgrade in the passenger experience. I'd be content if they'd kept the buffet car (complete with hot food offerings on services other than the Pullman dining), had seats that were comfortable, and dimmed the lights slightly.

No discernible improvement in speed on the Wofe, they are slower than HSTs on diesel remember!

Perhaps they could order 5 more 11car sets to run a flagship London Cornwall service

That would be nice but I can't see the investment forthcoming somehow!

 

[Clarence Yard]

Do DtF/TOCs not only pay for diagrams with the rest being Agility Trains cost?

Hitachi have already said the liability lays with their metal supplier and therefore it's up to them to go after that supplier in court for the cost?

I don’t think that liability has yet been established. It will be interesting to see who Hitachi finally go after for the repair costs - they were still talking about “abnormal loads” on the bogies, which suggests they will try and pass at least some of the cost back to the DfT/NR.

 

[Annetts key]

I don’t get this argument about speed. Both IET / class 80X and HST / class 43 are limited to the maximum line speed of 125MPH (where this applies).

When running on OHL, clearly the IET / class 80X has better acceleration than the HST / class 43. But then, the design of the 80X is forty years younger, so I would expect improvements in technology to have made some differences.

If either of the above trains are running a long distance, limited stop service, the extra acceleration is not going to make a significant difference anyway.

However, yes, there are most definitely areas where the design of the IET / class 80X is not as good as it should have been. And the interior fit out including the seats, layout, lighting etc. are all down to the specification, and we know where that came from…

 

[greyman42]

To a bin - either at home or at/outside a station (rather than leave it in the table)

The reality is passengers are not going to cart their rubbish home with them. LNER have people regularly going up and down the train collecting rubbish. I assume GWR don't employ people to do this?

 

[Annetts key]

GWR most definitely do have staff that walk through with a plastic bag collecting rubbish, both from the tables and from passengers.

Especially if the train is approaching the station where it terminates (where there is a short turn around).