Thameslink/ Class 700 Progress

[TEW]

Has anybody managed to get the WiFi to work on those newer FLUs? (125 & 139)

I can get it to connect, but no log in screen appears to make the WiFi usable.

I had it working on 125 on Wednesday.

 

[MML]

Insufficient padding in the seats. If you bash the seat, you can see feel there is hardly any foam padding, much prefer the 379 seats which were upright and had enough padding.

Any chance of adding more cushioning in future ? Is that possible without affecting seat pitch ?

2 hour journeys on these hard seats is not a pleasant experience. 15 minutes perhaps acceptable.

 

[jon0844]

Insufficient padding in the seats. If you bash the seat, you can see feel there is hardly any foam padding, much prefer the 379 seats which were upright and had enough padding.

Any chance of adding more cushioning in future ? Is that possible without affecting seat pitch ?

2 hour journeys on these hard seats is not a pleasant experience. 15 minutes perhaps acceptable.

Bring your own cushion, or suggest to your local on-station barista that hiring out cushions might be a great moneyspinner!

 

[tsr]

Bring your own cushion, or suggest to your local on-station barista that hiring out cushions might be a great moneyspinner!

I suppose there is a risk that cushions with any depth could put your back in the wrong place against (what passes as) the upright cushion on the seat back, which could make it even more uncomfortable.

I also tend to find that soft cushions on harder cushions give me lower back pain, but that could just be me.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I suppose there is a risk that cushions with any depth could put your back in the wrong place against (what passes as) the upright cushion on the seat back, which could make it even more uncomfortable.

On most of the modern seats I find that I can only make my back fit the profile of the seat back if I try to sit in thin air four or five inches above the seat base! I have considered making myself a customised cushion, but it would just be a logistical nightmare carrying it around.

 

[Ze Random One]

... between St Pancras and Elstree & Borehamwood.

I do wonder if the designers ever travel on trains.
On first impressions, the noise they make when entering a station is dreadful - really squeaky and irritating.

If you are referring to the entry to St Pancakes from the South, that has always created a dreadful noise due to the curvature of the track between King's Cross Thameslink and Pancakes lower level. I'm willing to be corrected, but that is the artefact of having a tube-style curve whereas the wheels are profiled for stability at 100mph. The 319s made a worse noise there if I recall, and 700s are actually substantially quieter over this track.

... By far the worst thing was the seats - some of the most uncomfortable seats i've ever used on public transport. I had a back ache after the 20 minute(ish) journey.

The seat pitch is better than the airline seats on 465/0-2 and 466s, which are used extensively on outer suburban and over 1hr journeys in Kent.
I'm 6'2" and the acrobatics I have to do to fit into a Networker window seat without encroaching on my neighbour is far more tortuous than a 700.

Having ridden 319s daily for the last 2 years, the fact that one's behind doesn't fall right through the seat and almost on to the floor now we have 700s is a blessing in my experience.

I agree that the 12 cars especially could probably benefit from a slight redesign of the seats (for example, the more central cars could have the seats moved 1 cm further apart, and 1 cm further from the wall). However, as has been done to the death already, these trains are a compromise.

Many existing GN passengers will have alternatives using 365s or 387s, at least in the peaks.

 

[MrB]

The seat pitch is better than the airline seats on 465/0-2 and 466s, which are used extensively on outer suburban and over 1hr journeys in Kent.
I'm 6'2" and the acrobatics I have to do to fit into a Networker window seat without encroaching on my neighbour is far more tortuous than a 700.

I second that, Networkers really are dreadful.

Considering the role that they have been designed for, the 700s really aren't too bad.

 

[spark001uk]

...On first impressions, the noise they make when entering a station is dreadful - really squeaky and irritating...

If you are referring to the entry to St Pancakes from the South, that has always created a dreadful noise due to the curvature of the track between King's Cross Thameslink and Pancakes lower level. I'm willing to be corrected, but that is the artefact of having a tube-style curve whereas the wheels are profiled for stability at 100mph. The 319s made a worse noise there if I recall, and 700s are actually substantially quieter over this track...

I was stood at the southern end of plat.A (southbound plat) last week and the squeal on northbound entry is deafening, to the point I stuck my fingers in my ears when the following one approached.! I vaguely remember the 319s being worse also.

 

[physics34]

Insufficient padding in the seats. If you bash the seat, you can see feel there is hardly any foam padding, much prefer the 379 seats which were upright and had enough padding.

Any chance of adding more cushioning in future ? Is that possible without affecting seat pitch ?

2 hour journeys on these hard seats is not a pleasant experience. 15 minutes perhaps acceptable.

Springs. Those amazing coiled bits of metal that seem to now be extinct.

 

[physics34]

I suppose there is a risk that cushions with any depth could put your back in the wrong place against (what passes as) the upright cushion on the seat back, which could make it even more uncomfortable.

I also tend to find that soft cushions on harder cushions give me lower back pain, but that could just be me.

thats why seats used to have springs. Not only helping in cushioning but also as support.

There is back pain due to the movement of the train, and back pain due to hard seats and the impact forces travelling up the spine. There is also "numb bum" which can cause pelvic pain which can spread to the spine.

 

[spark001uk]

thats why seats used to have springs. Not only helping in cushioning but also as support.

There is back pain due to the movement of the train, and back pain due to hard seats and the impact forces travelling up the spine. There is also "numb bum" which can cause pelvic pain which can spread to the spine.

"Hello, Claims Direct? I was given the wrong type of seat....."

 

[physics34]

"Hello, Claims Direct? I was given the wrong type of seat....."

Ha ha...Wonder if anyone who now regularly uses 700s for more than an hour a day has noticed any significant back issues.

 

[MikePJ]

Perhaps class 700 commuters who suffer from back pain should band together for a bulk order from Backfriend? "makes a bad seat good"

 

[AM9]

Ha ha...Wonder if anyone who now regularly uses 700s for more than an hour a day has noticed any significant back issues.

Sounds more like wrong kind of passengers!

 

[absolutelymilk]

Modern Railways reporting that 24tph will now not happen until December 2019, instead the increase will happen in stages.

http://www.modern-railways.com/2017/11/20/thameslink-improvements-coming-in-stages/

Thameslink frequency will then be progressively ramped up, with 20tph introduced in December 2018, 22tph in May 2019 and finally the full 24tph service in December 2019. Traffic Management (TM), European Train Control System (ETCS) and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) for passenger trains will come in during 2018 as planned, but Mr Gibb says these are not essential until May 2019.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Whatever the merits or otherwise of the seating on Class 700's, these pictures illustrate precisely why the new units - of eight carriages - are needed. I was at Hatfield last Saturday and it was physically impossible to board the 11:00 to Kings Cross (09:56 ex-Cambridge).
A four-car unit, of ANY Class is woefully inadequate most Saturdays; throw in a bunch of football supporters and extra shoppers, and getting on at Welwyn Garden City is problematic. At Hatfield, people gave up trying to board, such was the crush inside.
Surely a train you can actually get on (even if you have to stand, in more comfort) is infinitely preferable to not being able to travel at all? !!!

 

[spark001uk]

Whatever the merits or otherwise of the seating on Class 700's, these pictures illustrate precisely why the new units - of eight carriages - are needed. I was at Hatfield last Saturday and it was physically impossible to board the 11:00 to Kings Cross (09:56 ex-Cambridge).
A four-car unit, of ANY Class is woefully inadequate most Saturdays; throw in a bunch of football supporters and extra shoppers, and getting on at Welwyn Garden City is problematic. At Hatfield, people gave up trying to board, such was the crush inside.
Surely a train you can actually get on (even if you have to stand, in more comfort) is infinitely preferable to not being able to travel at all? !!!

Bloody hell, if it's like that at 1100 I hate to think what it's like in the peak!

 

[Failed Unit]

Bloody hell, if it's like that at 1100 I hate to think what it's like in the peak!

Of course GTR have chosen not to make this situation better. Lucky it wasn’t a 387 but that is a different thread.

 

[Failed Unit]

Modern Railways reporting that 24tph will now not happen until December 2019, instead the increase will happen in stages.

http://www.modern-railways.com/2017/11/20/thameslink-improvements-coming-in-stages/

Yep. Bad news for people south of Stevenage suffering another deterioration in service quality. Slower, less seats and still needing to change for the core. (Hopefully Finsbury Park is an improvement on cross between st Pancras and KX)

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/thameslink-2018-timetable-consultation-part-2.149023/page-5

Understand why they are phasing it. Just hope they don’t realise that 24tph is the impossible dream and we are stuck on the slow line with no extra benefits at all.

 

[Kite159]

View attachment 39644 View attachment 39645 Whatever the merits or otherwise of the seating on Class 700's, these pictures illustrate precisely why the new units - of eight carriages - are needed. I was at Hatfield last Saturday and it was physically impossible to board the 11:00 to Kings Cross (09:56 ex-Cambridge).
A four-car unit, of ANY Class is woefully inadequate most Saturdays; throw in a bunch of football supporters and extra shoppers, and getting on at Welwyn Garden City is problematic. At Hatfield, people gave up trying to board, such was the crush inside.
Surely a train you can actually get on (even if you have to stand, in more comfort) is infinitely preferable to not being able to travel at all? !!!

At least at Welwyn Garden City you have got the option of the 313 Moorgate stopping service, think of the poor people of Welwyn North or Knebworth who don't have that option

 

[Hadders]

View attachment 39644 View attachment 39645 Whatever the merits or otherwise of the seating on Class 700's, these pictures illustrate precisely why the new units - of eight carriages - are needed. I was at Hatfield last Saturday and it was physically impossible to board the 11:00 to Kings Cross (09:56 ex-Cambridge).
A four-car unit, of ANY Class is woefully inadequate most Saturdays; throw in a bunch of football supporters and extra shoppers, and getting on at Welwyn Garden City is problematic. At Hatfield, people gave up trying to board, such was the crush inside.
Surely a train you can actually get on (even if you have to stand, in more comfort) is infinitely preferable to not being able to travel at all? !!!

Totally agree but the situation could be resolved without needing to resort to the bargain basement interior of the class 700s by running 8-car trains. GTR have chosen not to do this for their operational convenience.

 

[adamedwards]

Up to now the reason for the 4 cars has been short platforms at Shepreth, Meldreth and Foxton and a timetable planned for 317s. So I am really hoping we get 8 cars of any sort for Xmas and don't have to wait for May.

 

[adamedwards]

Also should have added, the Moorgates are fine until a driver fails to show and it goes hourly. And on Sundays we only get fast trains hourly apart from some extras into London am and out on. Not fun if the packed 4 car is your connection to Scotland via KX!

 

[Skimpot flyer]

At least at Welwyn Garden City you have got the option of the 313 Moorgate stopping service, think of the poor people of Welwyn North or Knebworth who don't have that option

The next Moorgate service (if it's not 'cancelled due to a member of train crew being unavailable') after the 10:56 to Kings Cross, is the 11:03. This gets to Finsbury Park 22 minutes behind the semi-fast train.
A less-than-frequent traveller heading for, say, London Victoria, who allows themselves 40 minutes to cross London by tube would suddenly find this slashed to just 18 minutes if forced onto the slow train. Not acceptable when stock with selective door opening has been around way before the Class 700s were thought of !

 

[Failed Unit]

Just seen 700 131 heading north and getting a tow. Wonder where it is going. (At WGC around 0815)

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Just seen 700 131 heading north and getting a tow. Wonder where it is going. (At WGC around 0815)

It's the latest delivery - came in through the tunnel overnight - so it'll be heading to Peterborough, loco will run round, then pull it to Hornsey.

 

[APUK002]

Just seen 700 131 heading north and getting a tow. Wonder where it is going. (At WGC around 0815)

Kl,any pics?

 

[Kite159]

The next Moorgate service (if it's not 'cancelled due to a member of train crew being unavailable') after the 10:56 to Kings Cross, is the 11:03. This gets to Finsbury Park 22 minutes behind the semi-fast train.
A less-than-frequent traveller heading for, say, London Victoria, who allows themselves 40 minutes to cross London by tube would suddenly find this slashed to just 18 minutes if forced onto the slow train. Not acceptable when stock with selective door opening has been around way before the Class 700s were thought of !

But at least there is that option when the longer distance GN services roll in rammed out so the traveller is physically unable to board. Something those travellers from Knebworth & Welwyn North don't have the 'luxury' of. Better arriving 22 minutes later with the chance of having a seat from the word go, than waiting 30 minutes to find the next Kings Cross service rolls in full & standing with being unable to board.

 

[Failed Unit]

Kl,any pics?

No. Was on a train leaving other direction.

 

[APUK002]

No. Was on a train leaving other direction.

Okay.