Thameslink/ Class 700 Progress

[bramling]

First it has been announced that the GTR timetable won't be changing in December. We don't know yet when the full May timetable will be running.

Despite what GTR have been saying though, the May timetable (and the current interim July one) are very similar to the originally announced full timetable with the phased services removed.
So the "missing" Littlehampton trains are the 06:22 Littlehampton to Bedford (08:12 at Blackfriars) and the 16:14 Bedford to Littlehampton (
17:19 at Blackfriars). Yes a whole 1 train each way. So assuming that they manage to run the full May timetable at least on weekdays in the Autumn, I would guess that they would get added in May 2019.

As far as the GN side is concerned, the only change planned for December would have been the second Cambridge/Brighton service. In consequence of this the remaining Stevenage via Hertford services would have been cut back to Watton-at-Stone (except perhaps those running from/to Letchworth sidings at the start and end of service?), plus possibly the handful of Royston 365 services being cut back to Baldock.

What's the betting the current interim service remains until December, and December is simply the next attempt at re-introducing the May timetable?

Weekends is more of an issue, as the weekend service is pretty poor - especially with quite a few Reduced Length Undesiros floating around. Thankfully they seem to have diagrammed quite a few 365s as well, which are vital to maintain seating capacity -- especially if people do start actually using the service again.

The current M-F GN service isn't too bad but is still suffering from erratic performance to some destinations due to late running from the core. The current 3tph to/from the core, and remember that is 3tph some but not all hours, is just about manageable. They should just change one of the three to be a Welwyn stopping service and be done with the whole thing, and introduce anything further as a King's Cross service. This particularly applies to the second Cambridge semi-fast service.

One other change which *may* presumably happen - the current mid-morning Letchworth reverser may well revert to Cambridge at some point. I'm presuming it only goes round at Letchworth to facilitate a freight path from/to Barrington - which will end some time although I'm not sure when. Unless they decide to keep the path open for freight. 2tph stopping to Cambridge is a little overkill at that time of day, so it wouldn't be a problem if they did keep it as a Letchworth.

 

[spark001uk]

Question for someone in the pointy end seat. If the ac sockets trip out, who resets them? Can you do it from the cab? Or is it some obscure procedure that half a dozen Siemens engineers have to carry out in full overalls and hard hat?

 

[jon0844]

You probably need to shut down the train, do a hard reset, reflash the firmware, enter a 400 digit code, wait for a GPS lock and then restart the USB ports. Once confirmed as working you can resume normal train duties, but need to set up the journey again. At some point you'll also need to call Three Bridges, which means you'll be done in about 6 hours.

 

[ComUtoR]

You probably need to shut down the train, do a hard reset, reflash the *firmware, enter a 400 digit code, wait for a GPS lock and then restart the USB ports. Once confirmed as working you can resume normal train duties, but need to set up the journey again. At some point you'll also need to call Three Bridges, which means you'll be done in about 6 hours.

Na, blue fault at best. Keep going till the brakes come on.


*FYI today I discovered how to pull up the *PIS software database version

*in true seimens fashion is displays on **every single PIS screen :/

**Except in the F"£%"£%$ing cab !

 

[jon0844]

Saw a 700 reboot at Brighton yesterday and laughed that the external screens show the software version and even font version! V3.04 I seem to recall. Wonder how different the font is over V3.03?

Wonder what the driver sees, or do they need to get out and look?

 

[spark001uk]

Na, blue fault at best. Keep going till the brakes come on.


*FYI today I discovered how to pull up the *PIS software database version

*in true seimens fashion is displays on **every single PIS screen :/

**Except in the F"£%"£%$ing cab !

The pax love to know what sw version the train is running!
Do you know how the mains sockets are reset though?

 

[ComUtoR]

Do you know how the mains sockets are reset though?

I've never seen anything in the unit so its most likely hardwired somewhere and would be a back to depot kind of job.

 

[387star]

Tables are not being retrofitted at present. No firm plans as far as I know

Pot luck if you get tables in standard

700125-155 and 700047(or is it 046) - 060 have tables the rest don't

Therefore nearly all 8s do not have tables

 

[urpert]

Tables are not being retrofitted at present. No firm plans as far as I know

Pot luck if you get tables in standard

700125-155 and 700047(or is it 046) - 060 have tables the rest don't

Therefore nearly all 8s do not have tables

At the moment WiFi also seems to correlate with tables (though that may change!)

 

[jon0844]

I am not sure Wi-Fi and tables are to be fitted out at the same time.

 

[AM9]

I am not sure Wi-Fi and tables are to be fitted out at the same time.

Given that all of the class have been wired in manufacture to receive wi-fi kit, isn't that just a matter of scheduling fitting and testing during maintenance/overhaul operations?

 

[APUK002]

Tables are not being retrofitted at present. No firm plans as far as I know

Pot luck if you get tables in standard

700125-155 and 700047(or is it 046) - 060 have tables the rest don't

Therefore nearly all 8s do not have tables

I’ve seen some retrofitted table 1’s

 

[jon0844]

Given that all of the class have been wired in manufacture to receive wi-fi kit, isn't that just a matter of scheduling fitting and testing during maintenance/overhaul operations?

You'd hope so.

 

[387star]

I’ve seen some retrofitted table 1’s

You're sure ?

If it's retrofitted it can't be one of the numbers above as they had them as new

 

[Abpj17]

This week... we had a 700 taken out of service because the main AND backup wind screen wipers weren't working...

 

[westcoaster]

Due to this evening'' fatality the 1655 Horsham to Peterborough has diverted via dorking and sutton, is that a first in passenger service.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Ah - does that explain the 12 car 700 I saw at around 17.30 just north of Epsom towards Sutton this evening?

That was the first time I've even seen a 700 in Epsom, full stop.

 

[MML]

700131 taken out of service this morning due to the drivers cab cooling system not working. To be honest, I think the whole aircon system was faulty as the passenger coaches were extremely stuffy.

12 car worth of passengers detrained to join the following 8 car. Cosy to say the least.
At least the see it, say it, sort it was working.

 

[APUK002]

700131 taken out of service this morning due to the drivers cab cooling system not working. To be honest, I think the whole aircon system was faulty as the passenger coaches were extremely stuffy.

12 car worth of passengers detrained to join the following 8 car. Cosy to say the least.
At least the see it, say it, sort it was working.

Oh dear,I thought Siemens fixed the coach air con a while with a software update?

 

[jon0844]

Is Siemens going to do anything about the external LED screens that seem to be fading to a point where they're virtually unreadable in daylight (and I don't mean with the sun on them).

They've never been very bright, but some are now almost invisible and it would only be in total darkness that people would likely be able to see the text.

I'd have said they're not fit for purpose, especially given their age, and should be replaced. Many platforms are in the process of getting white LED displays and I think they could look particularly good on a predominantly white train - but I think people would just take any colour as long as it was readable.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Is it that they are fading, or the glass in front of them needs a clean?

 

[OxtedSignaller]

The front destination screens on them are awful and they always have been the font and size of the text is terrible and the side ones are equally as bad and there is not one on the side of every coach.

 

[samuelmorris]

Is Siemens going to do anything about the external LED screens that seem to be fading to a point where they're virtually unreadable in daylight (and I don't mean with the sun on them).

They've never been very bright, but some are now almost invisible and it would only be in total darkness that people would likely be able to see the text.

I'd have said they're not fit for purpose, especially given their age, and should be replaced. Many platforms are in the process of getting white LED displays and I think they could look particularly good on a predominantly white train - but I think people would just take any colour as long as it was readable.

I thought the orange colour was part of the PRM compliance, but I agree, they're hopeless compared to the displays on Electrostars and the green displays on Desiro UK units. I usually can't read them unless I'm standing on the platform next to the train, and I like to think I have pretty good eyesight.

 

[bengley]

The displays are useless. I've said this since I first saw the trains testing - the font is too small and they're not bright enough. A certain member of the forum who used to contribute regularly with testing information about 700s disagreed with me and said the spec for the displays was fine.

It's not and something should really be done about it.

 

[387star]

In a parallel universe
https://www.railmagazine.com/news/n...inner-passenger-siemens-class-700-desiro-city

 

[Goldfish62]

The displays are useless. I've said this since I first saw the trains testing - the font is too small and they're not bright enough. A certain member of the forum who used to contribute regularly with testing information about 700s disagreed with me and said the spec for the displays was fine.

It's not and something should really be done about it.

I agree. The ones on the 707s are equally useless.

 

[ComUtoR]

In a parallel universe
https://www.railmagazine.com/news/n...inner-passenger-siemens-class-700-desiro-city

TBH it's a great unit.

 

[Failed Unit]

TBH it's a great unit.

It is. It is just the poor specification of the interior layout that has ruined it. Hopefully this will be rectified at the mid-life refurbishment. It’s poor reliablity is beginning to improve as well.

 

[F Great Eastern]

TBH it's a great unit.

The train is really great, just the fit out by the DFT is poor.

 

[samuelmorris]

They're decent enough units, but train of the year? I think that award seems to have gone on 'most successful introduction' which is probably fair. The 800 introduction has been beset with issues, many of which are not the fault of the train design itself, but launch day was a bit of a catastrophe and for long-distance units their reliability is still very poor. The 345 introduction goes without saying, but 707s post the best numbers of new fleets. I assume the knowledge that they're soon to be withdrawn plus the fact they were late to arrive disqualified them.

Frankly train of the year should IMO still be going to one of the Desiro UK fleets. Highest reliability, excellent sound insulation, pre-ironing board era seats, legible and fairly reliable PIS, etc.

This award all smacks of when Greater Anglia won 'train operator of the year' at the time they were rock bottom of the Which? customer satisfaction rankings, arguably deservedly so. They're made a lot of improvements since then and the ills of that franchise are insignificant compared to GTR-land, but still. Something 'of the year' when it comes to the rail industry seems to ring a bit hollow to me of late.

The seats being too close together is a DfT issue, fair enough. The lack of seatback tables and WiFi on most units still is also a DfT issue. Really though, the exterior displays being poor, the PIS system having had all those issues, plus the poor MTIN rating after two years in service are genuine issues with the train itself, and in reality, so are some of the other quibbles such as the thick ducts on the floor annoying window seat passengers.

I don't mind travelling on 700s and I'd still rather them than 319s, but even disregarding the rather metro-oriented spec they've been designed to, they just don't quite feel like the quality product the Desiro UK felt when it was first introduced. Perhaps my standards are so much higher nowadays but there's something that just isn't there. The A/C is quieter for sure, but the noise insulation (maybe due to the through gangways, but I'm not sure that it is) doesn't seem as good, the traction equipment is a bit noisier, the inverters are much noisier, and the general fit and finish of the interior, lack of carpets aside, just feels like it could be better.

Anyway, there's far worse out there, I'd be content if 700s were my daily commute, just... I'm not sure about train of the year :P