But despite your smiley, public transport vehicles and infrastructure are not appropriate canvases for such artistic works, unless by invitation. In the absence of an invitation disfiguring of assets is vandalism, (both legally and morally).The two are not mutually exclusive.
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Thameslink/ Class 700 Progress
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Aictos
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One service got cancelled yesterday due to graffiti due to some unknown vandals, it’s not just the outside of the units that get vandalised, the toilets and the saloons get done over too!
Agree that hard action needs to happen and sooner!
Does anyone have any info on the fault to the 6:05 Brighton to Royston service.
It departed on time but had its stops at Preston Park, Hassocks and Wivelsfield removed. However it retained the stops at Burgess Hill; Haywards Heath and all stations beyond Haywards Heath. It was only 2 minutes late by the time it reached Haywards Heath, so one wouldn't expect earlier stops to be removed for such a short delay. However it left Haywards Heath 19 minutes late.
The image has a screenshot of the live departure board from the National Rail Enquiries App. Train currently between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon running 20 minutes late.
It departed on time but had its stops at Preston Park, Hassocks and Wivelsfield removed. However it retained the stops at Burgess Hill; Haywards Heath and all stations beyond Haywards Heath. It was only 2 minutes late by the time it reached Haywards Heath, so one wouldn't expect earlier stops to be removed for such a short delay. However it left Haywards Heath 19 minutes late.
The image has a screenshot of the live departure board from the National Rail Enquiries App. Train currently between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon running 20 minutes late.
samuelmorris
Established Member
Delayed due to cab safety systems related fault (M0). Interestingly Raildar concurs with your National Rail screen, but RTT does not state that any stops were omitted other than Wivelsfield, and that the bulk of the delay (16 minutes) was accrued at Haywards Heath itself.
Thanks for that. Would that have occurred at Haywards Heath or on route to Haywards Heath? In other words can a train run with that fault or would they stop at the nearest station?
The train itself was less than a minute at Hassocks so no idea if the doors actually released to let passengers on or off.
samuelmorris
Established Member
I've no idea I'm afraid, I don't work for the railway, I'm just going off the information given in RTT.
bramling
Veteran Member
A nice 700 failure at Letchworth today, 700054 on 2R33 seems to have caught something in the OLE as it was coming into service at Letchworth, and apparently couldn’t be powered back up by the driver. I suppose GN users should think themselves lucky it’s just the Cambridge branch sat down, and not the whole railway like last time...
Nonetheless a 117-minute gap in the up service at Letchworth, despite the failed Desiro Sitdowny having been moved back to the sidings within half an hour, and the service still suffering from delays and cancellations 5 hours after this minor event.
Some very dubious decisions appear to have been made by control in relation to this incident, it’s lunacy that such a minor delay should still be having an impact - although it looks like the “highly reliable” Thameslink network now has a signal problem at Redhill too.
ShamblesLink/ strikes again - this service is unfit for purpose.
Nonetheless a 117-minute gap in the up service at Letchworth, despite the failed Desiro Sitdowny having been moved back to the sidings within half an hour, and the service still suffering from delays and cancellations 5 hours after this minor event.
Some very dubious decisions appear to have been made by control in relation to this incident, it’s lunacy that such a minor delay should still be having an impact - although it looks like the “highly reliable” Thameslink network now has a signal problem at Redhill too.
ShamblesLink/ strikes again - this service is unfit for purpose.
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700007
Established Member
Whilst I do agree that Thameslink will have its problems like any network, I feel that every time I read one of your posts you feel the need go slander it (or the 700s) to pieces over practically anything without fully understanding the full consequences of the incident.
Services did resume as soon as it was possible to and obviously when several trains have been caught up in this incident delays will occur. Most services had returned to normal within two hours with the exception of the Brighton to Cambridge service which naturally when it takes over 5 hours to do a rounder will possibly be delayed a bit longer. This is mostly to do with driver hours running out and the need to source relief drivers to take over within the limited time frame the existing driver does. There are plenty of alternative services for Brighton to Cambridge service if your train is delayed.
Sorry to be quite harsh but whether you like it or not, Thameslink is a great infrastructure project that is here to stay, and so are the 700s. The days of your 'simple GN service with 365s' is gone and you have to learn to accept that. This has unlocked more capacity, introduced more trains, destinations and improved connectivity like never before.
bramling
Veteran Member
In the case of the incident described, the offending 700 was moved within around half an hour, yet Letchworth did not see an up train for a *further* 90 minutes. That’s inadequate by any definition, as it blaming late running on this incident eight hours later, which is what they were doing.
It’s all very well having connectivity and new destinations, but if the service can’t meet the basic bread-and-butter function which is to get people to and from London reliably then it’s not fit for purpose. For various reasons it’s simply not achieving that. People need to get to work on time and get home on time, not go for a jolly to an exciting new destination like Horsham!
It’s worth adding that the staff on site at this failure could clearly be heard speaking rather negatively about the trains, in particular how temperamental they are at coming back after a problem. So much for “not much bothers them”!
bramling
Veteran Member
It’s possible that when a fault situation occurs, the other end then detects an abnormal situation and “locks out”, resulting in the whole lot having to be rebooted. For the incident in question there was speculation that a pigeon was caught in the OLE. Wrong sort of pigeon for the trains “not much bothers”?!
Class455
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Has a Class 700 ever run to King's Lynn before, if they have been cleared to run there?
Then that is not necessarily a single fault situation.
700007
Established Member
I don't believe so, furthest a 700 has done to my knowledge is Ely (before May 2018), some 8-cars would be thrown onto the Ely fasts. I heard it was something to do with 700s being heavy power drinkers and the power supply on the Kings Lynn branch being quite limited hence 387s operate the service instead.
Kite159
Veteran Member
700s also popped up on the Ely semi-fasts at weekends before this May when they reverted to being fast services [i.e. first stop Cambridge]
Steve Harris
Member
Personally I wouldn't call it a branch (as you can get directly to 2 London Termini).
You are right regards the OHLE power supply though.
The substation supplying power north of Cambridge is at Milton Fen (which is just north of Cambridge) and I do know that only a certain number of units at any one time were allowed north of there.
I also know that said substation is due an upgrade to allow a bigger draw of electricity. However, I don't know if that upgrade has been completed yet.
I have to agree.
Too many units without wifi.
The wifi when it is install appears slow and intermittent. I often revert to 4g to avoid frustration.
And any hope of retrofit of seat back tables appears to have been forgotten.
At least 6 of the 8-car units need to be 12-car to maximise seating in the peak.
I guess GTR won't do anything unless pushed by DfT. And DfT have lost interest.
Haven't seen much of the £15m being spent on passengers. Probably just been wasted on a consultation.
Failed Unit
Established Member
Totally disagree about WiFi. Total waste of money considering you get better quality on your phone.
Shame the seat back tables are forgotten about. These are used on sets that have them. Don’t slow down dwell times (as people stated they would) and are a useful addition to everyone. (Which is probably why BR specified it on all new stock from the 1990s onwards)
717001
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Any changes to the trains - WiFi, tables, extra carriages are down to DfT decision / funding. Suspect DfT have other more urgent concerns at present.
With all the submissions under the PBF for a large number of stations, was bound to take time to assess and then will presumably also need sign-off from DfT.....
samuelmorris
Established Member
The only uses for WiFi onboard vehicles I find is to provide a connection when you otherwise would not get one (e.g. in tunnels) - since very few trains offer this, it's not something I ever tend to use other than on aircraft, where unfortunately my experiences of it have been it doesn't work.
OxtedSignaller
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Same here. Not sure what the big hype about Wifi is about. I would prefer plug sockets personally. Majority of people have phones which you can tether 4G too. There is no limit, its included in your data allowance and on the whole I find faster.
Steve Harris
Member
I think you might need to re-read MML's post you are referring too. As I read it that you are both agreeing it's pants.
Failed Unit
Established Member
sorry MML. Yes we are in agreement about the WiFi. Thanks for highlighting.
I think WiFi should be completely standard across all new units.
Posting this using the WiFi on my SWR 455 rather than use up my data allowance. Furthermore, why should passengers on a 30 min+ commute have to use their 4g the whole way. WiFi is used and should be standard alongside USB/plug points and seat back tables.
You can say there are alternatives but there are also alternatives to plug sockets: power banks which I use most of the time even if my train has plug points, I still think power points should be standard, even in a 710 set up with only a few across the unit.
Posting this using the WiFi on my SWR 455 rather than use up my data allowance. Furthermore, why should passengers on a 30 min+ commute have to use their 4g the whole way. WiFi is used and should be standard alongside USB/plug points and seat back tables.
You can say there are alternatives but there are also alternatives to plug sockets: power banks which I use most of the time even if my train has plug points, I still think power points should be standard, even in a 710 set up with only a few across the unit.
Failed Unit
Established Member
But WiFi cost someone - the data isn’t free. Why should other pay for people to surf. If you want to surf use your data allowances. Not bothered about plugs on shorter journeys but on inter-city definitely needed.
sorry. Can’t see why money should be a priority over other things such as comfort, seat back tables and toilets.
My fare didn't increase with SWR retrofitting WiFi to 455s. Neither did southern's 455 users. Are GOBLIN users gonna pay more now that the 710s are in service with WiFi rather than 378s etc? It's not a direct fee anyone is paying, it's just part of 'operational costs'. I've never heard of any backlash from WiFi being on almost all electrostars which share calling points with 700s down on Southern land and Great Northern land, both also GTR franchises. I could say "why should I pay that trace extra for someone else to charge their phone when they could use their own electricity from home" since we both know WiFi is hardly rated at a pence a MB or something.
Toilets are already on all 700s so WiFi hasn't really taken priority. As we know, these toilets affect capacity but WiFi doesn't, it's a harmless extra that isn't gonna add a quid to your fare. How Southern's short metro services can have WiFi but 700s down to Brighton cant makes no sense to me. WiFi is something others may appreciate more than you and others may expect just as much and possibly more than plug sockets.
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