Thameslink 'Congestion' Sat 23 Feb

[aleggatta]

Tests with a 700 and 73 show a 73 does not have the required brake force by its self to handle the 700 on the steep gradients in the core, even a 67 can not handle the 700 Hence why it has to be another unit be it a 319/377/387 or 700.

With regards to the doo reset if a soft reset flicking out the mcb's does not solve the issue, the unit will need a battery off battery on reset done. It this is done the unit will need a full auto brake test and evc tests done before moving off. This is what takes time.

I do remember some Siemens engineers having a look at a 387 IDU to see how bombardier used soft buttons to implement them on the 700's. I think there was talk of the regularly failing systems to have the same sort of soft reset to try and prevent a full unit shutdown and improve reliability, it just seemed crazy that it took GTR to suggest it to Siemens to help Siemens improve their reliability.

 

[Surreytraveller]

That point in the past will have been at a time when trains were much less structurally safe that they are now. When they were mostly all hauled by a heavy steam loco which is difficult to control with great precision. I can fully understand that it would be dangerous to send a loco and train charging off down the track without knowledge as to exactly where the stranded train is and in the knowledge that the rear coach of the stranded train was constructed from timber of indeterminate quality, mounted on a steel chassis, coupled to the next carriage by a chain link coupler.

But that's not the scenario we're talking about here. The location of the failed unit was known to the millimeter and the units in question are constructed to the highest possible current standards for withstanding collisions. The track is signaled to the latest Network Rail standards and I'm led to believe that the drivers can stop them exactly where needed, because their route knowledge and train handling skill is valued at around £70,000 per annum, so any risk to passengers would have been almost non-existent.

By your argument, we should be seeing trains ploughing into each other all the time with passengers being thrown across the tracks on a regular basis. The 21st century railway is being operated as though it's still the 19th century.

Maybe you'd be best off not commenting on safety

 

[Bald Rick]

The likelihood of there being an available class 700 in the vicinity of the failed unit (especially if the failure happens in the Core and at peak times) is slim.

In fact it is very high, particularly in the peak. There will be several, on the opposite line. Pick one, cancel it, empty it, run it on to the front of the failure, and away. Happens every day on two track railways all over the country.

they have to wait for a fitter to get there from Farringdon (assuming they can get there by train on the other line)

Fortunately there is a train every 2-3 minutes on the other line. It’s called the London Underground.

Alternatively, if the failure is at Farringdon or City TL, where the failures are most likely to be (going by history) the fitter just has to walk about 50/500metres respectively. 5 minutes max.

I don't know the location of the train immediately in front of the failed unit, but I can imagine how happy passengers on it would have been if they'd been told "Please get off at the next station so we can use this unit to go back and rescue a broken down one, oh and by the way, we don't know when there'll be another train coming through to pick you up to continue your journey".

fair point about passenger reaction - but it would be the same for any train being cancelled for any reason. In these circumstances it doesn’t matter which train is cancelled to create the rescue unit.


Thameslink is no different to any two track railway anywhere else - it’s just busier. There aren’t thunderbirds on immediate standby for the GEML from Shenfield to Colchester, Birmingham - Wolves, Piccadilly to Oxford Rd, Marylebone to Aynho, etc etc, and most of these have a wider range of traction that can’t rescue each other.

 

[The Box Photter]

Maybe you'd be best off not commenting on safety

I'll get my coat ...