|
Title: Average stock age is a safety, reliability and comfort indicator says DfT Post by: grahame on February 15, 2007, 16:54:06 The average age of rail rolling stock is seen as an indicator of safety, reliability and comfort. Since 2000/01 the average age of national rail rolling stock has fallen steadily for long distance operators. For operators in London and the South East there was a gradual fall between 2000/01 and 2003/04, followed by a fall of about 20 per cent in each of 2004/05 and 2005/06. The average age for regional operators has shown little change.
DfT Transport trends - published today (http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/trends/current/Section32006?page=10#1008). My highlighting. I understand that the FGW long distance fleet is the oldest in the country with an average age of around 25 years. Some new trains (the Adalente units) were obtained a whil eback, but these are to be returned in December. There are no plans to replace the trains in the next 10 years. It follows that the fleet on FGW will on average get 1 year older each year until 2016, after a substantially higher average aging this year. I take it, then, that the DfT expects service to get less safe, less comfortable and less reliable? (But gosh I do like the 125s!) Title: Re: Average stock age is a safety, relaibiklity and comfort indicator says DfT Post by: Jim on March 01, 2007, 21:49:38 125's are going to be more realible after the "MTU" program is finished, comfort is 10:10 & Safety isn't really a issue, as the railways are getting safer
Title: Re: Average stock age is a safety, relaibiklity and comfort indicator says DfT Post by: simonw on March 02, 2007, 22:52:46 Hi
I disagree! The chance of an accident occuring on a HST 125 is approximately that same as any other train. The chance of an injury in an accident though is higher on a HST 125 than on more modern trains! Why? - Glass used (windows, doors and luggage racks) is not laminated - No roll bars in carriages - Overhead luggage racks are poorly shaped - Construction/design techiques have improved dramatically in the last 20+ years Why does the governemt not allow/encourage FGW to replace the rollowing stock. Why do the customers of FGW, who pay the most for their journies have the worst and potentially least safe travel experience. Title: Re: Average stock age is a safety, relaibiklity and comfort indicator says DfT Post by: grahame on March 04, 2007, 08:45:00 Simon, I am not a safety expert, but I was at the TWSW meeting yesterday in Taunton and a couple of points care up regarding Grayrigg [recent accident] and how well the stock withstood the impact. Very briefly:
a) You are correct in saying that the Pendelino sets withstood the accident better than an HST would have done but b) First are taking some steps to lessen the gap, at least. For example, the internal refits are much more crash-conscious, and all "except 2" windows will be laminated after the refits. I'm not sure if that's 2 windows per coach or 2 windows per set. Neither am I in a position to judge if the chances being made are a major safety improvement or just tinker at the edges. Source - Glenda Lamont, FGW Customer service director. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |