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Author Topic: Class 387 coming to Thames Valley - ongoing discussion  (Read 459736 times)
NickB
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« Reply #735 on: January 03, 2018, 14:49:30 »

Maidenhead is around 25x busier than Shawford though...  Wink

Indeed.  On many Maidenhead peak services you wouldn't be able to move through the carriages if you are at the wrong end.
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lordgoata
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« Reply #736 on: January 03, 2018, 14:58:16 »

What experiences have JaneS, TG and Nick had today?

You forgot me!  Cry

In all seriousness, the train I got this morning (which isn't the one I used to get, because thats now terminating at Reading  Angry ) did have its full 8 carriages, rather than 4 as per yesterday. On the other hand, despite starting from Didcot, it was still 18 minutes late to Goring!

Apart from that, it was smooth sailing.

Tonight will be the test, as yesterday was terrible (ended up on a lovely old Turbo half empty 6-car turbo though!).
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #737 on: January 03, 2018, 15:05:50 »

Many humble aplogies to 'lordgoata' and any others.  I'd like to hear all your stories throughout the next couple of weeks so we can see how (hopefully) initial problems are sorted out, and whether the service is an improvement on what went before, both in what's specified in the timetable and what actually happens on a daily basis.
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litecactus
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« Reply #738 on: January 03, 2018, 15:29:13 »

Seemed to be plenty of 8 coach formations out today, and for once my train was on time!
Although there are still a few 4 car diagrams out today as well.
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Sixty3Closure
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« Reply #739 on: January 03, 2018, 15:46:35 »

The 06.53 from Twyford was a short formed Turbo.

Did notice an empty, additional stopping service in place of the Henley train normally waiting to go back up the line. That was an 8 coach electric but didn't seem worth the extra travel time to try one out.
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NickB
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« Reply #740 on: January 03, 2018, 16:06:44 »

The 06.53 from Twyford was a short formed Turbo.

I was on that service this morning.  It was cosy.
If any service could benefit from expansion it is this one.  At Maidenhead there is a 20min gap in fast services prior to this which puts it in peak demand, and the continued car-park capacity problems at Maidenhead mean that anyone driving to the station needs to arrive prior to this service in order to get a space. Drivers therefore cannot take advantage of any increased capacity later in the timetable (which is where the electrics have been placed)
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Sixty3Closure
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« Reply #741 on: January 03, 2018, 18:02:03 »

Is it staying a Turbo then (which would be an interesting decision) or was it just caught out by the current problems?
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NickB
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« Reply #742 on: January 03, 2018, 18:04:51 »

What experiences have JaneS, TG and Nick had today?

I’m back on the 17.49 to Didcot tonight - again a 12 carriage mega-train.
Communications are vastly improved tonight with a message about Maidenhead and Twyford short platforms from the driver upon boarding with followup by automated message too. The onboard scrolling message boards say something similar. Top marks.

Due to Bakerloo Line rubbishness I fell victim to my own hypothetical scenario of having to frantically board carriage 12 at 17.48 and then make my way forwards.
I can report that the rear 4 carriages are utterly deserted. Maybe 5 passengers per carriage. The front 8 are full and standing - the reduction in seats relative to the HST (High Speed Train) very apparent.

May I enquire as to why this train is run as a 12 car format when it is apparent that Maidenhead to Reading are the stops needed for 98% of passengers rather than where the rear 4 coaches end up?
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NickB
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« Reply #743 on: January 03, 2018, 18:08:13 »

Is it staying a Turbo then (which would be an interesting decision) or was it just caught out by the current problems?

It is timetabled as a train with First Class provision which I have taken to indicate it being a Turbo for the long-term
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Ollie
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« Reply #744 on: January 03, 2018, 18:10:23 »

Is it staying a Turbo then (which would be an interesting decision) or was it just caught out by the current problems?

The 0653 from Twyford comes from Oxford, so certainly likely to be a Turbo for at least the length of the current timetable.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #745 on: January 03, 2018, 18:13:29 »

12 car trains made up of 3 x 4 car corridor EMUs (Electric Multiple Unit) has been routine on the three "southern" TOCs (Train Operating Company) for ages.  Stopping at mostly 12 car platforms but eventually getting to shorter platforms at some stations further down the line is also commonplace.   It really isn't a major problem. 

We now have some 10-car (2x458) trains running on Reading-Waterloo, though still more 8-car ones. From the start they had warnings about short platforms in the recorded "next stop" messages, though of course the limited choice of stopping patterns makes that easier to provide. To start with the guards included the same warnings, using almost the same words, for every stop. In fact it gets rather tedious to have so much repetition - and that may even make it easier to forget about it (though I'd be unlikely to use an affected station anyway).

Are there any examples where it is as many as 5 carriages at the rear which remain locked?  And if there are would any of them have hundreds of passengers alighting such as at Maidenhead and Twyford?  I think the fact it's a 'new' way of working at stations like Maidenhead means it should be given more attention than it was yesterday, and sticking a few posters up is not enough.  I agree with 'a-driver' that any platform extensions at both locations should have been completed on time.

In some cases there might be a margin to cross the 387 over to platform 4 at Twyford East and back over at Twyford West - that would create a cross platform transfer for the Henley Branch and reduce or eliminate any hold being needed. 

The crossover at Tywford East is only 25mph and has 'approach controlled' signalling, so by the time a train is signalled in via that route it would actually be slower in terms of transferring passengers than getting them to go over the (well located) footbridge as normal.

Apparently there were 11 Class 387 units out of service yesterday, which is about 25% of the fleet.
I don't know what the issues were, but I find that odd given that these trains having been running for several years (although not on GWR (Great Western Railway)) and that the GWR examples were the last off the 'production' line.

Despite all being used, many have had very light use over the last few months, some sitting for weeks on end in Didcot Yard, as there simply weren't the diagrams for them - I believe some required software updates for example.  Combined with the fatality at Iver late Monday evening, it's perhaps not surprising fleet availability was poor, though that should have been predicted as yesterday was a disaster.  Seems to be much better today though?  What experiences have JaneS, TG and Nick had today?

0701 from Taplow this morning, plenty of space but rammed by Paddington, few minutes late......on 1859 heading home, short formed (4 coach 387) full & standing on departure, people left shouting on platform at Ealing Broadway.
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Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #746 on: January 03, 2018, 18:36:14 »

Quote
I can report that the rear 4 carriages are utterly deserted. Maybe 5 passengers per carriage. The front 8 are full and standing -
So passengers would rather stand in coaches 1-8 for 20-30 minutes, instead of having a seat in coach 9 or 10 and walking through a minute before their destination?  Roll Eyes
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stuving
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« Reply #747 on: January 03, 2018, 18:39:20 »

Quote
I can report that the rear 4 carriages are utterly deserted. Maybe 5 passengers per carriage. The front 8 are full and standing -
So passengers would rather stand in coaches 1-8 for 20-30 minutes, instead of having a seat in coach 9 or 10 and walking through a minute before their destination?  Roll Eyes

Early days yet. People will adapt to the trains once they trust they know what happens - so I'd not recommend too much adapting until GWR (Great Western Railway) get their act (and trains and staffing) together a bit more.
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Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #748 on: January 03, 2018, 18:42:10 »

17:49 appears to be stuck at Reading....
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NickB
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« Reply #749 on: January 03, 2018, 18:44:41 »

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I can report that the rear 4 carriages are utterly deserted. Maybe 5 passengers per carriage. The front 8 are full and standing -
So passengers would rather stand in coaches 1-8 for 20-30 minutes, instead of having a seat in coach 9 or 10 and walking through a minute before their destination?  Roll Eyes

Apparently so.
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