Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 13:55 28 Mar 2024
- Man held over stabbing in front of train passengers
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
* Jet2 launches first flight from Liverpool airport
- Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1988)
Woman found murdered on Orpington to London train (*)

Train RunningCancelled
12:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
13:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
13:15 Swindon to Westbury
13:26 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
13:28 Weymouth to Gloucester
13:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
14:13 Par to Newquay
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
15:10 Newquay to Par
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
Short Run
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
10:55 Paignton to London Paddington
11:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
11:29 Weymouth to Gloucester
11:48 London Paddington to Carmarthen
12:03 London Paddington to Penzance
12:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
12:42 Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury
12:46 Avonmouth to Weston-Super-Mare
13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
13:07 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
13:10 Gloucester to Weymouth
13:26 Okehampton to Exeter Central
14:05 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
16:19 Carmarthen to London Paddington
Delayed
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
10:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
11:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
12:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
14:30 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 14:04:08 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[142] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[80] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[56] Return of the BRUTE?
[46] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[43] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[34] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 ... 118 119 [120] 121 122 ... 170
  Print  
Author Topic: IETs into passenger service from 16 Oct 2017 and subsequent performance issues  (Read 543787 times)
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #1785 on: June 23, 2019, 11:38:17 »

Several services to/from Bedwyn are today formed of 3 car Turbos instead of 5 car IETs (Intercity Express Train). "due to a shortage of IETs"
So much for the new fleet being ample.

On of the two Bedwyn diagrams is indeed a Turbo.  There appears to have been a PA (Public Address) fault on an earlier service which I think was an IET which came off North Pole an hour late and as a result led to the 09:07 PAD» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-BDW and return being cancelled.  Though, later in the day, it looks like it's actually due to a crew shortage - Turbos can run DOO (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) to Bedwyn whilst IETs need a guard.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2019, 11:46:05 by IndustryInsider » Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
CMRail
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 400


View Profile
« Reply #1786 on: June 23, 2019, 13:19:10 »

Why is it that people are continually so obsessive about these trains being so terrible because there are faults? Either HSTs (High Speed Train) were faultless, or, they were never discussed so regularly as they were the norm and such an iconic train..
Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #1787 on: June 23, 2019, 14:09:15 »

Why is it that people are continually so obsessive about these trains being so terrible because there are faults? Either HSTs (High Speed Train) were faultless, or, they were never discussed so regularly as they were the norm and such an iconic train..

Several reasons.
1) Many people consider the IETs (Intercity Express Train) to be a very poor quality replacement for the proper inter-city trains used previously, a position worsened when they are half length.

2) HSTs undoubtedly failed, but such failures usually resulted in either a spare HST or a full length loco hauled set being used instead. These days we get a half length train.

3) IETs are hugely expensive, and for all this expense we were promised "Japanese levels of reliability"

4) Previous promises have not been kept "all trains that need to be full length, will be full length"
"much improved trolley service"  "hot food in cattle class"
Therefore many people don't believe promises about future improvements and suspect that we stuck with uncomfortable trains, often reduced in length, with minimal catering, for the next 26 years.

I, and I suspect many others, would forgive the underfloor engines if the trains had proper buffets, padded seats, working reservations, more tables, reliable toilets, proper luggage space for holidaymakers, and were reliably 9 or 10 car with gangways throughout.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
rogerw
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1336



View Profile
« Reply #1788 on: June 23, 2019, 14:13:06 »

Travelled today on 1456 CPM» (Chippenham - next trains) -PAD» (Paddington (London) - next trains) on set 800034, middle coach(813034). No reservations posted, just a sea of green lights.

Assuming that middle coach was coach J then that carriage was unreserved so a sea of green is what you should have seen.

No, it was coach C where my reservation should have been
Logged

I like to travel.  It lets me feel I'm getting somewhere.
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #1789 on: June 23, 2019, 15:17:35 »

Fair enough, obviously an error with the reservations there then as C was heavily reserved.  It’s unusual for that to happen - usually the TM(resolve)/driver can correct it if the reservations have loaded (which they must have done for the green lights to have been on) but the formation wrong, unless the previous train had stuck in the system?  Did you notice whether the internal/external displays were showing the correct information, or what reservation information was being displayed in other carriages?

Reservations are generally much better now, but still not as reliable as they should be.
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
didcotdean
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1424


View Profile
« Reply #1790 on: June 23, 2019, 16:35:45 »

Why is it that people are continually so obsessive about these trains being so terrible because there are faults? Either HSTs (High Speed Train) were faultless, or, they were never discussed so regularly as they were the norm and such an iconic train..
The operational faults of the HST were made somewhat more invisible in recent years on the main services than they might have been by the practice of a failed one being covered if possible by reallocating one scheduled to run on the Cotswolds or Oxfords. This was in turn covered by a turbo often dividing a 2+3 formation from elsewhere. So whilst those on the main lines still got their HST and were blissfully unaware of what was going on, others got a 3 carriage turbo instead of an HST, and a 2 carriage turbo instead of a 5. Next to suffer might be Cheltenham, with a through HST cancelled in favour of a shuttle from Swindon.

Of course this couldn't happen every time depending on where and when the failure occurred, but it certainly had an effect.
Logged
Incider
Transport Scholar
Full Member
******
Posts: 98


View Profile
« Reply #1791 on: June 23, 2019, 16:48:21 »

Why is it that people are continually so obsessive about these trains being so terrible because there are faults? Either HSTs (High Speed Train) were faultless, or, they were never discussed so regularly as they were the norm and such an iconic train..


2) HSTs undoubtedly failed, but such failures usually resulted in either a spare HST or a full length loco hauled set being used instead. These days we get a half length train.


There was rarely a spare HST set (and if there was, it was inevitably in the wrong place) and I’d love to know how many years ago (if it ever happened) that a failed HST was usually replaced by a full length loco hailed set.....
Logged
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #1792 on: June 23, 2019, 17:01:04 »

Decades ago when the HSTs (High Speed Train) were new and less reliable, it was common to substitute a full length loco hauled set.
In more recent years it was the norm to take an HST from a lower priority service, in order to avoid cancelling an important express.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #1793 on: June 23, 2019, 17:09:52 »

I remember 2-car Turbos being sent out several times instead of a HST (High Speed Train) on a ‘low priority’ but bloody busy Sunday Paddington to Hereford diagram.  Rather more of an inconvenience than replacing a 9-car with a 5-car IET (Intercity Express Train), even if the latter is still regrettable.
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #1794 on: June 23, 2019, 17:11:22 »

The operational faults of the HST (High Speed Train) were made somewhat more invisible in recent years on the main services than they might have been by the practice of a failed one being covered if possible by reallocating one scheduled to run on the Cotswolds or Oxfords. This was in turn covered by a turbo often dividing a 2+3 formation from elsewhere. So whilst those on the main lines still got their HST and were blissfully unaware of what was going on, others got a 3 carriage turbo instead of an HST, and a 2 carriage turbo instead of a 5. Next to suffer might be Cheltenham, with a through HST cancelled in favour of a shuttle from Swindon.
Of course this couldn't happen every time depending on where and when the failure occurred, but it certainly had an effect.

Yes, but that is of little consolation to the long distance passengers who used to always get a full length HST, but now have a lottery as to train length.
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
didcotdean
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1424


View Profile
« Reply #1795 on: June 23, 2019, 17:38:17 »

Indeed it means sharing out the pain more rather than one section of customers being constantly pampered over another as in the past - and seemingly not realising it.

Wonder if when electrification is completed to Cardiff the 387s will cover it Smiley
Logged
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #1796 on: June 23, 2019, 17:42:57 »

Worth mentioning there were very few shortforms today anyway.  Indeed I noted at least one Cornish service running as 10 vice 5 throughout.

I certainly acknowledge that reliability (and therefore availability) needs to improve though.  The list of diesel only units had crept up to 20 yesterday - not much of a problem now, but will be in December!
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
Trowres
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 749


View Profile
« Reply #1797 on: June 23, 2019, 17:44:51 »

A 9 coach IET (Intercity Express Train) turned up on one of the W-S-M air show extra workings yesterday.

I survived the seat for 30 minutes, but was loaned a scarf by Mrs T in order to cope with the icy breeze emanating from the air con system. I haven't tried sufficient IETs to know whether this is an isolated case, specific to the seat where I was (approx. the middle of the coach) or more widespread. Has anyone else noticed this problem now that the cooling season has arrived? (Not that Saturday was particularly hot...)
Logged
IndustryInsider
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 10095


View Profile
« Reply #1798 on: June 23, 2019, 17:48:11 »

I can't say I've noticed it particularly. 

Having experienced the Class 180 air-con which really did make your teeth chatter on occasions if you were in the wrong spot (on other occasions it was about 30 degrees in the carriage!) it seems to be working reasonably well with the temperature sensors generally reading between 20 and 23 degrees whenever I've looked.  There will always be the odd exception though.
Logged

To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
didcotdean
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1424


View Profile
« Reply #1799 on: June 23, 2019, 17:51:30 »

I certainly acknowledge that reliability (and therefore availability) needs to improve though.  The list of diesel only units had crept up to 20 yesterday - not much of a problem now, but will be in December!
The bi-mode capability seemed at first to give the DfT» (Department for Transport - about)/NR» (Network Rail - home page) a get out of jail free card with the electrification mess-up, but increasingly it seems to be Agility Trains/Hitachi that is the beneficiary at the moment.
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 ... 118 119 [120] 121 122 ... 170
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the 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 the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page