IETs into passenger service from 16 Oct 2017 and subsequent performance issues

[whole diary]

[southwest]

Can we have some 5 car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) on the Cross Country Bournemouth to Manchester please...

If rail growth was continuing I could have seen this happening in 2025, but currently I doubt it. It's more likely that once the 221s from AWC become available they will be used. We may even see XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s given the axe. To be honest it's impossible to tell right now, in 2 or 3 years time we could be in a completely different scenario to what we are now.

If we get a vaccine by Christmas/Early next year it's very likely that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) 10 cars will no longer be used, as social distancing will be gone and it won't be cost effective to run 10 coaches when only 5 are needed. Whilst I cannot see the Castle's going any time soon, I wouldn't be surprised to see the 150s go unless things change.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Can we have some 5 car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) on the Cross Country Bournemouth to Manchester please...

If rail growth was continuing I could have seen this happening in 2025, but currently I doubt it. It's more likely that once the 221s from AWC become available they will be used.

And the 222s from East Midlands, of course.

[bobm]

Something I have noticed in recent weeks.



The GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) logos are starting to wear off.  Whether it is the carriage washer or tree branches west of Plymouth I am not sure.

(Image from nine car 802 112)

[eightonedee]

Perhaps they were designed to last as long as the franchise.......

[stuving]

Perhaps they were designed to last as long as the franchise.......

... in which case they can just slap new ones one.

[IndustryInsider]

The centre aisle carpets, which are far too light a colour and show up staining, are being replaced with a more suitable colour/shade on the 800 fleet.  This will happen during the first half of next year, and hopefully the same will happen to the 802 fleet shortly after.

[IndustryInsider]

The passenger count equipment on IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) is now being used to provide details on how busy specific trains are.  Available on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) app as well as internal systems.  Presumably wider channels (such as CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) monitors) will follow.

The counting system is working fairly reliably these days, though still not perfect.  It should still give a good idea of how busy a specific train is however.

[broadgage]

And if this system tells the passenger that the train they intended to catch is very crowded, presumably they will be allowed to use a later service AT NO EXTRA CHARGE 

[Bmblbzzz]

Changing from a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) to a Cross-Country Voyager yesterday and the same in reverse on the return journey really showed the improvements that have been made with the newer design. The seats are more supportive and give more space. They presumably occupy the same overall width but more of it is available to sit on; I think the seat cushion itself is slightly wider because it's less 'sculpted' at the sides, but it might be the seat itself is wider. More dramatic is the increase in knee room. Again, the seat pitch might be longer but the design of the seat itself plays a large part; the seat backs are less bulky and the absence of the bar under the seat also gives more space. Having the overhead luggage rack transparent is a good choice; you're less likely to forget something if you can see it! And the interior is generally brighter, better illuminated and in lighter, more 'spacious' colours. And the trains are more stable and smoother. Partly this is down to electric traction, partly it seems to be the suspension, but I don't know if that's better design or just being newer.

It's not all improvements though. The choice between automatic and button-push doors has advantages and disadvantages; automatics sometimes open when you don't want but their advantage was demonstrated at Reading when a woman with a baby in a pushchair got to them and, because of the pushchair, couldn't reach the button. The toilets on the IET don't smell so much but they are perhaps a bit small. Not having the flush button hidden behind the toilet lid seems a good idea but unfortunately doesn't ensure people will use it. The cycle storage is not good on the Voyagers but if anything even worse on the IETs.

The most dramatic difference to me though was the much more comfortable and spacious seating.

[Jamsdad]

Interested that you liked the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) seat! I can only assume you are not sitting on it for the five hour journey from Paddington to Cornwall. Fine for the first couple of hours then the back pain kicks in.They really are unsuitable for long journeys.

[broadgage]

I consider voyagers and IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) to be somewhat similar.
Voyagers were considered such a great success that another load of short DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) were ordered for routes previously operated by proper trains.

In my view
Seat discomfort=about the same on both.
Seat spacing, better on an IET.
Ride quality, IETs worse.
Toilet smells, Voyagers worse.
Luggage space, similarly bad on both. Totally inadequate for long distance services.
Cycle stowage, IETs worse.
Catering, IETS worse.
Train length, IETs worse. Relative to passenger numbers, not absolute length.
Reliability/availability, IETs much worse.

[Bmblbzzz]

On catering and train length, we didn't see any catering on either of the Voyagers we travelled on and only on one of the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train). Not that I'd have used it anyway, as IME^▸ (in my experience) train catering is almost always overpriced and poor quality (at least in UK^▸ (United Kingdom)). I did get a cup of tea from the Pumpkin on Bournemouth station and that was almost totally devoid of taste, though at least it was hot.

And the two Voyagers were quite crowded (one in each direction) whereas the outbound (up) IET was almost empty: we had the carriage to ourselves till Chippenham. But that was probably more down to times than anything else. And the IETs do at least have a legible system for displaying reservations.

For some reason every time I head down to the south coast, I end up on a train with Welsh sports fans. Bournemouth 4-0 Swansea, but the Welsh fans heading home seemed in a good mood. Loud as opposed to noisy.

[Fourbee]

The vibration and rattling of various frequencies (depending on engine revs) from the Voyager I was on yesterday was constant, but I'd happily take all of their shortcomings to avoid the nausea inducing Pendolino trip from earlier in the day. I just cant get on with the tiny windows and claustrophobic feeling. IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) are light and airy so not a problem either, but I imagine the seats could be (not taken a long enough trip to find out yet!).

[IndustryInsider]

The centre aisle carpets, which are far too light a colour and show up staining, are being replaced with a more suitable colour/shade on the 800 fleet.  This will happen during the first half of next year, and hopefully the same will happen to the 802 fleet shortly after.

This was delayed as Hitachi had more urgent problems to deal with, but has now begun.

[broadgage]

56 short formed IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) today, a particularly poor performance.
Have more of them been withdrawn due to cracks ?
Did the ones drowned at Dawlish suffer any longer term harm ? or were they ok when conditions improved.

The weekend cancellations due to lack of train crew should have been an opportunity to catch up on maintenance, not to fall further behind.