GWRF2020-12 Rolling Stock and provision therein

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Consultation Question 12

a) What do you think are the main priorities that we should seek to address in relation to rolling stock?
b) Are there any routes which do not currently have First Class accommodation where you think it should be provided?
c) Should the franchisee provide specific services and facilities for a) business travellers or b) families travelling with children or c) other passengers?
d) If yes, please provide more information on what you think should be provided
e) What benefits or disadvantages do you think innovative technologies for rolling stock, e.g. hydrogen or battery power, could bring?
f) Are there any routes which would be particularly suitable for these types of innovative technology?


Explanatory text

Passenger satisfaction surveys and discussions with stakeholders identify crowding as a key concern with the Great Western franchise. Current levels of crowding on some routes can be a significant barrier to further growth in passenger numbers, including in places where many people currently choose to travel by car. Therefore, there may be significant “suppressed demand”, i.e. passengers who would be willing to travel by rail if there was space for more passengers to travel in comfort. Whilst the changes being introduced as part of the existing franchise up until 2020 will provide significantly more seats and space for passengers, it is likely that rising demand beyond this will require additional rolling stock.

We propose that a key priority for the specification for the franchise through the 2020s should be to provide sufficient space for passengers, and to stimulate and accommodate future growth, and we would expect the franchisee to make progress against that objective during the two-year continuation period. We will also consider whether there is a case for providing additional carriages on the Paddington – Penzance ‘Night Riviera’ sleeper, which stakeholders have told us is often very busy.

Rolling stock

By the end of the current franchise, a substantial amount of new rolling stock will have been introduced and some of the oldest trains currently operating on the franchise will have been replaced by more modern ones. Nevertheless, some of the trains which will remain at the end of the franchise were introduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and will therefore be approaching the end of their intended design life during the 2020s. A key issue for the franchise, therefore, will be to ensure that all rolling stock on the franchise meets modern standards of design, comfort and on-train facilities. For the older fleets remaining on the franchise, we envisage this requiring significant modernisation if they are to continue operating long into the 2020s.

Passenger expectations regarding the quality of rolling stock and the facilities provided are also rising, e.g. the provision of reliable free wi-fi and mobile connectivity has been highlighted by a number of stakeholders, and the provision of on-board CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) is becoming more widespread as a means of helping to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and enabling passengers to feel safer.

We propose requiring the franchisee to identify, assess and advise on the options for the long-term future of the older diesel fleets that will remain in operation on the franchise after 2020, taking account of projected increases in demand and passengers’ expectations of a high-quality on-train passenger environment with modern facilities. We will also seek significant improvements in mobile connectivity across the franchise, including the introduction of minimum service levels for train-to-internet connectivity.

There are also differing views on the provision of First Class accommodation. In particular, there is a trade-off between providing First Class accommodation for those who want it, and providing sufficient seats and space for other passengers. Some stakeholders have also suggested that First Class accommodation could be appropriate for middle-distance services which do not currently provide this, subject to sufficient space being retained for standard-class passengers.

See http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=19037 for the background to this topic

[grahame]

Let's try some starters:

a) What do you think are the main priorities that we should seek to address in relation to rolling stock?

The top priority must be to have enough rolling stock to provide all the services in the specification, with trains long enough to conformably accommodate all the passengers who want to travel in all but the most exceptional of circumstances - and accommodate them with whatever they want to bring along with them.   Rolling stock needs to be reliable and able to meet required timings both between and at stations.

c) Should the franchisee provide specific services and facilities for a) business travellers or b) families travelling with children or c) other passengers?
d) If yes, please provide more information on what you think should be provided

Yes.

Seats for everyone who wants to sit down on journeys of over 15 minutes

Space for luggage, pushchairs, etc, and whatever else the passengers wish to travel with, subject to the limitations in the current conditions of travel.

Toilet facilities on all but very short journeys, and if not available on the train they should be available at the stations.

Free and easy to use WiFi to be near-universal and with good bandwidth.   Charging capability for electronic devices on regional and long distance trains.

[broadgage]

Sufficient rolling stock to run the full advertised service of full length trains, with a margin for breakdowns, AND enough to cater for special events.

Enough space for passengers and their luggage, including cycles, prams and the like.

Most seats to be facing across a full size table. Seats aligned with windows.

All new or refurbished stock to be fitted with openable windows for when the air conditioning breaks. These windows to be locked shut normally, with provision for opening when AC fails.

All new or refurbished stock to be fitted with internal lighting along ONE SIDE ONLY of the coach, the light would of course spread out, but one side would be much brighter than the other.
Customers could sit to left or right of gangway according to preference for dim or bright lighting.

Heating also on ONE SIDE ONLY, the warmth would of course spread out to an extent, but customers could sit to left or right of gangway according to temperature preference.

Chilled air from air conditioning to be directed downwards towards ONE SIDE ONLY of the coach, the other side from that fitted with heaters of course, the whole vehicle would become cooled, but one side would receive a direct flow of cooled air. Customers could again sit to left or right of gangway according to preference.

In order to identify the warmer and cooler sides of each coach, make the grab handles different colours. Red or orange for the warmer side, and blue or green for the cooler side.
You can never satisfy everyone's preferences as regards lighting levels and temperature, but my suggestions regarding lighting and heating/cooling would give a choice and thereby satisfy more. On new stock  the cost should be zero.

Provide a proper hot buffet on all long distance services.

[grahame]

On innovative technology ... noting comments elsewhere on Hydrogen (buses)

As has been suggested that might be a demo run, but these vehicles or something similar, did run fairly regularly in London, on route RV1 I think.
Reliability seemed poor with conventional buses often being used instead.
The technology undoubtedly works to an extent, but that does not mean that it is sensible on environmental or financial grounds.
AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know), the costs were substantial with hydrogen costing a lot more than either diesel fuel or battery power.

we are asked

e) What benefits or disadvantages do you think innovative technologies for rolling stock, e.g. hydrogen or battery power, could bring?
f) Are there any routes which would be particularly suitable for these types of innovative technology?

The prime purpose of each and every passenger railway service in the franchise should be to transport people when and where they want to go, at sensible cost, reliably, and in an environmentally friendly way.  Where an innovative technology may help with that, there is nothing wrong with research and development being done - provided that its is safe and the service remains reliable.    That proviso may mean that there's an element of tried and tested stock available to run services at short notice if required, and that additional operating costs will be occurred which must not be be recovered from passengers on the train(s) in question, nor held against their economic case for future development of the service in any direction.

[devonexpress]

Sufficient rolling stock to run the full advertised service of full length trains, with a margin for breakdowns, AND enough to cater for special events.

Enough space for passengers and their luggage, including cycles, prams and the like.

Most seats to be facing across a full size table. Seats aligned with windows.

All new or refurbished stock to be fitted with openable windows for when the air conditioning breaks. These windows to be locked shut normally, with provision for opening when AC fails.

All new or refurbished stock to be fitted with internal lighting along ONE SIDE ONLY of the coach, the light would of course spread out, but one side would be much brighter than the other.
Customers could sit to left or right of gangway according to preference for dim or bright lighting.

Heating also on ONE SIDE ONLY, the warmth would of course spread out to an extent, but customers could sit to left or right of gangway according to temperature preference.

Chilled air from air conditioning to be directed downwards towards ONE SIDE ONLY of the coach, the other side from that fitted with heaters of course, the whole vehicle would become cooled, but one side would receive a direct flow of cooled air. Customers could again sit to left or right of gangway according to preference.

In order to identify the warmer and cooler sides of each coach, make the grab handles different colours. Red or orange for the warmer side, and blue or green for the cooler side.
You can never satisfy everyone's preferences as regards lighting levels and temperature, but my suggestions regarding lighting and heating/cooling would give a choice and thereby satisfy more. On new stock  the cost should be zero.

Provide a proper hot buffet on all long distance services.

Most of what your describing sounds like Mark 2 or Mark 3 coaching stock, and the need for extra stock was something that used to be relatively cheap when we had 1 locomotive and 14 or 15 coaches. Which of course got abandoned in favour of DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s & HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)