New Plymouth MP to work for better London rail link

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From the Plymouth Herald

Plymouth's newest MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) has left the city for Westminster – and has already started campaigning for a better rail connection from his seat.

Labour's Luke Pollard, who won the seat from Conservative Oliver Colvile, left Plymouth railway station today with a send-off from supporters and colleagues.

[snip]

However, even from his seat on the Great Western train to Paddington, Mr Pollard appeared keen to get his message across, saying he was willing to work with Conservative MPs in the region to ensure Plymouth finally got a better rail link to London.

I'm noting a priority on London and not rail links in and around the region.  That figures, I suppose, because Mr Pollard's going to be personally doing a lot of travel between Paddington and Plymouth ... and because improvements are already planned when the 802s start running, so he's assured of getting what he wants prior to the end of a five year term.

[TaplowGreen]

From the Plymouth Herald

Plymouth's newest MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) has left the city for Westminster – and has already started campaigning for a better rail connection from his seat.

Labour's Luke Pollard, who won the seat from Conservative Oliver Colvile, left Plymouth railway station today with a send-off from supporters and colleagues.

[snip]

However, even from his seat on the Great Western train to Paddington, Mr Pollard appeared keen to get his message across, saying he was willing to work with Conservative MPs in the region to ensure Plymouth finally got a better rail link to London.

I'm noting a priority on London and not rail links in and around the region.  That figures, I suppose, because Mr Pollard's going to be personally doing a lot of travel between Paddington and Plymouth ... and because improvements are already planned when the 802s start running, so he's assured of getting what he wants prior to the end of a five year term.

I suspect he may be keen on securing something more substantial than a 6 minute improvement to journey times between London & Plymouth, a more frequent service & less of the cattle truck conditions experienced by those travelling to the Westcountry on Fridays/Bank Holidays, and back from the Westcountry on Sundays......that should keep him busy for a while! 😃

[Umberleigh]

Wait until he gets crammed into a five car 802* for three hours, then he'll have something to moan about

(*we all know it's gonna happen)

[JayMac]

Wait until he gets crammed into a five car 802* for three hours, then he'll have something to moan about

(*we all know it's gonna happen)

Can I have a go on your crystal ball please?! 

[broadgage]

Wait until he gets crammed into a five car 802* for three hours, then he'll have something to moan about

(*we all know it's gonna happen)

I thought that I was the only member to have such negative thoughts on the new trains !
And yes of course it is going to happen, hopefully not all the time though.
I have no doubt that services that are expected to be busy every day will be diagrammed for a pair of DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit), but what about when one breaks, perhaps due to running "un muzzled"
Or when the single unit due into Plymouth from further west is delayed and the other single unit to which it was due to be attached at Plymouth therefore goes to London on its own.(cant risk delay minutes by waiting for the delayed unit, no crew and/or no path for the two DMUs to go independently to London.)

And of course the modern railway does not cater for peak flows, so a normally lightly loaded service booked for a single DMU, will still be a single unit no matter how busy on say a holiday weekend.

[Noggin]

Wait until he gets crammed into a five car 802* for three hours, then he'll have something to moan about

(*we all know it's gonna happen)

I thought that I was the only member to have such negative thoughts on the new trains !
And yes of course it is going to happen, hopefully not all the time though.
I have no doubt that services that are expected to be busy every day will be diagrammed for a pair of DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit), but what about when one breaks, perhaps due to running "un muzzled"
Or when the single unit due into Plymouth from further west is delayed and the other single unit to which it was due to be attached at Plymouth therefore goes to London on its own.(cant risk delay minutes by waiting for the delayed unit, no crew and/or no path for the two DMUs to go independently to London.)

And of course the modern railway does not cater for peak flows, so a normally lightly loaded service booked for a single DMU, will still be a single unit no matter how busy on say a holiday weekend.

The 802's are designed to run to the west with higher HP, larger cooler groups, resistance grids and fuel tanks, so they aren't going to be stretched beyond what was originally envisaged.

I've said it before and will say it again. This is Hitachi's big chance to prove that they can deliver a quality product to the rest of Europe, and particularly that their Italian plants can deliver a quality product after the disasters of the Danish IC4 and Dutch Fyra units. They badly want to win the rolling stock contract for HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) and will not be leaving anything to chance.

[broadgage]

Wait until he gets crammed into a five car 802* for three hours, then he'll have something to moan about

(*we all know it's gonna happen)

Can I have a go on your crystal ball please?! 

You might do better to try my crystal ball* I have a good one, the latest model in fact!
My crystal ball has successfully predicted the following.
1) that most of the new trains would be significantly shorter than existing stock.
2) that most of the seating would be bus airline style without tables.
3) that no buffet would be provided.
4) that the new trains would have underfloor engines, and therefore be DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) despite a reluctance to call them thus.

My crystal ball also forecast that although the second batch of improved DMUs for longer distance services "could" have a buffet, that they would not actually have any such.

And various other negative predictions regarding new and less reliable signalling and time and money overruns re electrification.

*terms and conditions apply to crystal ball hire.

[Adelante_CCT]

but what about when one breaks

Your crystal ball constantly talks about having a 5 car breaking down therefore only a 5 car on its own will run. Surely running 5 cars is better than a 9 car breaking down with no alternative and therefore the service is cancelled throughout. This is also better than at present when an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) breaks down, or longrock not having enough sets and running a 2 car from Penzance to Exeter with no follow on service (with HST starting at Bristol) which has happened many a time over the years.

[paul7575]

2) that most of the seating would be bus airline style without tables.

I thought photos had been published that show the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) with more tables than GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s 'high capacity' HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)...

Paul

[broadgage]

2) that most of the seating would be bus airline style without tables.

I thought photos had been published that show the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) with more tables than GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s 'high capacity' HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)...

Paul

I believe that you are correct, but only because the high capacity HSTs suffered such a downgrade. Indeed a cynic like me would suggest that the removal of most of the tables, and the abolition of many proper buffets was to prepare passengers for the new DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit).
"look, they are no worse than the old trains"

[Umberleigh]

but what about when one breaks

Your crystal ball constantly talks about having a 5 car breaking down therefore only a 5 car on its own will run. Surely running 5 cars is better than a 9 car breaking down with no alternative and therefore the service is cancelled throughout. This is also better than at present when an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) breaks down, or longrock not having enough sets and running a 2 car from Penzance to Exeter with no follow on service (with HST starting at Bristol) which has happened many a time over the years.

They will probably be most reliable (provided they pass the sea water test). But a 5 car is 3 shorter than what is provided at present, and will inevitably be substituted for a 9 car on occasions. Plus underfloor engines, no buffets, high density seating... sorry, but it sounds like a Voyager to me, so can only hope lessons have been learnt re smells and claustrophobic interiors

[Adelante_CCT]

But a 5 car is 3 shorter than what is provided at present

I was referring to when a 5 car breaks down as part of a 10, therefore only 5 cars continue, if an 8/9 car breaks down you have a 0 car train operating, 5 cars being more useful than 0.

no buffets

The idea of train travel is to get from A to B and I personally don't think trains require the need for full buffets. If you require 5 star dining in a train then you have services such as the Pullman/Northern Belle etc. You don't have full meals whilst in a car or whilst travelling via coach/bus, so why should train travel be any different. I do however feel that a micro buffet/trolley should be provided at least.

Yes the voyagers smell but those weren't made by Hitachi, the Javelins were however and I've always enjoyed my journeys through Kent on them (despite having to use them to visit the in-laws!) so we'll have to wait and see regarding that aspect