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

[whole diary]

[bobm]

On board the 07:00 out of Paddington.

With Hitachi’s involvement perhaps not surprising there seemed to be more Japanese TV crews on the platform that anyone else.



Selection of other photos

[TaplowGreen]

Richard Clinnick's facebook page shows Messrs Grayling and Hopwood in first class coach K. I wonder how much they paid for their tickets.....

NOthing I would imagine, and why would they pay?

.......to save the taxpayer the expense?

[John R]

Because Hopwood is the MD of the railway and travelling on company business, and Grayling is his invited guest for the launch event. 

More importantly, ITV is reporting that they had problems coupling the two units together at the depot, hence the reason why it set off 25 minutes late from Bristol. Really?  You couldn't make it up could you? Hitachi should have had the units ready hours before for such an important launch event.  At least they didn't run the service short formed though...

[Birdie100]

Rumour has it the PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) arrival has had technical difficulties and won't arrive! RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) showing it hasn't cleared Slough yet but not sure if this an error.

Finally arrived nearly 40min late...

[BerkshireBugsy]

Geeetings from a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) based service which I boarded at Reading for Paddington . Sadly it don't know the origin of the service I was too busy trying to board and get a seat

We have been switched onto the "slow" up line - does anyone know if this is connected with the introduction of the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) today ?

Update: we were routed back on to the Up Main (?) line just west on Slough station

[Timmer]

Eeeeekkk! BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West Tweeted this:
https://twitter.com/bbcpointswest/status/919822837136936961

[DidcotPunter]

Eeeeekkk! BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West Tweeted this:
https://twitter.com/bbcpointswest/status/919822837136936961

Excellent! Ideal for dealing with smelly trainspotters 

[DidcotPunter]

Up working 1C03 seems to have had a rather disastrous debut. Arrived at Padd 41 mins late. Failed to switch over from diesel to AC at Maidenhead, so diesel all the way to Padd. Return working 1B12 8:15 to Cardiff has been cancelled.

Down working 1A03 seems to be doing a bit better, 7 mins late at Bath.

No doubt they'll sort it all out eventually but fabled 'Japanese reliability' has taken a bit of a knock!

[chuffed]

Eeeeekkk! BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West Tweeted this:
https://twitter.com/bbcpointswest/status/919822837136936961

Was this the moment when things started going swimmingly for the debutante ?

[JayMac]

Is this the first dog to travel on a Class 800?

[chuffed]

He very probably is. And so very very adorably photogenic. He could almost be looking into a gramophone horn just waiting for HMV !

[Adelante_CCT]

1A03 was the up working, 1C03 the down,

[DidcotPunter]

1A03 was the up working, 1C03 the down,

Ooops sorry, wrong way round. 

[Richard Fairhurst]

Wonder how long it's been since the word "Intercity" has appeared on screens (or Solari boards!) at Paddington?

[Timmer]

Up working 1C03 seems to have had a rather disastrous debut. Arrived at Padd 41 mins late. Failed to switch over from diesel to AC at Maidenhead, so diesel all the way to Padd. Return working 1B12 8:15 to Cardiff has been cancelled.

Hope there wasn't a welcoming committee planned for the first scheduled IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) into Wales.