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

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Late, and no doubt very cosy...…

07:30 London Paddington to Penzance due 13:25 has been delayed at London Paddington and is now 12 minutes late.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10.

[a-driver]

Late, and no doubt very cosy...…

07:30 London Paddington to Penzance due 13:25 has been delayed at London Paddington and is now 12 minutes late.

This is due to a shortage of train crew.

Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 10.

Rear 5 coaches locked out from Paddington but all 10 will be in use from Bristol

[TonyK]

With all the reasons and blame attribution that goes on ... I don't recall ever seeing a multiple reason:
"Shortage of drivers and in any case the train was broken"
"Tree blocking line - not really a problem as we didn't have a conductor"
Odd really, as you would expect there to be multiple problems some times, and indeed if a train was cancelled for one reason (it's run out of fuel) that would be a good reason to make that the train for which there was no driver, and for which there was no train manager!

Sounds like old fashioned legal pleading, where all possible answers had to be submitted at once.
"In the first case, the window was not broken. In the second case, the window was broken, but my client did not break it. In the third case, my client did break the window, but it was an accident. In the fourth case, my client broke it deliberately, is very sorry, won't do it again, and will pay for the damage."

[devonexpress]

In relation to the Class 800s would it not be easier to put First Class in the middle of 10 car units, as that way it could be guaranteed to be in the same position, rather than having it and the middle and rear, or front and rear etc.

[MVR S&T]

If first class was in the centre, there would be lots of 'second class' footfall passing through, looking for a seat, working toilet, buffet etc, on SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)  444s in my area, first is always at the london end of each 5 car set, less distance to walk at Waterloo, of course.

[grahame]

In relation to the Class 800s would it not be easier to put First Class in the middle of 10 car units, as that way it could be guaranteed to be in the same position, rather than having it and the middle and rear, or front and rear etc.

With a 10 car ( 5 + 5 ) it often is in the middle but it rather depends on how trains are shunted and turned before they are joined up.   With the high level of cancellations, diversions and short runs at the moment, units tend to be front to back and back to front far too often and

16:30 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
16:30 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
This train is delayed and will be 45 minutes late from Paddington
This is due to the train having to be sent via Ealing and South Greenford to get first class as the right end

would probably not be popular

[devonexpress]

If first class was in the centre, there would be lots of 'second class' footfall passing through, looking for a seat, working toilet, buffet etc, on SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)  444s in my area, first is always at the london end of each 5 car set, less distance to walk at Waterloo, of course.

Not really possible as the end doors don't open anyway, so they could only get through on the second and third set of doors. To be honest id rather have first class in exactly the same place every time which having it in the middle might be an easier way to do so, than having one end at London and one end at the country.  The difference between SWR and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is of course Gloucester, by having the train being constantly turned around it screws up the first class end, by having it in the middle its problem solved.

[Adelante_CCT]

Cosy evening for many returning to work this week

17:15 London Paddington to Carmarthen due 21:20
17:30 London Paddington to Taunton due 20:31
17:42 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 19:49
18:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 20:53

Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9/10.

[CMRail]

Cosy evening for many returning to work this week

17:15 London Paddington to Carmarthen due 21:20
17:30 London Paddington to Taunton due 20:31
17:42 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa due 19:49
18:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare due 20:53

Will be formed of 5 coaches instead of 9/10.

That’s painfull. All four of some of the busiest HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) services off the day.

[devonexpress]

One improvement over the last couple of months is a reduction in the number of 10-Cars running with 5 locked out of use - I haven’t seen one in ages.  Some might suggest that’s because of the large number of 5-car short forms, but it is nonetheless an improvement.

Or maybe because they've had the chance to train up more staff onto the Class 800/802s? The problem was down to the Dft rushing the 800s into service and giving limited time for GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to train all its staff. Whilst we now have all the 800 5 car units in service I believe they are still undergoing modification/update work, as I predicted would happen with them effectively being a brand new entire model.  We are still have a limited amount of 9 car 800s running, and only 4 (5 car) Class 802s in service which means juggling the fleet around like they did with the HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s is currently difficult. 

Also a quick question, as I presume its possible for the 800 and 802s to couple up, are they allowed to work a public service together, and since the 800s are banned for taking the public past Newton Abbot to Plymouth, if one was a 800s and the other was an 802s, would it still be banned?

[IndustryInsider]

I don't think you'll see 800s coupled to 802s unless an emergency rescue is taking place.  Hitachi are very protective of 'their' 800 units (currently insisting they are not outstabled for example), whereas they don't have the same level of control over the 802 fleet.

[devonexpress]

I don't think you'll see 800s coupled to 802s unless an emergency rescue is taking place.  Hitachi are very protective of 'their' 800 units (currently insisting they are not outstabled for example), whereas they don't have the same level of control over the 802 fleet.

Thanks for the information, I don't get why Hitachi are being so nit picky about the Class 800s, Do they own the leases for them or is it Eversholt Rail like the 802s? I read somewhere that they even stopped GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) putting bicycle signs on the vinyl livery, only for them to then deny this and say its down to GWR, but if it was down to GWR the entire train would be plastered in signs like the rest of its fleet.

[didcotdean]

A recent GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) tweet claimed they will soon be beefing up the notices relating to quiet carriages so maybe some kind of agreement might be reached.

[stuving]

... Thanks for the information, I don't get why Hitachi are being so nit picky about the Class 800s, Do they own the leases for them or is it Eversholt Rail like the 802s?

Agility Trains owns the two IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.)/IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)/Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER) fleets and is contracted to provide them to the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company). Its shareholders are:

• The Agility Trains West shareholder group consists of Hitachi Rail Europe (70%), John Laing Infrastructure Fund (15%) and AXA Real Estate Investment Managers (15%)
• The Agility Trains East shareholder group consists of Hitachi Rail Europe (70%) and John Laing Group (30%)

Presumably that corresponds to ownership of the trains, though there might be something more complicated to allow for Hitachi's contributions in kind.

[devonexpress]

... Thanks for the information, I don't get why Hitachi are being so nit picky about the Class 800s, Do they own the leases for them or is it Eversholt Rail like the 802s?

Agility Trains owns the two IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.)/IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)/Azuma^▸ (Brand name for Class 80x trains on LNER) fleets and is contracted to provide them to the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company). Its shareholders are:

• The Agility Trains West shareholder group consists of Hitachi Rail Europe (70%), John Laing Infrastructure Fund (15%) and AXA Real Estate Investment Managers (15%)
• The Agility Trains East shareholder group consists of Hitachi Rail Europe (70%) and John Laing Group (30%)

Presumably that corresponds to ownership of the trains, though there might be something more complicated to allow for Hitachi's contributions in kind.

That would explain it then, I know Eversholt Rail owns the Class 802s, on a much cheaper lease too.  I would have found it funny if GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) decided to order loads of 802s and not use the 800s, but then again I doubt the Dft would have allowed that.