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

[whole diary]

[CMRail]

I also noticed the paint is already looking scrappy. Very dull and scratched and that's only after a few months

Vinyl or Paint?

[The Tall Controller]

800/0s are all vinyl. All other variations are paint.

[Umberleigh]

So we’ve already had a 5 car Paddington - Penzance return service? I thought that was never going to happen...

Possibly also at 5 cars the shortest timetabled Paddington to Penzance service in living memory?

[TonyK]

The decision to manufacture the 5 car sets and not the 9 car sets first and being unable to reverse the decision was just plain wrong. Its once again the passengers who suffer the rail industrie's incompetence.

I don't think it was the rail industry causing the problems alone. AIUI^▸ (as I understand it), the 9/10 car units were always going to be first in service, until the electrification went wrong. Then, the 5-car trains, which were always going to have diesels, were completed first, so that at least we would have something. Presumably, many additional engines had to be ordered to make the longer trains not just electric but bi-mode. It may have speeded things up a bit, but it took a political decision to pause the programme. DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) made strategic blunders which impacted on everything else. But the passengers did indeed suffer, whoever's fault it was.

[IndustryInsider]

I don't think it was the rail industry causing the problems alone. AIUI^▸ (as I understand it), the 9/10 car units were always going to be first in service, until the electrification went wrong. Then, the 5-car trains, which were always going to have diesels, were completed first, so that at least we would have something. Presumably, many additional engines had to be ordered to make the longer trains not just electric but bi-mode. It may have speeded things up a bit, but it took a political decision to pause the programme. DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) made strategic blunders which impacted on everything else. But the passengers did indeed suffer, whoever's fault it was.

Over to you, Stuving?!   

[stuving]

I don't think it was the rail industry causing the problems alone. AIUI^▸ (as I understand it), the 9/10 car units were always going to be first in service, until the electrification went wrong. Then, the 5-car trains, which were always going to have diesels, were completed first, so that at least we would have something. Presumably, many additional engines had to be ordered to make the longer trains not just electric but bi-mode. It may have speeded things up a bit, but it took a political decision to pause the programme. DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) made strategic blunders which impacted on everything else. But the passengers did indeed suffer, whoever's fault it was.

Over to you, Stuving?!   

Do you think he's doing it just to annoy me?

[Timmer]

I don't think it was the rail industry causing the problems alone. AIUI^▸ (as I understand it), the 9/10 car units were always going to be first in service, until the electrification went wrong. Then, the 5-car trains, which were always going to have diesels, were completed first, so that at least we would have something. Presumably, many additional engines had to be ordered to make the longer trains not just electric but bi-mode. It may have speeded things up a bit, but it took a political decision to pause the programme. DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) made strategic blunders which impacted on everything else. But the passengers did indeed suffer, whoever's fault it was.

Which wouldn’t have been a problem had GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)’s HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fleet been promised elsewhere. This constant ‘musical trains’ on such tight schedules that the Dft play moving stock from one TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) to another means once again it’s the passenger that suffers.

When I blame ‘the rail industry’ believe me my main aim is at Dft. Perhaps I should say rail industry/Dft in future.

[stuving]

I shall restrict myself to this summary of the IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) delivery dates from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s original (2015) franchise agreement (copied from the MARA^▸ (Master Availability and Reliability Agreement)):
5-car trains   25 May 2017 to 8 Feb 2018 (bi-mode at the time)
9-car trains   15 Feb 2018 to 6 Jul 2018   (electric at the time).

So all his stuff about the order having been changed is not exactly fake news, it just isn't true. As to why it keeps reappearing, quoted as if true and in no doubt, one of the reasons may also apply to fake news - it comforts preconceptions.

[Adelante_CCT]

So we’ve already had a 5 car Paddington - Penzance return service? I thought that was never going to happen...

Possibly also at 5 cars the shortest timetabled Paddington to Penzance service in living memory?

In the 90s you had that 2/3 car class 15X that ran from Paddington, Reading or Waterloo via Reading (it seemed to vary in each timetable period) down to Penzance very early morning.

[The Tall Controller]

So we’ve already had a 5 car Paddington - Penzance return service? I thought that was never going to happen...

Possibly also at 5 cars the shortest timetabled Paddington to Penzance service in living memory?

It's timetabled as a 10 car train.

Running it as a 5 car at late notice probably outweighed cancelling it throughout (as well as it's return journey).

[broadgage]

So we’ve already had a 5 car Paddington - Penzance return service? I thought that was never going to happen...

Possibly also at 5 cars the shortest timetabled Paddington to Penzance service in living memory?

It's timetabled as a 10 car train.

Running it as a 5 car at late notice probably outweighed cancelling it throughout (as well as it's return journey).

Most Bristol and Cardiff trains are also timetabled as 10 car, but 5 car is frequently provided and often without reservations.
As longer distance services are also downgraded to DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) operation it seems likely that 5 car operation will feature regularly, despite previous assurances to the contrary.
Advocates of the downgrade will of course point out that a 5 car unit is better than nothing.

[IndustryInsider]

Most Bristol and Cardiff trains are also timetabled as 10 car, but 5 car is frequently provided and often without reservations.
As longer distance services are also downgraded to DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) operation it seems likely that 5 car operation will feature regularly, despite previous assurances to the contrary.
Advocates of the downgrade will of course point out that a 5 car unit is better than nothing.

5-car operation will indeed feature regularly, as that’s been the plan all along.

[broadgage]

5 car west of Plymouth was indeed the plan for many trains, but I thought that the intention was that all busy services would be either 10 car to Plymouth, or 9 car throughout.
This service was 5 car throughout, in each direction.

[SandTEngineer]

Facinating photograph published elsewhere of stored (redundant) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) sets at Ely: https://www.flickr.com/photos/robmcrorie/43879066534/in/photostream/

[Rob on the hill]

Facinating photograph published elsewhere of stored (redundant) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) sets at Ely: https://www.flickr.com/photos/robmcrorie/43879066534/in/photostream/

Some of those sidings must be new, as they don't appear currently on Google maps:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Ely/@52.4097715,0.2907868,3606a,35y,60.7h/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d80b13a8c66535:0xd5c9b00306add425!8m2!3d52.399539!4d0.262363