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

[whole diary]

[1st fan]

Is this strictly necessary, or is there a risk of getting lost inside?

If these are the stickers Mr Hopwood has been negotiating with Hitachi over then he should have had a go at the Brexit negotiations.

[Thatcham Crossing]

1K04/1K11 Paddington to Newbury and return (just leaving Newbury now on time at 0923) looks to be a (5-car) IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) for the first time (that I have seen) today. It's usually an HST^▸ (High Speed Train).

I use this service on an irregular basis into Paddington from Thatcham and it is usually very lightly loaded west of Reading. 5 cars should be fine for this one.

Not long now till 5-car IET's on all the Bedwyn semi-fasts aswell (hopefully!)

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, that diagram was usually a colossal waste of a HST^▸ (High Speed Train).

Reading drivers are currently going through the training to support introduction of Bedwyn’s as and when.

[Tim]

Is this strictly necessary, or is there a risk of getting lost inside?

Is it a tactile sign?  If so I assume it is so vision-impaired people know where to find the loo and the sink. 

[Adelante_CCT]

19:48 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 22:22 will no longer call at Maidenhead.
This is due to a fault on this train.

23:01 Oxford to London Paddington due 00:21 will no longer call at Maidenhead.
This is due to a fault on this train.

Problems with IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) calling at Maidenhead?

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, nothing over 5-car can call until an SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) database update which is expected soon.  New diagrams today with more 9-cars on (that stop at Maidenhead) obviously slipped through in error.

[CMRail]

19:48 went over to IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) for the first time finishing off the last LTP^▸ (Local Transport Plan) Diagrams for Cheltenham. Some STP until 12 December, after that it would be unlikely to hear the slams on the Golden Valley.

[a-driver]

Yes, nothing over 5-car can call until an SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) database update which is expected soon.  New diagrams today with more 9-cars on (that stop at Maidenhead) obviously slipped through in error.

I don’t know the issue but I thought drivers can manually release doors. I’ve seen signs up at Westbury that tells drivers how many doors to release.

[NickB]

I’m confused. Are you saying that Maidenhead can’t accept >5 cars of any persuasion or just IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) >5 cars?
In either case how soon is ‘soon’ for the upgrade?

I ask because the 7.06 MaidenheadPaddington from Worcester is running as a 5 car IET rather than HST^▸ (High Speed Train) for the first time this week (and is Grossly undersized). I had put this down to the Worcester engineering works for the week, but is this a long term change?  If so it’s a disaster.

[IndustryInsider]

Next month I think the SDO^▸ (Selective Door Opening) changes, though this might be brought forward if it’s creating too many issues?  Not sure why manual door release isn’t allowed there but it currently isn’t.  Again perhaps that’ll change on a temporary basis if it causes too many issues - there’s no reason in principle why it can’t other than signage and driver briefings, although obviously risks increase every time manual door selection is used at a station.  There is also currently a limit of 5-car for DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) operation as well but I don’t think any of these trains is DOO.

I’d suggest everyone makes GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) fully aware how they’re letting people down.

[Adelante_CCT]

19:48 London Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill due 22:22 will no longer call at Maidenhead.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:20/11/2018 14:07

23:01 Oxford to London Paddington due 00:21 will no longer call at Maidenhead.
This is due to a fault on this train.
Last Updated:20/11/2018 14:07

When is a 5 car train better than a 9 car? 

[SandTEngineer]

For those interested, the Rail Performance Society have provided some freely downloadable IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) performance data here: http://www.railperf.org.uk/index/iet  Makes for some interesting reading.

Health Warning: Some files are in EXCEL file format, others in PDF format

An RPS analysis:

If we are talking about net running times - excluding recovery, pathing and performance allowances - the evidence suggests 800's won't..but 802's with that extra bit of power look like they can in some but not all cases.  It depends on a number of factors:
Linespeeds of 125mph - forget it.
Linespeeds of 100mph - HST^▸ (High Speed Train) is generally faster.
Linespeeds of 70 to 90mph - as long as there are no long climbs up adverse gradients.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Yes, that diagram was usually a colossal waste of a HST^▸ (High Speed Train)

From what I've observed 1K04/1K11 has been back on an HST this week.

Is this due to the issues with cameras on IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)'s (mentioned on the "IET's to Bedwyn delayed" thread) and their use for DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) ops?

[IndustryInsider]

It shouldn’t be - it obviously doesn’t run DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) when it’s a HST^▸ (High Speed Train), so no reason why the TM^‡(resolve) wouldn’t be able to dispatch it as an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train).

[Thatcham Crossing]

Understood, was just wondering if the TM^‡(resolve) would be dispatched with when run by an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) (as is the intention for the Bedwyn's) but obviously not.