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

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

Tiger is much more accurate, only really likely to be wrong when a problem has occurred en-route.  JourneyCheck is, at best, a very rough guide.

Not an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) but a good example of the hopelessness of JourneyCheck..

Facilities on the 17:51 Oxford to London Paddington due 18:56. This is due to a fault on this train. Will be formed of 3 coaches instead of 2

Which is actually running as booked as a 6-car Turbo along with the other trains on that diagram!   

[broadgage]

Interesting comment on the WNXX^▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) Forum concerning IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) Introduction, from Tony Miles of Modern Railways:

The general view is that Hitachi focused heavily on building the new trains and not enough on the day to day delivery of sets in fully working state (and the right sets on the right diagrams). Odd as this is the lucrative part of the various contracts.. 30+ years of income... so much so that there is a significant change of senior management at Hitachi UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and a big push.to get things reorganised... both GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) are politely saying they have confidence in Hitachi (openly) but behind the scenes the three TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) currently using 80x sets are understood to have reminded Hitachi they want operational trains as promised and not compensation... compensation doesn't carry passengers...

Good to hear, if true, that the TOCs are not simply going to lied down and accept some shortforms and instead rake in lots of compensation.  I'd seem to recollect some cynics predicting that?

It seems to me that GWR HAVE simply lied down, accepted some short forms, and raked in the compensation, for the first two years at least. Sod the passengers, 5 cars is fine, and much better than no train.
This might be changing, but don't count on it.

[Celestial]

Interesting comment on the WNXX^▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) Forum concerning IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) Introduction, from Tony Miles of Modern Railways:

The general view is that Hitachi focused heavily on building the new trains and not enough on the day to day delivery of sets in fully working state (and the right sets on the right diagrams). Odd as this is the lucrative part of the various contracts.. 30+ years of income... so much so that there is a significant change of senior management at Hitachi UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and a big push.to get things reorganised... both GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) are politely saying they have confidence in Hitachi (openly) but behind the scenes the three TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) currently using 80x sets are understood to have reminded Hitachi they want operational trains as promised and not compensation... compensation doesn't carry passengers...

Good to hear, if true, that the TOCs are not simply going to lied down and accept some shortforms and instead rake in lots of compensation.  I'd seem to recollect some cynics predicting that?

It seems to me that GWR HAVE simply lied down, accepted some short forms, and raked in the compensation, for the first two years at least. Sod the passengers, 5 cars is fine, and much better than no train.
This might be changing, but don't count on it.

That's pure speculation on your part. You've absolutely no idea what sort of conversations have been going on behind the scenes between GWR and Hitachi, which would be very unlikely to be aired in public. But your theory conveniently fits your anti-GWR and anti-IET campaign of course.

[broadgage]

My remarks are indeed speculation, but reasonable speculation based on observation of the ongoing short formations, for over two years now.

[Timmer]

My remarks are indeed speculation, but reasonable speculation based on observation of the ongoing short formations, for over two years now.

LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) passengers are now also experiencing short formation IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train).

Personally I’m getting fed up with the comment I keep seeing on forums and Twitter that a five coach train is better than no train. Not when you can’t get on it because it’s full and standing it isn’t and for those on board seated or standing an uncomfortable journey.

Up until the arrival of the IETs we were used to seeing local and Thames Valley services short formed but never Intercity services. Faulty power car or carriage you just swapped them out. That was the flexibility that the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) model gave.

Now I like the IETs and think they are good trains but there are way too many five car sets, there should have been more nine car sets built. Too late now.

[Celestial]

LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) passengers are now also experiencing short formation IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train).

Maybe they could hold on to that nice blue and grey train which is currently doing a tour of LNER routes for a bit longer.  It looks ever so smart - I think even broadgage might like it.

[broadgage]

Broadgage would certainly support the retention of a few HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) on LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) or GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) or elsewhere, not as a long term measure but for a few years until the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) are working properly, with no significant short formations.

So doing has been ruled out on GWR and seems unlikely elsewhere. The general view within the rail industry seems to be that IETs are the future and that short formations are acceptable.

[Timmer]

Maybe they could hold on to that nice blue and grey train which is currently doing a tour of LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) routes for a bit longer.  It looks ever so smart - I think even broadgage might like it.

It does look really great. I wonder if it’s one of the sets going over to EMR^» (East Midlands Railway, also known as EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) (East Midlands Trains) - about)?

[Timmer]

18.04 Paddington to Penzance showing as five coaches on Tiger. Any one able to confirm? Not listed on JC but that doesn’t mean anything.

[BBM]

18.04 Paddington to Penzance showing as five coaches on Tiger. Any one able to confirm? Not listed on JC but that doesn’t mean anything.

It was cancelled "due to train crew being delayed by service disruption" according to JC.

[Timmer]

It was cancelled "due to train crew being delayed by service disruption" according to JC.

RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) reports it was cancelled ‘due to a problem with the doors’.

JC reporting the service will now start at Exeter St Davids and was ‘due to a fault on the train in front of this one’.

[Chris125]

Personally I’m getting fed up with the comment I keep seeing on forums and Twitter that a five coach train is better than no train. Not when you can’t get on it because it’s full and standing it isn’t and for those on board seated or standing an uncomfortable journey.

A 5-car train *is* better than no train, because the alternative is trying to squeeze everyone onto the following service - that sure as hell won't be a comfortable journey either, if they all fit, and now everyone's delayed too.

It's basic logic?

[broadgage]

Personally I’m getting fed up with the comment I keep seeing on forums and Twitter that a five coach train is better than no train. Not when you can’t get on it because it’s full and standing it isn’t and for those on board seated or standing an uncomfortable journey.

A 5-car train *is* better than no train, because the alternative is trying to squeeze everyone onto the following service - that sure as hell won't be a comfortable journey either, if they all fit, and now everyone's delayed too.

It's basic logic?

We seem to have moved on from "all services that need to be full length, will be" and towards "half length trains are not that bad, really" Progress I know but still regrettable.
All very voyager like.

[Timmer]

It's basic logic?

Basic logic would have been to have built enough full length trains to replace the full length trains they were replacing in the first place. But then basic logic does not apply to the railways.

[grahame]

It's basic logic?

Basic logic would have been to have built enough full length trains to replace the full length trains they were replacing in the first place. But then basic logic does not apply to the railways.

Stepping back - I think that perhaps basic logic does apply - and that on a good day when everything and everyone is working, the trains, line capacity and staff are all there.   It's called "making full use of your resources".  Sadly, when you get the wrong type of pollen, an operating incident such as a freight train sitting down, or a retirement party everyone wants to attend, there isn't the slack in the system to cope.  And where I've listed just three potential and rare incidents, there are 300 things that each very occasionally go wrong, adding up to something going wrong on most days.