Price of First Class from the Westcountry Significantly Reduced from January ?

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

I wonder how far the reductions spread?

Taking a random (  ) station a couple of counties over - Melksham - First Class returns to London Paddington remain at £269.00 in the peak and £159.00 off peak ... and there isn't a super off peak (is that right?)

Anyone else checked any other stations?

Wow. Is 1st class available throughout that journey or would it only be from Swindon-London?

[grahame]

I wonder how far the reductions spread?

Taking a random (  ) station a couple of counties over - Melksham - First Class returns to London Paddington remain at £269.00 in the peak and £159.00 off peak ... and there isn't a super off peak (is that right?)

Anyone else checked any other stations?

Wow. Is 1st class available throughout that journey or would it only be from Swindon-London?

You'll need to us the local (standard class only) train to Chippenham ... change there for London if you like.   We normally recommend a Swindon change on the way up, as there are up to 5 trains an hour from there to London rather than the 2 from Chippenham

[1st fan]

I just got off an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) at Reading and switched to an HST^▸ (High Speed Train)

Make the most of the HSTs while you can, they won't be around for much longer! There are now more IETs than HSTs in service now.

When the penultimate Cotswold train on a Friday night becomes an IET then that'll be a very dark day. Well actually it'll be a very bright day indeed because of the insanely bright lighting on the IET in 1st. I think you know what I mean though.

Sadly the 19:22 is now an IET with no functioning reservations and the usual insanely bright lighting which apparently cannot be turned down.

[Dispatch Box]

I just got off an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) at Reading and switched to an HST^▸ (High Speed Train)

Make the most of the HSTs while you can, they won't be around for much longer! There are now more IETs than HSTs in service now.

When the penultimate Cotswold train on a Friday night becomes an IET then that'll be a very dark day. Well actually it'll be a very bright day indeed because of the insanely bright lighting on the IET in 1st. I think you know what I mean though.

Sadly the 19:22 is now an IET with no functioning reservations and the usual insanely bright lighting which apparently cannot be turned down.

Is there not a switch somewhere, There is on the HST'S.

[CMRail]

I just got off an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) at Reading and switched to an HST^▸ (High Speed Train)

Make the most of the HSTs while you can, they won't be around for much longer! There are now more IETs than HSTs in service now.

When the penultimate Cotswold train on a Friday night becomes an IET then that'll be a very dark day. Well actually it'll be a very bright day indeed because of the insanely bright lighting on the IET in 1st. I think you know what I mean though.

Sadly the 19:22 is now an IET with no functioning reservations and the usual insanely bright lighting which apparently cannot be turned down.

Is there not a switch somewhere, There is on the HST'S.

It has to remain on at all times by legal requirements.

[1st fan]

I just got off an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) at Reading and switched to an HST^▸ (High Speed Train)

Make the most of the HSTs while you can, they won't be around for much longer! There are now more IETs than HSTs in service now.

When the penultimate Cotswold train on a Friday night becomes an IET then that'll be a very dark day. Well actually it'll be a very bright day indeed because of the insanely bright lighting on the IET in 1st. I think you know what I mean though.

Sadly the 19:22 is now an IET with no functioning reservations and the usual insanely bright lighting which apparently cannot be turned down.

Is there not a switch somewhere, There is on the HST'S.

The last Train Manager I spoke to said that the lighting wasn't alterable. It may just have been unalterable by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff but possible if you're Hitachi. I might have a look through the DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) specifications and see if it was a requirement or not.

[Dispatch Box]

I just got off an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) at Reading and switched to an HST^▸ (High Speed Train)

Make the most of the HSTs while you can, they won't be around for much longer! There are now more IETs than HSTs in service now.

When the penultimate Cotswold train on a Friday night becomes an IET then that'll be a very dark day. Well actually it'll be a very bright day indeed because of the insanely bright lighting on the IET in 1st. I think you know what I mean though.

Sadly the 19:22 is now an IET with no functioning reservations and the usual insanely bright lighting which apparently cannot be turned down.

Is there not a switch somewhere, There is on the HST'S.

The last Train Manager I spoke to said that the lighting wasn't alterable. It may just have been unalterable by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff but possible if you're Hitachi. I might have a look through the DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) specifications and see if it was a requirement or not.

When I had to travel on a HST, the lighting was usually already dimmed. I.E. Some lights off. Noticing the switch was in dim position, putting it to bright, put them all on.

[stuving]

The last Train Manager I spoke to said that the lighting wasn't alterable. It may just have been unalterable by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff but possible if you're Hitachi. I might have a look through the DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) specifications and see if it was a requirement or not.

The IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) specification does not itself dictate general cabin lighting, but calls up BS EN 13272:2001 ‘Railway applications – Electrical lighting for rolling stock in public transport systems’ (superseded as :2012) as it applies to main line rolling stock. You'll do well do find a copy of this, as BSI^▸ (British Standards Institute) (and I suspect other standards institutions) have taken to using DMCA complaints to Google to suppress on-line texts.

There is a little about emergency lighting, including the only number (20 lux - not at all bright), and one mention of light levels at seats:

TS1511 At each seat position, the following features must be accommodated. Each of these features must be capable of being incorporated or not as required for each deployment of IEP Trains (different features may be incorporated for different classes in the same deployment);
...
•  sufficient lighting level to be allow reading when seated
...

Reads oddly, doesn't it?

The internal fittings and features lists do include reading lights and table lamps, but neither is ever required even in first class.

[1st fan]

The last Train Manager I spoke to said that the lighting wasn't alterable. It may just have been unalterable by GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff but possible if you're Hitachi. I might have a look through the DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) specifications and see if it was a requirement or not.

The IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) specification does not itself dictate general cabin lighting, but calls up BS EN 13272:2001 ‘Railway applications – Electrical lighting for rolling stock in public transport systems’ (superseded as :2012) as it applies to main line rolling stock. You'll do well do find a copy of this, as BSI^▸ (British Standards Institute) (and I suspect other standards institutions) have taken to using DMCA complaints to Google to suppress on-line texts.

There is a little about emergency lighting, including the only number (20 lux - not at all bright), and one mention of light levels at seats:

TS1511 At each seat position, the following features must be accommodated. Each of these features must be capable of being incorporated or not as required for each deployment of IEP Trains (different features may be incorporated for different classes in the same deployment);
...
•  sufficient lighting level to be allow reading when seated
...

Reads oddly, doesn't it?

The internal fittings and features lists do include reading lights and table lamps, but neither is ever required even in first class.

Thanks for the detailled reply and yes finding a copy of the BS standard that doesn't cost the earth is as  hard as diamond.