Problems with IET trains from April 2021

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

A traveller with LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) reports that their Leeds to London IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) service has had to halt as its 'horn is frozen'.

Mark

A frozen horn is a serious risk in this sort of weather. It can even become brittle and fall off if not kept properly warm. On trains, too.

[FarWestJohn]

Are these trains fit for anything?

[TonyK]

Are these trains fit for anything?

Not much. Just moving people around the country at up to 125 mph.

[TaplowGreen]

Are these trains fit for anything?

Not much. Just moving people around the country at up to 125 mph.

As long is it's not hot, cold, too wet or too dry...........or Sunday (reliably).......or Autumn.......or they're cracked.....etc....etc.

[TonyK]

As long is it's not hot, cold, too wet or too dry...........or Sunday (reliably).......or Autumn.......or they're cracked.....etc....etc.

...and there's somebody to drive it.

[TaplowGreen]

As long is it's not hot, cold, too wet or too dry...........or Sunday (reliably).......or Autumn.......or they're cracked.....etc....etc.

...and there's somebody to drive it.

Certainly not today judging by the map/Journey check.

[ChrisB]

It’s Sunday. Sunday’s are run on rest day working / overtime. And there’s a ban on that type of work until January 2. Then 4 more days of strike action.

[Clan Line]

As long is it's not hot, cold, too wet or too dry...........or Sunday (reliably).......or Autumn.......or they're cracked.....etc....etc.

...and there's somebody to drive it.

Certainly not today judging by the map/Journey check.

If the "up to" is anything like the adverts for broadband speeds .............................

[IndustryInsider]

...and there's somebody to drive it.

Certainly not today judging by the map/Journey check.

It’s Sunday. Sunday’s are run on rest day working / overtime. And there’s a ban on that type of work until January 2. Then 4 more days of strike action.

I know it makes not one jot of difference to the passenger, but just to clarify:

1)  Most, if not all, cancellations today will be due to a shortage of Train Managers, not drivers.  There is no official action taking place, or announced, within ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) currently.
2)  Sunday's aren't technically run on rest day working/overtime, but it's fair to say they do rely on it to a certain amount.  Those Train Managers who have committed Sundays will still be expected to turn up to work, and the normal Sunday arrangements for drivers apply.  Nobody from RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) will be volunteering for additional Sundays or overtime outside their allocated shift or any of the other more subtle methods that usually get trains covered, which is why there are numerous cancellations today.

[grahame]

As long is it's not hot, cold, too wet or too dry...........or Sunday (reliably).......or Autumn.......or they're cracked.....etc....etc.

...and there's somebody to drive it.

Certainly not today judging by the map/Journey check.

If the "up to" is anything like the adverts for broadband speeds .............................

Ah ... "up to 17 trains calling every day" at my local station...
Current sequence ... 8, 15, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 6 ...

[grahame]

I know it makes not one jot of difference to the passenger, but just to clarify:

Clarification appreciated, thank you ... I'm getting to be at the stage of being at a loss for words, though, at the frustration of what appear to passengers to be flaws in the current system such that the published timetable cannot be delivered in all but the rarest of circumstances.

How can WE - as passengers / a passenger group help all the players to make things better for customers, which I am going to define as making for a (more) reliable train service?

[IndustryInsider]

I know it makes not one jot of difference to the passenger, but just to clarify:

Clarification appreciated, thank you ... I'm getting to be at the stage of being at a loss for words, though, at the frustration of what appear to passengers to be flaws in the current system such that the published timetable cannot be delivered in all but the rarest of circumstances.

How can WE - as passengers / a passenger group help all the players to make things better for customers, which I am going to define as making for a (more) reliable train service?

To be patient and weather the storm is the only option I guess?

The only good thing is that the ramping up of the industrial action from the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) is unsustainable in anything but the short term, so either the Government/DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) or the Unions will break at some point and some sort of deal will be brokered.  The extent of the collateral damage caused in the meantime remains to be seen, but, speaking personally, it's a very difficult time to be a part of the railway industry, and worrying that so much is going wrong generally in the world at the moment.

[ChrisB]

Staff are starting to face a dilemma - the amount of earnings lost to strike action versus the likely amount of any pay rise actually obtained in the eventual settlement.

It seems that losses so far for an RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) member are approaching 2% of salary. The offer that has been made is 4%, so the question being asked is 'just how much more than 6% (4% plus the 'lost' 2%) are we likely to end up with, and is it worth continuing to lose further income?'

Pressure seemingly building on Mick. I suspect that is why he suggested needing a 'fast' settlement the other day.

[TonyK]

...and there's somebody to drive it.

I know it makes not one jot of difference to the passenger, but just to clarify:

1)  Most, if not all, cancellations today will be due to a shortage of Train Managers, not drivers.  There is no official action taking place, or announced, within ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) currently.

Thank you, that is correct, and I am grateful. My comment should have read someone to do the non-driving part of the operation.

[lbraine]

I’m not sure this has been mentioned on this thread - it is getting quite a few pages long now - but I would like to highlight the ride quality (actually the lack there of) of the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train).

This Saturday was an opportunity to go roaming across the Southern/Western region - where a total of 6 different types of stock was sampled. And the ride quality difference was marked.

By far the best was the Class 450 EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) - my first experience of these. The quality of ride across some lumpy and bumpy southern rails was remarkable - with more than one occurrence of such a smooth departure I was caught out from registering it taking place.

I was also taken aback of how big the inside of these units felt. A completely different feel from the IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) and its slight claustrophobic ambience with its inwards slanting sides (ala Class 222). I wished I had a tape measure to do a more scientific comparison!

Back to my point - with two new relatively new class types why is there such a difference in ‘standards’ - is it’s down solely to manufacturers doctrine / preference.

I know I might be accused of comparing apples with pears - but London to Southampton is not vastly different from London to Bristol with similar stopping patterns at major centres. The only plus point for the IET I could note was that it had, it seemed, better acceleration than its EMU brethren.