Two questions:
When did the much maligned 390s suddenly become great? Now that another batch of intercity trains is being ordered, enthusiasts have started to complain that IEP won't be as good as the hallowed Pendolini (which ignores the fact that they've spent the past decade complaining about 390s). If this Forum had been going 35 years ago it'd have been full of people moaning that these newfangled HSTs aren't as good as the Deltics they replaced...
When are we going to have the first argument about the colour of the seats? Since IEP is being slated for everything else (e.g. not every seat will have a perfect view, not every seat will have a table... things which people conveniently ignore about the current HST/225s running on the ECML).
I think there's been too much unsubstantiated criticism of the internal arrangements all along - such as people referring to them as Voyager clones etc...
Agreed.
A lot of the problems with Voyagers are to do with capacity (Voyagers were a lot shorter than the trains that they replaced - a nine coach IEP is going to have 10% more capacity than a 225) and the cramped design caused by the need to tilt (e.g. Voyagers have poor overhead luggage racks, IEP won't tilt so that's not an issue)
its a 21st century redesign of the voyager
No its not. Its a 26m coach which will run under electric power when under the wires, won't suffer from a narrow body (because it doesn't tilt) and will be longer than the trains that it replaces
I mean 5 cars? On the ECML?
For portion working etc, yes. Do you think that we need to send a nine coach train to Harrogate/ Skipton etc?
Hull Trains seems to cope with five coach trains on all of their services, so maybe portion working a Hull train with one for somewhere else each hour would be a good use of paths south of Doncaster?
pendos are at least not just 5 cars long with under floor engine noise all the time
Underfloor engine noise all the time? No - they'll be EMUs under the wires.
cramming us in like cattle
Cattle with more legroom than on the 225s that they'll replace, you mean?
The whole point of bi-mode operation is that DEMU-based discomfort and disturbance will be minimised as much as possible with the diesel engines running only when the trains go off-wire (so for EC Doncaster-Hull, Leeds-Harrogate, Newark-Lincoln, Edinburgh-Inverness/Aberdeen based on the current timetabled services). Of course diesel loco haulage is nicer for atmosphere than DMU/DEMU operation but it's difficult to argue against the acceleration improvements that multiple units offer vs loco haulage. Bi-mode is perhaps the best compromise, certainly better than voyager or meridian operation under the wires.
I agree with that. No perfect option (until we electrify to Inverness etc and become an all electrified country), so give me bi-mode for the next generation.
Am I being really stupid for thinking bi-mode is a good ideas, as you order a massive new fleet and can then gradually use it more and more in electric mode as the lines are wired up?
Can't the diesel tanks be removed in years to come to reduce weight if they're no longer needed?
I agree - we can either use bi-mode to allow incremental electrification (i.e. doing Edinburgh to Dundee would allow the "electric" mode to be used further north, even if the wires aren't up all the way to Aberdeen - rather than the "all or nothing" approach that we currently have) or we can take out the engines and convert some bi-mode trains to "100% electric".
That would really turn up the heat on FHT, can't imagine them being too happy
Hull Trains have only got the paths for a few more years - they've no permenant right to them.
Eversholt Rail said in a statement that it was disappointed by the announcement and the way it dictated to the future franchise holder what rolling stock it would have to operate on the line.
We continue to believe that the best option would have been to let the market decide, said Eversholt
Dear Eversholt - do you honestly think that "the market" can decide at the moment? Virtually every TOC is lumbered with the stock that it inherits - it can only introduce new trains once its been running the franchise for a few years. This way, the trains can get ordered and built without waiting for the TOC/franchising process. Much better. Unless you were hoping on making more pots of money from us?
