XC HSTs

[class 313]

the reason the voyager journey lasts longer for me is that i'm always counting the seconds till i can get off the bugger. Did about 1 hour on a diverted voyager (Birmingham-Stafford via Nuneaton) when the wires came down last year. 5 car replacement for 2 pendolinos, packed in every carriage. Awful environment.

But its not like that all the time.

 

[P156KWJ]

thinking of HSTs being late - 9V57 is often late, usually about 10 down at Sheffield. This sometimes means it loses its slot at Derby, and at this time, there are a lot of trains under Derby PSB, including voyagers, turbostars, Crewe trains, freight, and stuff moving on and off Etches Park, so it's been known to wait a good 15 mins there after thanks to that

 

[TEW]

Am going to Edinburgh on the 1117 HST later today, and am positivley looking forward to 3 hours on one of those wonderful trains.

If you mean an XC HST i think you had a voyager as there are no northbound trains that are HSTs today and the only southbound HST leaves Eddinburgh at 1005.

 

[devon_metro]

thinking of HSTs being late - 9V57 is often late, usually about 10 down at Sheffield. This sometimes means it loses its slot at Derby, and at this time, there are a lot of trains under Derby PSB, including voyagers, turbostars, Crewe trains, freight, and stuff moving on and off Etches Park, so it's been known to wait a good 15 mins there after thanks to that

It gets delayed due to Passengers who have no common sense. If a door is opened with a handle surely it must have to be closed manually. Oh no - apparently not.

 

[P156KWJ]

argh don't even get me started on that!

 

[TEW]

It gets delayed due to Passengers who have no common sense. If a door is opened with a handle surely it must have to be closed manually. Oh no - apparently not.

At least they managed to open the door, even thats to much for many of the people already onboard.

 

[Max]

I think the situation with closing doors is much better in areas which recieve regular HSTs or loco hauled services, because people are more used to it. In Devon and Cornwall, an announcement reminding passengers to close non-electric doors is regularly played on the tannoy because many FGW services are formed of HSTs.

 

[Mintona]

argh don't even get me started on that!

Ok

 

[Techniquest]

I think the situation with closing doors is much better in areas which recieve regular HSTs or loco hauled services, because people are more used to it. In Devon and Cornwall, an announcement reminding passengers to close non-electric doors is regularly played on the tannoy because many FGW services are formed of HSTs.

That same announcement can be heard over the vast majority of FGW-served areas, although it's unusual to hear it in Cardiff, Newport or Swansea. Unless that's changed in the last few weeks. Mind, we still have to put up with Digital Doris.

Not that the announcement makes passengers take any notice. Sometimes it's easier to tune them out as they're so incredibly frequent. Last week at Cheltenham I counted something like 12 announcements per 30 seconds at one point. It seemed so pointless to tell passengers "awaiting the 1822 CrossCountry service to Cardiff Central, please listen for further announcements about this train" to be followed immediately by another guess as to how late it would be, followed by an announcement for the 1818 to Cardiff to listen for further announcements which was also immediately followed by a guess as to the delay. Not that they could figure out what was causing the delay for some time, yet I'd imagine multiple TCFs affecting services for at least 45 minutes would have started a chain reaction of information flowing down the system way before this reached the station. No, rather leave passengers in the cold and wet getting more and more irritated. Which seems to be the way every TOC/station management/whatever prefer to do things. I'm sure we'd have all appreciated that multiple TCFs were delaying our trains in the Ashchurch area and understood that it was going to be some time before things changed if we had been told more than 1 minute before the London HST was due to leave. Naturally, that left late as it waited for loads of us to get on for Gloucester where'd we mostly cram into a 2-car 158 for Bristol and the West Country.

Anyway, I'm going way off-topic. Thanks for allowing me to get that off my chest. The point I was originally going to make was that announcements make no difference to some passengers, especially when in constant fashion with no useful information relayed, and that it seems beyond the capability of some passengers to work out how to open and close a door sometimes.

 

[Mintona]

Cheltenham probably didn't know anything. We don't get told anything, we have to ring and ask.

 

[me123]

Well artificial light, no real idea of weather outside or natural time indicators, and recirculated warm air are good ways to disorientate you - ask anyone who ever worked in a call centre.

I do work in a call centre and I can't really say that that's true; then again my centre is in an abandonned warehouse and there are holes in the roof. thus, we do know when it's raining and what time it is, and we get lots of cold air

I actually like the Pendo interiors, but the Voyagers are a bit more claustrophobic almost. Compared to HSTs, 91s, even 170s, well even Pendos lose every time.

 

[Techniquest]

Cheltenham probably didn't know anything. We don't get told anything, we have to ring and ask.

It just shows how the chain of information is flawed. The signaller would have known, the drivers affected obviously knew, Control at AXC would have known. Would it have cost much to make a 2 minute phone call to Cheltenham Spa's station staff to let them know multiple TCFs had been detected in the Ashchurch area and that it was unknown when this would be rectified? How much does a phone call cost these days? Not much, surely? :roll:

 

[TEW]

I think the situation with closing doors is much better in areas which recieve regular HSTs or loco hauled services, because people are more used to it. In Devon and Cornwall, an announcement reminding passengers to close non-electric doors is regularly played on the tannoy because many FGW services are formed of HSTs.

You would think that but the problem in Cornwall is just as bad. Someone opens it, they all pile on. When they get off they don't know how to and when they are off they still don't shut the door.

 

[class 313]

You would think that but the problem in Cornwall is just as bad. Someone opens it, they all pile on. When they get off they don't know how to and when they are off they still don't shut the door.

You're saying it like its a mass issue when it really isn't. Most if not all HST services I have been on have had people who didn't struggle opening or closing the doors.

Leaving them open I don't think is a problem of them not knowing how to, but thinking someone else will do it.

 

[Techniquest]

Since the diagrams don't seem to be on t'internet anywhere, does anyone know what the new diagrams are to be starting Monday? I've seen it starts with the 0640 Plymouth to Aberdeen (which I'd love to be on, 43166 is on it this Monday), but the rest no-one I know seems to know.

Any help appreciated.

 

[TEW]

Since the diagrams don't seem to be on t'internet anywhere, does anyone know what the new diagrams are to be starting Monday? I've seen it starts with the 0640 Plymouth to Aberdeen (which I'd love to be on, 43166 is on it this Monday), but the rest no-one I know seems to know.

Any help appreciated.

XC HST Diagrams From Monday 8th September Working M-F:

DIAGRAM 1
ECS EC-Dunbar
0640 Dunbar-Glasgow
0900 Glasgow-Plymouth
ECS Plymouth-LA

DIAGRAM 2
ECS LA - Plymouth
0640 Plymouth-Aberdeen
2026 Aberdeen-Edinburgh (routed via Cowdenbeth and Edinburgh Subs)
ECS to EC

Ta Dan43004.

 

[Techniquest]

ARGHH! I canna believe 43166 is going round that way on Monday. I soooooooooooooooooooooo want to be there for that.

EDIT: Where are my manners...Many thanks for that, I can plan some more bashes now.

 

[Waverley125]

no, i meant from Peterborough. The 1117 from Peterborough is the 1030 NXEC London-Aberdeen 'Northern Lights' Service.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
and it's just occurred to me that of NXEC's 4 named trains, only one (the Flying Scotsman) is a 225-the Hull Executive, Northern Lights & Highland Chieftain are all HSTs.

 

[me123]

Thanks for the diagrams Conner: I'll need to get on that 0900 ex GLC soon.

Any back ups for the HSTs, however, or is it just more Voyagers?

 

[devon_metro]

Theres only two sets out, so HST failure means a Vomit

 

[martyn29]

anyone know when the xc hsts are out now? thanks

 

[me123]

HSTs are still on as Conner outlined above except in case of failure or similar incident. Don't know if there's any weekend working; but I'd assume there currently isn't.

 

[martyn29]

brilliant, do you know what times they get to Derby, roughly

 

[me123]

The 0900 ex Glasgow arrives Derby 1455.

The 0640 ex Plymouth arrives Derby 1111.

 

[martyn29]

ta matey, hope to see it tomorrow then it has been late the last 2 weeks!!

 

[martyn29]

bah humbug, didnt see the xc hst, it was a voyager instead

 

[valentaman]

xc05 was out of service for tests

 

[TEW]

xc05 was out of service for tests

No it was the refurbished set XC01 that was out of service, XC05 was on 9S53, 0640 PLY-ABD.

 

[LilLoaf]

ARGHH! I canna believe 43166 is going round that way on Monday. I soooooooooooooooooooooo want to be there for that.

EDIT: Where are my manners...Many thanks for that, I can plan some more bashes now.

whats so great about 43166 ? I might go and photo it passing through my local station.

I'm going on both HST sets on friday from Birmingham to Leeds and back again.

 

[class 313]

whats so great about 43166 ? I might go and photo it passing through my local station.

Good luck on that

It was a great Valenta engined power car. Nothing special about it now.