GWR Class 800

[Mintona]

Had my first go on the mainline today. It’s a really lovely train to drive.

 

[Pete_uk]

Had my first go on the mainline today. It’s a really lovely train to drive.

Your a driver? If so, cool!

 

[jimm]

I wouldn’t expect 800s to be diagrammed West of Taunton in ordinary scheme of things; similarly I wouldn’t expect 802s to be diagrammed to go to Swansea - but I don’t foresee any issues of either happening if it had to.

I would think they are highly likely to pick up work west of Taunton on summer Saturdays/bank holiday weekends that don't involve climbing the hills between Newton Abbot and Plymouth, such as Exeter semi-fasts and services to Torbay, to release some 802s for extras to/from Plymouth and Cornwall.

 

[83G/84D]

Imagine one at St Ives

Or Looe! Never likely to visit either place methinks.

 

[Harbornite]

Your a driver? If so, cool!

There would be a problem if he wasn't!

 

[ATW158Xpress]

See they been having issues with short forms this week on South Wales/Bristol services. Are they having units going in for service.

 

[Puppetfinger]

800026 on the way to Penzance on a test run from Stoke Gifford.

Guessing this is the set currently sat in Laira today then.

 

[jimm]

See they been having issues with short forms this week on South Wales/Bristol services. Are they having units going in for service.

Could be a variety of reasons - there is precious little slack in the 800 fleet when it comes to covering all the passenger services and training runs while they wait for the last few five-car sets to enter service

At least one of the short-forms earlier today was later sorted out, with a 2x5 available for the rest of the day, judging by a post on GWR Journeycheck, which suggests there was a fault on at least one set that was being worked on at a depot this morning.

 

[Bornin1980s]

Do these trains have 'glass cockpits' (main instruments replaced by computer screens)?

 

[59CosG95]

Not my shot, but 800007 has now been delivered. https://flic.kr/p/Ka1WES
Only 002 left to leave Aycliffe, and then all the /0s will have been delivered to GWR.

 

[Domh245]

Have 003 & 004 been officially delivered yet, or are they still Hitachi's for now? I don't think they've worked any services, but are they being used by GWR for training, or by Hitachi for testing?

 

[Siemens Staines]

They were on 5Z23 on Monday. The TOC for this service is shown as ZZ rather than GW, so if that can be taken as a guide then I guess that they haven't been officially handed over yet, but I may be reading too much in to that.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K97216/2018/05/21/advanced

 

[PHILIPE]

They were on 5Z23 on Monday. The TOC for this service is shown as ZZ rather than GW, so if that can be taken as a guide then I guess that they haven't been officially handed over yet, but I may be reading too much in to that.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K97216/2018/05/21/advanced

Thats because the movement is arranged by another party, i.e. ROSCO, and driven by a "Freight" Company driver on their behalf. It happens with all Works movements.

 

[Domh245]

Thats because the movement is arranged by another party, i.e. ROSCO, and driven by a "Freight" Company driver on their behalf. It happens with all Works movements.

But it does 'prove' that they aren't yet being operated by GWR, but by a FOC (GBRf), so are likely still to be being used by Hitachi for testing, rather than GWR for driver training or passenger service.

 

[swt_passenger]

Do these trains have 'glass cockpits' (main instruments replaced by computer screens)?

Loads of pics available online, eg:
http://press.hitachirail-eu.com/images/class-800-801-driver-s-cab-323843

 

[800001]

Not my shot, but 800007 has now been delivered. https://flic.kr/p/Ka1WES
Only 002 left to leave Aycliffe, and then all the /0s will have been delivered to GWR.

800002 is a Japan built train, nothing to do with Newton Aycliffe.
It is currently at Doncaster having final work/tests done before it finally moves officially to GWR.

Then, 003 and 004 will need bringing up to spec, and to be fitted out fully as they are (or were) purely Hitachis test trains.

 

[59CosG95]

800002 is a Japan built train, nothing to do with Newton Aycliffe.
It is currently at Doncaster having final work/tests done before it finally moves officially to GWR.

Then, 003 and 004 will need bringing up to spec, and to be fitted out fully as they are (or were) purely Hitachis test trains.

My apologies; I meant to say Doncaster, but it got lost in translation!
So, yes - 002, then 003 & 004 to complete the 3-dozen.

 

[Bantamzen]

A 9 car class 80x has just left P9 at Leeds back towards Doncaster as 5X32 15:05 Neville Hill - Doncaster, from what I can tell under diesel power as I didn't notice a pantograph up.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/K02456/2018/05/30/advanced

 

[leomartin125]

Not my shot, but 800007 has now been delivered. https://flic.kr/p/Ka1WES
Only 002 left to leave Aycliffe, and then all the /0s will have been delivered to GWR.

It's been put into service quickly! 800007 was out and about today operating 1L42, 1C13, 1A21, 1B59, 1L96 then 5L96 empty to Stoke Gifford. That didn't take long!

 

[Charlie M.]

First ride on a Class 800 today, here is my personal review. Apologies for lack of flow.

Once the doors opened instantly and the other time took nearly 10 seconds, honestly don’t see why this is but it was odd. The seats are a tiny bit too hard, however good for me who has a back problem. Plenty of space, legroom especially. There are more tables and the trolly service was better than expected. Same selection as the HST was offered and it was easy to get through the train. First Class seats good for me, prefer the fact that they are not slippery. 5+5 formation not as bad as expected, works bad with overcrowding but good with other things. Much better when the train is packed, stood between Didcot and Swindon on a 10 today, and was cozy but I felt safer and only nearly fell over once.

Overall I say it’s Good. There are things that are bad about the train, however could be improved in the next decade. I like the HSTs but I would say after my 5 into 6 hours on them (2 overcrowded) they are an improvement to the HST.

 

[DenmarkRail]

Had some amazing views of 800 trains in Cornwall this week... Still wonder feel sorry for the family that tried to get onto the test train when it stopped...

I’ll post some videos soon

 

[Thunderer]

Apologies if this has been covered already, but when are the 9 car 800/3's entering service on London-Bristol/Swansea services? How many have already been delivered to GWR? Thanks..

 

[ATW158Xpress]

Apologies if this has been covered already, but when are the 9 car 800/3's entering service on London-Bristol/Swansea services? How many have already been delivered to GWR? Thanks..

21 9 car 800’s are being delivered with the first passenger service on 25 June on the Cheltenham service internally but expected to start appearing throughout the rest of the year and hopefully we see it on a Bristol/South Wales service by end of July/August.

 

[Charlie M.]

Does anyone know what the new timetable allocations will be like in January (e.g Bristol 9car)

 

[ATW158Xpress]

Not been confirmed yet but most likely to be most services currently covered by HST’s vie Bath calling at the current stations and 5 car sets will be on off peak London non stop via Bristol Parkway with 10 cars during peak. This is all subject to change.

 

[Thunderer]

21 9 car 800’s are being delivered with the first passenger service on 25 June on the Cheltenham service internally but expected to start appearing throughout the rest of the year and hopefully we see it on a Bristol/South Wales service by end of July/August.

Thanks for the info. I'm glad the 9 car ones are coming to South Wales services..the sooner the better. If the DFT had any sense, these would have been built first. We have had to suffer 2x5 sets since last October where you can't walk through the entire train and you have no idea where to stand on the platform for First Class travel. The real problems start when they send just one 5 car unit on a Swansea service and everyone is packed in like sardines and the "wonderful" trolley service is permanently stuck at one end of the train. Daft idea building 5 car trains in the first place, as it doesn't allow for growth or busy periods e.g. easter, xmas, sporting events etc when GWR are in dire need of extra capacity. You'd think these people would learn from XC and the awful Voyager..too small and not fit for purpose most of the time for the journeys it does. Sense would have been to build at least 30 x 9 car sets to cover the core major diagrams and 36 x 7 car units instead, giving passengers 5.5 coaches of standard class, so a 7 car can easily substitute for a 9 car set without too much pain for passengers?

 

[jimm]

a. There are 35 nine-car 800 and 802 sets on their way to GWR

b. A 7-coach train would have fewer seats than any current GWR HST, whether high or low-density. Until last September, GWR had about 50 HSTs in traffic every day, so if your wheeze had been adopted, far from services having the extra capacity that is now being provided by the IETs - be that as a nine-car or 2x5 formation - there would be fewer seats on many of them than now, which would give plenty of passengers a very painful time in the peaks, day in, day out, not just when a stock swap is required.

Do you ever travel on GWR services to Bedwyn, Cheltenham or the Cotswold Line? I doubt it, otherwise you might see why there are five-car 800s in the fleet, as lots of services operating in those places need nothing like the number of seats a seven-coach IET would have, and never will - but for the busy peak periods the five-cars can be paired up as a 2x5 to provide the capacity that is needed then. Do you understand that not all IETs are replacing HSTs? They are also replacing 180s and Turbos in the Thames Valley and Cotswolds.

 

[Charlie M.]

5 car trains seem a nice idea on the Cheltenham line off peak but I can see in the future some diagrams working off peak 9car

 

[thetangoman]

Will the newer 800's be delivered with revised seat foam (i.e. more cushioning/softer) or will the get done retrospectively

 

[Charlie M.]

802s will but 800s require DfT approval sadly. I don’t know if they have received approval by hitachi as well.