Question: When TPE units work in multiple.

[pt_mad]

Question: When Transpennine Express services are formed of two units coupled together, how are the coach letters physically labelled for passengers?

E.g. the following page shows that when two class 350 trains are coupled together, the coaches will be identified as A B C D E F G H. Similarly when two class 185 trains are coupled together, coaches are identified as A B C E F G.
https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/onboard-facilities/seating-plan

So, how are the coaches physically labelled, so the passenger knows which coach is which, from both the inside and the outside of the train? Or aren't they labelled at all, other than seat reservations?

Thanks.

 

[driver9000]

Coach letter stickers are placed in the windows to identify each coach. It is also worth noting that coaches may not always be in alphabetical order as the units can only be lettered in a certain order otherwise the seat reservations don't work.

For example 1st class will always be coaches C and G.

 

[pt_mad]

Interesting thanks.

Is it not possible with 350 and 185 stock to make the interior LCD ceiling displays show a coach letter? Like voyagers do for example?

 

[MalaiseForever]

In my experience they are ordered ABCABC, this is the how the guard usually announces this on the 1640 LDS-MAN, which before Christmas was booked as a double set.

 

[pt_mad]

In my experience they are ordered ABCABC, this is the how the guard usually announces this on the 1640 LDS-MAN, which before Christmas was booked as a double set.

Is this not confusing for reservations or any short platforms? Are there any short platforms where SDO or UDS is used?

 

[yorkie]

Is this not confusing for reservations or any short platforms? Are there are short platforms where SDO or UDS is used?

I recently informed a couple boarding at York that if they chose to sit in their reserved seats (in coach 4 of 6) to Chester-le-Street, they would have to change units at Darlington or Durham!

 

[pt_mad]

I recently informed a couple boarding at York that if they chose to sit in their reserved seats (in coach 4 of 6) to Chester-le-Street, they would have to change units at Darlington or Durham!

Ahh ok. At least on a double 350 it's possible to walk through to the front. 185 no such luck obviously!

 

[driver9000]

Interesting thanks.

Is it not possible with 350 and 185 stock to make the interior LCD ceiling displays show a coach letter? Like voyagers do for example?

No it doesn't do that. The PIS is relatively basic in its operation.

 

[pt_mad]

No it doesn't do that. The PIS is relatively basic in its operation.

Is it possible to manually program the PIS to show a different message in each coach? Such as 'Coach C' if a driver wanted to?

 

[pt_mad]

And what do those new LCD screens (like very small TV screens) show, which I saw located in the interior vestibule on the Tonight program the other night? Disruption updates or can they show coach letters?

 

[gazthomas]

No it doesn't do that. The PIS is relatively basic in its operation.

It takes the PIS

 

[driver9000]

And what do those new LCD screens (like very small TV screens) show, which I saw located in the interior vestibule on the Tonight program the other night? Disruption updates or can they show coach letters?

They can show connections, live running times, next stop information and pretty much whatever they want it to. The new trains will have a label in the vestibule as they will be fixed 5 car trains. The current labels are double sided so no need for the PIS screens to show them.

 

[driver9000]

Is it possible to manually program the PIS to show a different message in each coach? Such as 'Coach C' if a driver wanted to?

No. Any message manually selected plays through the whole train.

 

[Bungle965]

The old system used to be able to handle splitting services also, see the attached file.
I haven't heard the new male voice do it yet, is that possible?
Sam

 

[edwin_m]

The old system used to be able to handle splitting services also, see the attached file.
I haven't heard the new male voice do it yet, is that possible?
Sam

Everyone knows men can't multi-task.

 

[TEW]

No. Any message manually selected plays through the whole train.

If the system is the same as fitted to 444s and 450s as appears to be the case it should be possible to do manual announcements and put messages on the screens for a specific unit if in multiple, but not a specific coach.

 

[driver9000]

The old system used to be able to handle splitting services also, see the attached file.
I haven't heard the new male voice do it yet, is that possible?
Sam

The PIS codes managed the announcements for splitting services.

 

[notlob.divad]

TPE seat reservations were really confusing before the refurb. I don't know if it has improved them. There was one particular unit going around with 2 seat 22s in the carriage containing 1st class. I know this because my Girlfriend and I boarded on route to a weekend in Edinburgh. Having asked the platform dispatcher the best place to stand to board for our seat reservations (21 and 22). We climbed aboard and immediately found seat 22 adjacent to the door opposite the trolley. Seat 21 which appeared unlabelled so we assumed it was the adjacent one and the label had fallen off. We kindly asked the lady sat in it to move as we had reserved seats, showed her the reservation and the seat number and she obliged (all be it a bit grumpy). Once north of Lancaster the train had quietened down and I went to find the lavatory. Having gone through to the other side of 1st class, much to my embarrassment I discovered two empty seats numbered 21 and 22 with reservations on the top. Thankfully the original lady had got off and having struck up a conversation with another lady sat across the table from us we decided to stay put, but I still felt wretched for kicking a lady out of her seat which wasn't the one reserved for us.

 

[BeHereNow]

They've now solved this issue... by not running them in multiple.

 

[driver9000]

TPE seat reservations were really confusing before the refurb. I don't know if it has improved them. There was one particular unit going around with 2 seat 22s in the carriage containing 1st class. I know this because my Girlfriend and I boarded on route to a weekend in Edinburgh. Having asked the platform dispatcher the best place to stand to board for our seat reservations (21 and 22). We climbed aboard and immediately found seat 22 adjacent to the door opposite the trolley. Seat 21 which appeared unlabelled so we assumed it was the adjacent one and the label had fallen off. We kindly asked the lady sat in it to move as we had reserved seats, showed her the reservation and the seat number and she obliged (all be it a bit grumpy). Once north of Lancaster the train had quietened down and I went to find the lavatory. Having gone through to the other side of 1st class, much to my embarrassment I discovered two empty seats numbered 21 and 22 with reservations on the top. Thankfully the original lady had got off and having struck up a conversation with another lady sat across the table from us we decided to stay put, but I still felt wretched for kicking a lady out of her seat which wasn't the one reserved for us.

The seats around the catering area on the 350s are not numbered and are permanently unreserved. There were some issues with seat numbering a few years ago but this was resolved.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

And what do those new LCD screens (like very small TV screens) show, which I saw located in the interior vestibule on the Tonight program the other night? Disruption updates or can they show coach letters?

They tell the punters why a train is being delayed or even cancelled before control have bothered to inform the conductor, (if at all)
They also show pictures of my kids! XD

Major plus point of a voyager is the TMS that can actually control the trains parameters, heating, lighting, PA and crew call, seat reservations etc and tell you what is faulty on the train and how to fix it and doesn't lock you out at 5mph! Pity this TMS hasn't been widely adopted.

 

[pt_mad]

The PIS codes managed the announcements for splitting services.

Excuse my ignorance but I'm intrigued as to how this worked? Did the auto annoncements read out things like 'this part of the train will not call at xxxx, please move to the front part of the train'?. Or was it something else? Did the scrolling PIS text indicate if passengers were in the right part of the train for certain stations?

Has this all changed now?

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Yes! That's exactly what it did. "This part of the train for........" Plus manual announcements from us as we can PA to individual units or to the whole train. Thats with the old system with RoboKat. The new system featuring BBC Hull's Neil Rudd (and pictures of my kids! XD) will more than likely do then same but as I haven't worked a 6 car that had a dual destination split yet I can't say for sure.

 

[pt_mad]

Yes! That's exactly what it did. "This part of the train for........" Plus manual announcements from us as we can PA to individual units or to the whole train. Thats with the old system with RoboKat. The new system featuring BBC Hull's Neil Rudd (and pictures of my kids! XD) will more than likely do then same but as I haven't worked a 6 car that had a dual destination split yet I can't say for sure.

Did the auto annoncements actually read out instructions to move forward into the front set for certain stations? Or did they just read out the calling pattern individually in each set?

 

[gimmea50anyday]

They told people to change trains at the separating station (for an example the combined MIA- newcastle (from York 08:38) and Scarborough (08:42) which no longer operates)

 

[anamyd]

It takes the PIS

 

[SteveyBee131]

Excuse my ignorance but I'm intrigued as to how this worked? Did the auto annoncements read out things like 'this part of the train will not call at xxxx, please move to the front part of the train'?. Or was it something else? Did the scrolling PIS text indicate if passengers were in the right part of the train for certain stations?

Has this all changed now?

I couldn't say about the old system, or portion trains, but I was on a 6 carriage formation on the Cleethorpes line recently, and the new system was giving announcements about short platforms. With that in mind it would seem possible for portion trains to have appropriate announcements if it's set up correctly.