Recent content by Malcolmffc

769s ?

Ridiculous, these trains should be being replaced with bi-modes

Have just made my first visit to the TL platforms at St Pancras in many years. Had to wait a while for my train and noticed the incredibly loud screeching noise trains in both directions were making, to the point my ears were ringing after each train left. I used to commute to STP regularly...

Seeing diesel services running under electric wires all over the country

Find it really bizarre that 701s going to Waterloo display the destination as “London W’loo” on the front. Surely the design should have allowed the full display of the location where ~50% of trains will be terminating?

I see, so when SWR are running late as usual they can helpfully advertise a local taxi firm?

Poor thing. Nasty way to go

Nasty surprise at Surbiton this morning - the 0752 is back to a clapped out 455

A strange but very encouraging sight at Waterloo tonight seeing hardly any 455s around in the evening peak.

I’m on the Surbiton working this morning, seems to be running to time. My first experience of a 701 and it feels very swish compared to the clapped out 455s. Hope they are rolled out as quickly as possible

They are in the official timetable for the day, e.g. see this example on RTT https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q16541/2024-03-14/detailed#allox_id=0 which shows the train category as "Ordinary Passenger".

These days on a typical weekday there are about 22,000 passenger trains in the timetable (24,000 odd pre-Covid). Does anyone know roughly what the equivalent figure would have been at the pre-Breching peak?

Try travelling on a packed 455 out of Waterloo on a scorching 30 degree day in July and then tell me it isn’t necessary. The conditions are borderline dangerous.

Llandudno and Llandudno Junction lie on the same line but are separated by an intermediate station for a different place (Deganwy). What other examples of this are there on the network? Any journey requiring changes/connections does not count

Umm, except it isn’t. The original 1960s signalling needed to be ripped out and replaced with modern signalling when the 2009 tube stock were introduced. The old signalling couldn’t support 32tph 1647713428 A more accurate explanation is that there was basically zero investment in the tube...