A new peril - doors closing early!

[Matt Taylor]

Electrostars/Turbostara were the first mainline trains to come with automatically closing doors after a preset delay, not Networkers.

I recall 165s and 166s having this feature as long ago as 1991, foloowed by the Networkers.

 

[evil_hippo]

What may seem slow is the conductor having to go through the procedure to release the doors. On my local 153's, the guard has to release two switches in two different panels before the dorrs can be unlocked and opened. I have been informed they cannot start this until the train has come to a stand at the platform. They then opne the lcoal door and check that the train is on the platofr, before releasing the rest of the doors.

This always makes me wish for the local trains in Maryland, on which the conductors often get the local door open up to about thirty seconds before reaching the platform, and set the rest of the doors opening two or three seconds before reaching a stop.

 

[CarterUSM]

I really don't see what is hard about halting your ticket check in plenty of time to release the doors, I do it up to 100 odd times a day sometimes.

 

[boing_uk]

You have obviously NEVER looked at what happens on a platform.

Between 2/3 of all passengers trying to get in the same door, and (bloody) bikes turning up at the last minute in the wrong part of the platform, and people deciding that they want coach A despite them standing the wrong end of the platform so they then drag their unfeasibly large suitcase down the platform, and them leaving doors open after that section of the train has been checked so the platform staff / traincrew have to walk back and shut the damn door behind them I would reverse that proportion, in my experience.

Thats all very well saying that, but as has been said and as you will know, most services dont have the cycle area and luggage racks clearly signed on the outside of the unit in order for the pax to make an informed decision as to which door they should be at.

Or, as some times happens with TPE, Ive had the occasional reservation for, lets say Coach E. Right then, trains approaching, Coach C... hmmm... Coach B, Coach A... must be the rear unit. No. Thats Coach A as well... hmmm. Okay, I'll pick this door and just stand for my journey.

For "the ordinary folk" it must be even worse, especially with cycles and large luggage. Which door to use? A train is usually just a train. Where trains do not run in a fixed direction each time, it would help if the outside of the train had easily identifiable colour coding - cycles here, luggage here, wheelchairs here... you know, like BR used to do with First Class accomodation and the yellow bar below the cantrail.

 

[exile]

Bring back the old trains with the big luggage compartment where you could even stow a motor bike!

 

[466.networkers]

I recall 165s and 166s having this feature as long ago as 1991, foloowed by the Networkers.

Yes, the Networker family have automatic doors but they stay open all the time until they are closed either locally or by the driver/guard - they do not close after a preset amount of time like the Turbo/Electrostars et al do.

 

[Flamingo]

Thats all very well saying that, but as has been said and as you will know, most services dont have the cycle area and luggage racks clearly signed on the outside of the unit in order for the pax to make an informed decision as to which door they should be at.

Or, as some times happens with TPE, Ive had the occasional reservation for, lets say Coach E. Right then, trains approaching, Coach C... hmmm... Coach B, Coach A... must be the rear unit. No. Thats Coach A as well... hmmm. Okay, I'll pick this door and just stand for my journey.

For "the ordinary folk" it must be even worse, especially with cycles and large luggage. Which door to use? A train is usually just a train. Where trains do not run in a fixed direction each time, it would help if the outside of the train had easily identifiable colour coding - cycles here, luggage here, wheelchairs here... you know, like BR used to do with First Class accomodation and the yellow bar below the cantrail.

The trains and stations I work DO have signs saying where to go with bikes, and what carriages are where. People ignore them.

 

[barrykas]

Yes, the Networker family have automatic doors but they stay open all the time until they are closed either locally or by the driver/guard - they do not close after a preset amount of time like the Turbo/Electrostars et al do.

The 165s and 166s definitely have automatic close, though Chiltern have disabled it on their 165/0s, as there's no hustle alarm associated with it! Can't remember whether FGW still use it on their fleets off the top of my head, as it's been a while since I've been on one.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[Schnellzug]

Yes, the Networker family have automatic doors but they stay open all the time until they are closed either locally or by the driver/guard - they do not close after a preset amount of time like the Turbo/Electrostars et al do.

I'm sure the 165s did when they were new, at least.

 

[Yew]

You are right about the HST doors though, so many people don;t bother to close them!

Most people either wouldn't realise they aren't powered, or not realise that they are supposed/allowed to close them.

 

[Roylang]

You are right about the HST doors though, so many people don;t bother to close them!

Recently watched a guard unlock the doors on an eight coach HST from coach B, leave the door open and walk down the train and get into about coach F or G.

A member of platform staff had to walk down the platform from about that point just to shut the door. He looked mighty fed up.

Roy

 

[Flamingo]

Recently watched a guard unlock the doors on an eight coach HST from coach B, leave the door open and walk down the train and get into about coach F or G.

A member of platform staff had to walk down the platform from about that point just to shut the door. He looked mighty fed up.

Roy

If passengers are getting out and in and I'm at the front of the train, I'll leave the door open, especially if there is platform staff, as I have to get to the rear of the train to dispatch, I'm not going to waste time waiting for them to close the door behind them. I will usually say to the people getting on to slam the door behind them.

 

[Roylang]

If passengers are getting out and in and I'm at the front of the train, I'll leave the door open, especially if there is platform staff, as I have to get to the rear of the train to dispatch, I'm not going to waste time waiting for them to close the door behind them. I will usually say to the people getting on to slam the door behind them.

In that case I could understand it, but in the instance I saw, the train was very quiet, nobody else left through the door in question (or any near it) and nobody was nearby looking to board.

As a casual observer, it almost looked a very deliberate act with no purpose whatsoever. I initially assumed that the guard would return to the same door, but no.

Roy

 

[Flamingo]

In that case I could understand it, but in the instance I saw, the train was very quiet, nobody else left through the door in question (or any near it) and nobody was nearby looking to board.

As a casual observer, it almost looked a very deliberate act with no purpose whatsoever. I initially assumed that the guard would return to the same door, but no.

Roy

It might have been a wind-up!

 

[Yew]

In that case I could understand it, but in the instance I saw, the train was very quiet, nobody else left through the door in question (or any near it) and nobody was nearby looking to board.

As a casual observer, it almost looked a very deliberate act with no purpose whatsoever. I initially assumed that the guard would return to the same door, but no.

Roy

It might have been a wind-up!

What? Asking the driver how he is going with that 'cushy desk job'?

 

[Crossover]

I too have been regularly on trains that have locked up 30 secs early and been rolling by, on occasion, xx:xx:50 - now I understand that, I have no problem with it and as people say there seems to be a push on it (but damned annoying when you want to find out what train is leaving from x platform and every darned platform screen is showing this "special announcement" for ages before flicking back to the departure for mere seconds before going to the "special announcement" again...

I have also noticed whilst abroad how some stations have quite comprehensive displays of the formation of the train to get everyone in the right place before it arrives. Although we do get it here (coloured zones or reverse formation) we mainly get told (by some systems) how many coaches the train is (which can be useful if you know where the stop boards are)

Stupid use of "Departure Screen Monitors" has for a while been a pet hate of mine. Smoking, left luggage and bombs should be on a printed poster, not the (often only) information screen in a station.

---

For your safety and security please do not
cycle,
smoke,
rollerskate,
leave luggage unattended,
skateboard,
blow up,
or think FirstGroup are great
anywhere in this station.

CCTV operates throughout.

and by the way, platform 4 for the 11.35 First Trans Keolis Pennine Out on Strike Distress Train Complany Limited to Wem.

....has just departed.

30 seconds early whilst you were reading all that garbage.

As optimistic as ever eh 185?
Do love it though!