Avanti West Coast Rolling Stock Updates

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Just a little detail I also noticed - the little stickers around the reservation screens that show coach letter and seat numbers, are still as they were when introduced by Virgin - and with the dark blue and red colour scheme (and mis matched font to all the new avanti stickers) they really stick out. Yes it’s just a cosmetic detail, but surely on such a ‘major’ refurb something like this should’ve been changed?!

The font is either Rail Alphabet or some sort of Helvetica so goes with anything, really?

Yes indeed, it being Helvetica means it clashes with the Avanti font no more than it would have clashed with Neo Sans font as used by Virgin. Pendolinos (and Voyagers of both operators) also have a number of safety and warning information displayed in the vestibules used in this Helvetica. I actually think it looks alright.

It’s much better than SWR’s retention of many stickers in the Futura-like font, which is an obvious part of Stagecoach’s Rail branding used on SWT & EMT.

 

[185143]

Possibly one for a new thread?

I've just noticed 390040 is running round with a grey door at the Green liveried end of Coach J. Surely that's not PRM compliant as there's only a limited contrast in colour?

 

[py_megapixel]

Possibly one for a new thread?

I've just noticed 390040 is running round with a grey door at the Green liveried end of Coach J. Surely that's not PRM compliant as there's only a limited contrast in colour?

It looks like it must surely just be a mistake, though how that mistake wasn't noticed before the unit was put back in traffic, I don't know.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It looks like it must surely just be a mistake, though how that mistake wasn't noticed before the unit was put back in traffic, I don't know.

It could well be that there wasn't a spare white door available, so it was a case of put it in service like that or cancel trains. I suppose the compliance issue could be resolved by locking it out of use.

I'm sure it will be painted or swapped in due course.

 

[Grumpy Git]

It could well be that there wasn't a spare white door available, so it was a case of put it in service like that or cancel trains. I suppose the compliance issue could be resolved by locking it out of use.

I'm sure it will be painted or swapped in due course.

Should have got one from the scrappy, they're never in the colour you need.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Should have got one from the scrappy, they're never in the colour you need.

Quite possibly the spares are from the scrappy (well, from 390033 written off at Greyrigg).

 

[43096]

Quite possibly the spares are from the scrappy (well, from 390033 written off at Greyrigg).

More likely the spare stock is the grey Virgin used after they ditched the stripey doors. In any case 390033 had the door stripes.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

More likely the spare stock is the grey Virgin used after they ditched the stripey doors. In any case 390033 had the door stripes.

It's the same grey. They just peeled the stripes off, and that's what they could have done here.

 

[CR165022]

Pretty sure the white vinyl came off instead of the door being replaced, as the white is a vinyl, not paint, the same can be seen on some EMR 222s

 

[voyagerdude220]

Any updates on when refurbished 390125 will be in service please?

 

[Trackman]

Any updates on when refurbished 390125 will be in service please?

I don't know and AFAIK it's not been out yet.
I imagine some sort of press/media launch before it goes in service.

 

[Skie]

I don't know and AFAIK it's not been out yet.
I imagine some sort of press/media launch before it goes in service.

Or some desperate last minute attempts to stick lipstick on a pig

 

[voyagerdude220]

I don't know and AFAIK it's not been out yet.
I imagine some sort of press/media launch before it goes in service.

Thank you.

 

[Cletus]

What are "Traveller Seats"? Isn't everyone on board a "traveller"?

 

[Trackman]

What are "Traveller Seats"? Isn't everyone on board a "traveller"?

It's an invite only loyalty scheme that also guarantees (well, a 99% guarantee) a reserved seat on a walk-up plus other perks, VT did it. Now being phased out.

Or some desperate last minute attempts to stick lipstick on a pig

Well, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt (again) until I've been on one. Looking at the leaked photos I am not holding my breath.

 

[Peter0124]

390125 looks to be running test services between Euston and Manchester today.

Realtime Trains | 1T42 1310 London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly | 17/03/2022

Real-time train running information for 1T42 1310 departure from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly on 17/03/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Skie]

Could be for filming/promotional stuff or a final shakedown run. Or both.

 

[bnsf734]

Looks like it is doing a southbound special run today with several stops:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:S32587/2022-03-18/detailed

 

[Jacob Porrett]

Any idea when 390125 will be in passenger service?

 

[507020]

Has the public even seen the new interior of it yet?

 

[Trackman]

Any idea when 390125 will be in passenger service?

Can't see it being long now, best keep an eye on this thread!

Could be for filming/promotional stuff or a final shakedown run. Or both.

They were filming at Stockport yesterday, but that was for the new uniforms, I suppose they were filming aboard 390125 too.
It's an FB embedded video so unable to share.

Has the public even seen the new interior of it yet?

Well, no, but there are some photos of the new interior up thread.

 

[Jacob Porrett]

Can't see it being long now, best keep an eye on this thread!

They were filming at Stockport yesterday, but that was for the new uniforms, I suppose they were filming aboard 390125 too.
It's an FB embedded video so unable to share.

Well, no, but there are some photos of the new interior up thread.

Will keep an eye out then

 

[Scotrail314209]

They were filming at Stockport yesterday, but that was for the new uniforms, I suppose they were filming aboard 390125 too.
It's an FB embedded video so unable to share.

Good to see theres new uniforms coming.

One thing I did notice on the refurbished 390 was that the grab poles in the vestibules were still Virgin red, as were some of the internal stickers.

They redo everything else but they don't paint poles or replace the stickers

 

[43096]

Good to see theres new uniforms coming.

One thing I did notice on the refurbished 390 was that the grab poles in the vestibules were still Virgin red, as were some of the internal stickers.

They redo everything else but they don't paint poles or replace the stickers

That would be no different to the SWR Desiro refurbishments that retain Stagecoach era signage, powder blue ends walls and orange grab rails. A typical FirstGroup done on the cheap job.

 

[py_megapixel]

They redo everything else but they don't paint poles or replace the stickers

The lack of attention to detail is unfortunately quite common. For example, there's plenty of South West Trains branding to be found on Desiros that have nominally been refurbished by SWR. There's also the fact that Avanti seems to be a bit mediocre in general, of course.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Mar 2022 ==

That would be no different to the SWR Desiro refurbishments that retain Stagecoach era signage, powder blue ends walls and orange grab rails. A typical FirstGroup done on the cheap job.

I think my favourite example is actually on some Northern class 323s, which retain the old Serco-Abellio safety information posters with the old logo literally scribbled out with a biro.

 

[Clansman]

The lack of attention to detail is unfortunately quite common. For example, there's plenty of South West Trains branding to be found on Desiros that have nominally been refurbished by SWR. There's also the fact that Avanti seems to be a bit mediocre in general, of course.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Mar 2022 ==


I think my favourite example is actually on some Northern class 323s, which retain the old Serco-Abellio safety information posters with the old logo literally scribbled out with a biro.

Similar happened with First Scotrail 158s when the unrefurbished units (Haymarket fleet) had the National Express ScotRail 'swoosh' logo inscribed into all magazine holders mounted on the wall and baring the original colours.

First's solution? Paint the whole holder over the swoosh with the same colour or overlay to make it blend in and leave it where it was.

It was still visible until 2018 when the last unit was refurbished - 14 years after the franchise ended!

 

[507020]

I think my favourite example is actually on some Northern class 323s, which retain the old Serco-Abellio safety information posters with the old logo literally scribbled out with a biro.

But literally what’s the point? I can understand why Avanti West Coast would want to remove any trace of Virgin branding, but there must be very few passengers who see the old Northern logo as anything other than the old Northern logo, not the logo of a completely different company. It’s still got exactly the same name and how Arriva are long gone there’s absolutely no reason to remove it.

 

[swt_passenger]

That would be no different to the SWR Desiro refurbishments that retain Stagecoach era signage, powder blue ends walls and orange grab rails. A typical FirstGroup done on the cheap job.

I think much of what people call “Stagecoach signage” is Siemens standard safety signage of the time and is identical to that on 350s.

 

[43096]

I think much of what people call “Stagecoach signage” is Siemens standard safety signage of the time and is identical to that on 350s.

It is Stagecoach signage as it is in their corporate style of the time (Futura font etc). It isn’t Siemens’ standard - I haven’t seen any Siemens stock in Germany labelled in the same style: it’s per the customer’s request.

 

[batteur]

A lot of people have said they were expecting more without indicating what. Short of making the windows bigger, what is 'more?

I would have expected a better colour scheme and quality seat fabric, better lighting, completely renewed PIS, renewed seat reservation system, and first class seating that doesn't use white vinyl for the head rests. Something akin to the mallard refurbishment or an equivalent of the quality of the Anglia staedler units.

The whole thing has clearly been value engineered. It's fine, much like the Hitachi train interiors. But - like those train interiors - it's completely bland design-by-spreadsheet and doesn't generate any excitement or interest in the same way that other European high-speed trains do. A little more money on the non-essentials goes a long way. Create something to be proud of and People will find a way of using it, even if they don't need to.