Black Triangles of NXEA Class 317s

[Kingfisher200262]

I use the West Anglia from Bishop's Stortford to Liverpool Street regularly and at peak times pay extra to travel First Class so that I can get a seat. Generally, eight car formations operate, some starting at Ely, some at Cambridge and some at Stansted Airport, and there are mix of 317/5, 317/6, 317/7 and 317/8 units used, which all have different seat configurations with First Class in different locations. In addition, even 317/7 units can turn up with First Class at the front or the back of the unit (in relation to London).

This can be a nightmare when trying to load a busy commuter train quickly, as it's impossible to know where to stand on the platform. Occasionally, some thoughtful soul will add a note to the Departure Boards in the station, advising passengers where First Class is situated on various trains, but I suspect station staff are as confused as passengers, because this information is usually wrong.

This week, NXEA decided to try something new. On the station at Bishop's Stortford have appeared notices, explaining that if there is a black triangle on the front of the unit, the First Class is at the front.... and if there isn't, it isn't.

10/10 for effort, but this won't help much as the time to move along the platform when sighting the black triangle is almost milli-seconds.

Hopefully this will get sorted at next refurb and all the seat layouts will be rationalised (and / or when the 379s come along), but for now, this looks set to remain a problem that is definitely affecting dwell times on this busy commuter route.

By the way, train crew seem to be convinced that the Class 379 units will never happen. Is this just poor staff morale, or is there some foundation to this?

 

[Sleepy]

:roll: Ref. 379`s -ignore prophets of doom, the production line has just started !

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Black triangles eh? Reminds me of when this was done on the SR but as a different indicator; in their case it was to show which end of a 2 car unit the guard's compartment was located.

 

[EMT Commuter]

East Midlands Meridians have painted the coupler yellow at the first class end, which can be easily spotted as the train approaches.

 

[Aictos]

East Midlands Meridians have painted the coupler yellow at the first class end, which can be easily spotted as the train approaches.

I know the 317/6s have a interior similar to the 365s, with the 365s the first class is at both ends of the unit, since the 317/6s I think have first class at one end of the train why not paint the coupling at that end yellow?

It's not the best solution but it's viable and does the job.

 

[Jordy]

East Midlands Meridians have painted the coupler yellow at the first class end, which can be easily spotted as the train approaches.

A lot of modern units have this, including Voyagers and 185s

 

[jopsuk]

Voyagers have a yellow painted coupler as well. The 317/6 and /7 have long had those black triangles- all that is new is tealling you what they mean!

At Cambridge some NXEA services do actually get displayed with the 1st class locations*- but as you say, thanks to the mix of sub classes, it can be any of the four carriages of each unit. As you say, it would be good if with the 379 introduction work could be done to the 317 fleet to make them all one layout.

*I'd like to see 1st class location displayed for the FCC 0715 and 0745 Cambirdge-London- "1st class located in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th and 12th coaches".

 

[transportphoto]

The Black Triangle approach has been on LE 170 Units for a while now...

As can be seen here (DSCF6251 - The one at the bottom of the List)

# I say LE because I think Anglia introduced it if not it was defiantly ONE.

 

[Z12XE]

# I say LE because I think Anglia introduced it if not it was defiantly ONE.

360s and 321s have carried them since early 2008 or thereabouts. Certainly predate the NXEA name.

 

[O L Leigh]

Those posters have actually been up for at least a couple of months now.

There are three big problems here. The first is that some units have the posh seats at one end while some have them in the middle. The second is that not all the units face the same way because of the number of possibilities for them to be "turned", either as part of their diagrammed workings or because of "out of course" working. The third is that the allocation of units to diagrams is utterly chaotic. This makes it totally impossible to tell passengers where the posh seats will be before a train arrives, because very often the staff don't know either.

I would say that your best bet is to wait somewhere near the supervisor's office which is approximately where the middle cabs of an 8 car train will be. You will have seen the front unit go by and will have a fair view of the rear unit so you can then choose where to head for. But once you're on the train you could always walk through.

O L Leigh

 

[Electrostar]

I wonder if units could be fitted with a GPS device that could automatically tell the platform indicators the location of first class on the next train? I don't know much about the technology involved but I'm sure there's a solution with the next generation of trains.

 

[jopsuk]

As I said, the orientation is often announced on the screens at Cambridge. Surely theis could be communicated down the line reasonably easily?

 

[transportphoto]

360s and 321s have carried them since early 2008 or thereabouts. Certainly predate the NXEA name.

Also as Displayed on a 321 at Shenfield

here on 3213217 (photo number two - 321327_SHENFIELD.jpg)

 

[O L Leigh]

The WA and GE units were all getting the black triangles at the same time. However, the posters explaining what they meant are a much more recent phenomena. This is also 2008.

As for passing messages down the line, this might work with the Cambridges but what about the StanEx's? Also, by what mechanism would this be done? There isn't any requirement I'm aware of to inform passengers about where the posh seats are. It's just nice when we can provide this information because it helps out.

O L Leigh