Class 379 Miscellanea

[Tottenham Flyer]

There's one (or more) been on the driver training runs to Cambridge all day.

007 and 008 on driver training

005 and 006 on the modern railways special train.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kingfisher200262]

Ouch!

Could that mean a press trip to Stansted on a 317?

That would send a strong message to the industry following NX's failure to prequalify for the next Greater Anglian franchise.

I'll be on the Modern Railways trip today and had been looking forward to my first jaunt of a 379. Hope it goes ahead.
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On the train now. Wi-Fi working very nicely.

First impressions - very nice. Firm seating, which suits me, but won't suit everybody.

On the subject of GPS, if it won't work at Tottenham Hale, how ever does it work at Stansted, which is completely covered?

Quite impressed with 379 overall, very little to criticise.... nothing at all actually from a passenger's perspective.

At the Modern Railways Fourth Friday lunch, Mark Phillips gave a very impressive presentation, highlighting NXEA's HLOS delivery programme, and its achievements, including new trains, car parks, Clacton depot, Cambridge lay over sidings, carriage washes etc.

On the face of it, you have to wonder why DafT would pass over one of the only teams that has delivered real, visible, tangible improvements during CP4 HLOS, in the pre-qualification for the next Greater Anglia franchise.

In future, TOCs making plans to deliver improvements towards the end of a franchise in an effort to win an extension, or brownie points when it comes to bidding for the next franchise, will doubtless think twice.

A great pity.

 

[Bald Rick]

Quite impressed with 379 overall, very little to criticise.... nothing at all actually from a passenger's perspective.

At the Modern Railways Fourth Friday lunch, Mark Phillips gave a very impressive presentation, highlighting NXEA's HLOS delivery programme, and its achievements, including new trains, car parks, Clacton depot, Cambridge lay over sidings, carriage washes etc.

On the face of it, you have to wonder why DafT would pass over one of the only teams that has delivered real, visible, tangible improvements during CP4 HLOS, in the pre-qualification for the next Greater Anglia franchise.

In future, TOCs making plans to deliver improvements towards the end of a franchise in an effort to win an extension, or brownie points when it comes to bidding for the next franchise, will doubtless think twice.

A great pity.

Hear hear, it is an impressive amount of improvement work, and it has largely been delivered on time and on budget.

However don't forget that the reason NX have delivered this programme of improvements is that DfT contracted them to do so, and paid them accordingly. And DfT haven't contracted many others to do similarly, so they can hardly be blamed for not delivering improvements.

What NX can be credited with is being alive to the opportunity of Government funding when it was available, and getting out of the blocks first with a well prepared improvement plan.

Ironically the part of the proposal that saw the order for the new trains hinged on significant growth at Stansted airport (as per DfT forecasts), which, err, hasn't happened. Quite the reverse.

 

[Kingfisher200262]

However don't forget that the reason NX have delivered this programme of improvements is that DfT contracted them to do so, and paid them accordingly. And DfT haven't contracted many others to do similarly, so they can hardly be blamed for not delivering improvements.

Maybe the team at NX was better at presenting business cases for improvements to DfT than the other TOC owning groups....

Ironically the part of the proposal that saw the order for the new trains hinged on significant growth at Stansted airport (as per DfT forecasts), which, err, hasn't happened. Quite the reverse.

Even if it appears to have been based on what turned out to be a false premise!!

 

[jopsuk]

noticed today (no photo, sorry) on the DMCO some sort of housing down low- in this photo, on the right as you look at it, just below the cab door. Appears to be yet another camera- aimed at the bogie? How many cameras do these things have? I assume the other DM has a matching one? Is there one each side? You've then got the forward facing ones in each cab, the pantograph well ones, eight DOO cameras and a load of CCTV inside...

 

[Peter Sarf]

Monday 11/04/2011 Tottenham Hale.

19:25 Up Driver Training 379010 (dont think is went to Liverpool St but probably went nearer Ilford ?).

19:35ish 19:32 Up StanEx 379009 & 007.

Had a ride in a 379. Have to say the interior seems nicer than Desiros which seem to be harsh (lighting/colours on SWT). The day before I was on Heathrow express which seemed more claustrophobic than the 379. The 379 has a light grey scheme but somehow did not seem harsh. I thought it was maybe better than a 377 (possibly smaller & lower seatbacks but obviously 2+2 seating). Acceleration was better (possibly because 379s are using 25kVAC and 377s would be poorer on DC ?) . After this I was on a 377 which seemed less refreshing ("tired" decor ?). I started wondering that, apart from the above, the 379s are very similar to 377s so must be down to colour scheme, newnes and the 25kVAC. Altogether not a bad impression.

 

[jon0844]

I personally don't like the Southern colours for the interior, but I did like the SET interior on their 377s - so I think I'd like the 379 interior too.

What a shame they didn't go for the pastel colours like the One trains!

 

[STN commuter]

I've seen 005 and 007 lurking about a bit over the last few weeks, and 008 was on the adjacent platform when we pulled in to LST the other morning so I had a nose at the seat configuration etc as I walked past it. The seat configuration is similar to the 317/7 with a mix of tables and plenty of bus seats facing the back of the seats in front which I like , as it saves that jostling for personal foot space with the passenger opposite (who decides they want to park their feet under your seat )

Is there an 'official' launch date yet, and will they all hit service same day, or will it be a cascade in dribs and drabs as each individual 4 car set is signed off?

The 317/7 celebrates its 30th birthday this year and in some ways I will be sorry to see them go, but won't be sorry to see the back of the 317/8 or even worse the pink seated monsters that are lurking around on Stansted Express services

 

[swt_passenger]

Is there an 'official' launch date yet, and will they all hit service same day, or will it be a cascade in dribs and drabs as each individual 4 car set is signed off?

They had the official launch/naming by Hammond a couple of weeks back. Today's Railway UK reckons that twenty units will be covering Stansted Express duties by the timetable change.

I'd be surprised if there was another major publicity event now.

 

[jon0844]

I'd be surprised if there was another major publicity event now.

The only publicity now will be when they break down and cause chaos on the line. I can already see the headlines about brand new trains causing passengers to miss flights, when the old trains were better etc etc.

 

[STN commuter]

Sorry, I meant when they physically go into full time service rather than random off peak runs, as opposed to a publicity event
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The only publicity now will be when they break down and cause chaos on the line. I can already see the headlines about brand new trains causing passengers to miss flights, when the old trains were better etc etc.

Trust me, as a daily airport commuter for the last 14 years, the old units were more than capable of causing chaos, as demonstrated in the latest incident by the unit with its brakes locked on south of Bishops Stortford in the morning peak around a week ago

 

[jon0844]

Don't go mixing facts into this!

The Daily Mail will still report a story like that as it gives them the 'what a waste of money' angle, and the outrage that comes with it. They can mention tax payers, suffering commuters AND families that had their holiday to Spain ruined...

 

[Wigan Wanderer]

379014+379015 on today's Crewe/Rugby test runs. Just left Crewe.

 

[jopsuk]

Training runs are now coming into Whittlesford at a decent lick (then stopping), rather than crawling along.

 

[OxtedL]

Found this over time when 377s first appeared. The effect seemed to continue for a good couple of years as drivers became comfortable with the braking.

 

[lm321412]

I managed to photo 379015 + 379014 this afternoon.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photography_by_tom/5622176239/in/photostream


Certainly was interesting to see Electrostars on the Trent Valley and I must say that I am looking forward to ride one of these trains soon.

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

There is a second passenger diagram for next week so 2 8 car sets in passenger service. If anyone wants to know what they are, let me know and I'll post them (but not until Sunday when I'm back at work).

379012 and 013 out doing driver training today. I think it's 013's first time out with NXEA.

007 and 009 retiring at Ilford for the weekend tonight. They've been out all day every day since last Sunday and performed fantastically. A few little hiccups, ie cameras failing though but nothing major, well, not this week anyway!

 

[jon0844]

I'd like to know so I can pop down and take a look - maybe even catch a ride to Tottenham Hale from Liverpool St.

Loads more posters up on the tubes now for these trains.. so they better work!!

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

One 8 car is coming out on Sunday afternoon (5B82, 1415 ex Ilford I think!) for the 1455 Liv St Stansted and then another one on Monday morning, 5B14 to form the 0625 Liverpool St Stansted. I'll post the diagrams on Sunday.

 

[robby p]

The problem with whittlesford was a clearence issue, there was a speed restricton of 5 mph at one point. There were a few clearence issues along the route but these have been graduly sorted with just a few remaining. Talking to the fitter yesterday I was told their due a software update shortly which should solve the DOO camera problems, hopefully!

 

[jon0844]

I was told the latest software update will allow Angry Birds Rio to run properly!

 

[O L Leigh]

As long as it doesn't start showing Britain's Got Talent I shall be happy.

O L Leigh

 

[jopsuk]

"National Express East Anglia would like to apologise for the cancellation of your service. This is due to 'Dancing on Ice' being shown on the door monitors. The Driver refuses to work under such inhumane conditions"

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

Class 379 passenger diagrams for w/c 18th April (Monday - Wednesday only):
From Liverpool St: 0340, 0555, 0625, 0810, 0840, 1025, 1055, 1240, 1310, 1455, 1710, 1740, 1925, 1955, 2140 & 2210.

From Stansted: 0700, 0730, 0915, 0945, 1130, 1200, 1345, 1415, 1600, 1630, 1815, 1845, 2030, 2100, 2245 & 2315.

Thursday: (from London): 0555, 0810, 1025, 1240, 1455, 1710, 1925, 2140. (from Stansted): 0700, 0915, 1130, 1345, 1600, 1815, 2030, 2245.

No 379's are planned to run in passenger service on Good Friday (22nd April).

 

[STN commuter]

Don't one of you drivers want to get up early to run my normal train as a 379 - the 0615 ex STN - for me this week?

 

[Tottenham Flyer]

You'd best ask a driver then! Drivers don't get an option as to what they drive. It's whatever is allocated to that diagram.
Where's STN? Is that meant to be SSD (Stansted Airport)?

 

[Class377/5]

Todays 1455 Liverpool Street departure has 379007 & 379009 allocated to it.

 

[WestCountry]

Where's STN? Is that meant to be SSD (Stansted Airport)?

STN's the IATA code for the airport though... Surely airport station codes should be consistent?

 

[Class377/5]

Todays 1455 Liverpool Street departure has 379007 & 379009 allocated to it.

Quoting myself here but both unit turned up as expected and ran tho not without incident. The units were rebooted atleast 3 time and actually had a crash. I was in a carriage where someone went to open the doors and the whole train shut down with doors still part open (few inches) and the lights out. Not a very good start but once we left London no problems at all. Expect on the return jounery the PA was turned on and it was broken with crackling and words repeated like an echo.

As a regular 377/5 user I was impressed at the units, having the 2+2 seating does improve the experience but then again 3+2 would be a bad idea for a Airport train.

 

[jopsuk]

STN's the IATA code for the airport though... Surely airport station codes should be consistent?

Of all the airports with a a railway station of their own, only Luton is consistent.