Class 700 doors opening automatically instead of just releasing.

[stadler]

On my 700 earlier the doors were being opened automatically at every stop. I boarded a stopper at Brighton and then it did it at, Preston Park, Hassocks, Burgess Hill, Wivelsfield, Haywards Heath, Balcombe, Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport, where i alighted. So at every single stop all of the doors on the entire train were just opening automatically without anyone pressing a button. It was a quiet train and many of the doors had nobody near them and nobody getting on or off. All of the doors throughout the train just opened automatically at every stop.

I thought this feature was only used at the TL core (London Brighton / London Blackfriars / City Thameslink / Farringdon / St Pancras Low Level) stations. Also in this case i am sure it is part of the ATO and i think the driver does not press anything. I have certainly never seen the doors opened automatically outside of the TL core stations. In fact i did not even think this was possible at other stations which is why i was so confused.

I am aware that all Electrostar classes (357 375 376 377 378 379 387) have a button for the driver to open the doors instead of just releasing them (although it only occasionally gets used) but i thought these were the only trains with such a feature. I am certainly not aware of any other classes where the driver can choose to either release or open the doors.

Looking at photos of the 700 cab i can not see any buttons to open the doors? So does anyone know how the driver was opening the doors instead of just releasing them?

Or did i find a unit with a fault? Is it likely that this unit had developed a fault and was opening the doors instead of releasing them when the driver pressed the release buttons?

 

[Fincra5]

On my 700 earlier the doors were being opened automatically at every stop. I boarded a stopper at Brighton and then it did it at, Preston Park, Hassocks, Burgess Hill, Wivelsfield, Haywards Heath, Balcombe, Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport, where i alighted. So at every single stop all of the doors on the entire train were just opening automatically without anyone pressing a button. It was a quiet train and many of the doors had nobody near them and nobody getting on or off. All of the doors throughout the train just opened automatically at every stop.

I thought this feature was only used at the TL core (London Brighton / London Blackfriars / City Thameslink / Farringdon / St Pancras Low Level) stations. Also in this case i am sure it is part of the ATO and i think the driver does not press anything. I have certainly never seen the doors opened automatically outside of the TL core stations. In fact i did not even think this was possible at other stations which is why i was so confused.

I am aware that all Electrostar classes (357 375 376 377 378 379 387) have a button for the driver to open the doors instead of just releasing them (although it only occasionally gets used) but i thought these were the only trains with such a feature. I am certainly not aware of any other classes where the driver can choose to either release or open the doors.

Looking at photos of the 700 cab i can not see any buttons to open the doors? So does anyone know how the driver was opening the doors instead of just releasing them?

Or did i find a unit with a fault? Is it likely that this unit had developed a fault and was opening the doors instead of releasing them when the driver pressed the release buttons?

In ATO it does indeed open the doors automatically, as ATO is all about performance.

It's possible that the driver had "Opening Mode" engaged, for some reason, as that would do what you're talking about.

 

[westcoaster]

On my 700 earlier the doors were being opened automatically at every stop. I boarded a stopper at Brighton and then it did it at, Preston Park, Hassocks, Burgess Hill, Wivelsfield, Haywards Heath, Balcombe, Three Bridges, Gatwick Airport, where i alighted. So at every single stop all of the doors on the entire train were just opening automatically without anyone pressing a button. It was a quiet train and many of the doors had nobody near them and nobody getting on or off. All of the doors throughout the train just opened automatically at every stop.

I thought this feature was only used at the TL core (London Brighton / London Blackfriars / City Thameslink / Farringdon / St Pancras Low Level) stations. Also in this case i am sure it is part of the ATO and i think the driver does not press anything. I have certainly never seen the doors opened automatically outside of the TL core stations. In fact i did not even think this was possible at other stations which is why i was so confused.

I am aware that all Electrostar classes (357 375 376 377 378 379 387) have a button for the driver to open the doors instead of just releasing them (although it only occasionally gets used) but i thought these were the only trains with such a feature. I am certainly not aware of any other classes where the driver can choose to either release or open the doors.

Looking at photos of the 700 cab i can not see any buttons to open the doors? So does anyone know how the driver was opening the doors instead of just releasing them?

Or did i find a unit with a fault? Is it likely that this unit had developed a fault and was opening the doors instead of releasing them when the driver pressed the release buttons?

It's not possible in service, to open all doors. You can only release them not open them.

 

[ChristopherJ]

I actually prefer if mainline trains opened all the doors once released, reduces dwell times and unaware passengers waiting around to push the Open button.

Another curiosity I've noticed on some Class 700s is you get a two bell (beep-beep) once the interlock is proven. I don't know if it's a software mod of just the driver messing around with the digital bell on the dashboard, pretending he/she has a guard. DOO from Bedford to Brighton is lonesome.

 

[Deepgreen]

In ATO it does indeed open the doors automatically, as ATO is all about performance.

It's possible that the driver had "Opening Mode" engaged, for some reason, as that would do what you're talking about.

How does opening every door, rather than the ones being used, help with performance? I would have thought it would result in dwell times being the same but with more wear and tear and heat escape from saloons.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Dec 2024 ==

It's not possible in service, to open all doors. You can only release them not open them.

Do you mean outside the ATO area?

 

[800001]

It's not possible in service, to open all doors. You can only release them not open them.

So how does that account for the OP who was on the train observing the doors opening without anyone pressing the buttons?

 

[Bayum]

How does opening every door, rather than the ones being used, help with performance? I would have thought it would result in dwell times being the same but with more wear and tear and heat escape from saloons.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Dec 2024 ==


Do you mean outside the ATO area?

Because this forces people to actually consider using all the doors the entire length of the train. The wider doors enable more people to board and alight at a quicker pace than the old stock.

 

[Fincra5]

So how does that account for the OP who was on the train observing the doors opening without anyone pressing the buttons?

It is possible. Drivers just are told not to use this mode and its only accessed in another certain mode