Eurostar e320 / Class 374 "Velaro"

[RichJF]

I took a weekend away a few weeks ago. The E300 out was spotless and everything worked. The E320 back had no air con in two coaches and was near unbearable. The ride also was much more fussy. I’ll try and stick to E300s in future if I can.

I was chatting to the bartender while he was cooking my toastie & he complained about the vibrations, rolling, and wobbly nature of the Siemens trains vs the old TMST and the fact every E320 train he's worked on has something broken. He also said the kitchen facilities were miles better on the refurbished E300 vs the E320 & advised me to stick to the older units if I ever travelled again!

He also said some of the drivers of the Siemens units are suffering from fatigue more than the older units as the driving controls require less input and are more automated than the E300s meaning the drivers just sit there and adjust their hand position rather than moving the round console and thus get bored. I'm not saying this is gospel or even true but this is what he told me!

 

[MisterT]

Welcome to the 21st century. That's how new trains are being operated.
All issues are exactly the same thing with the German ICE/Velaro train sets. An ICE without a fault of some sorts is unheard of.

 

[ChilternTurbo]

I took a weekend away a few weeks ago. The E300 out was spotless and everything worked. The E320 back had no air con in two coaches and was near unbearable. The ride also was much more fussy. I’ll try and stick to E300s in future if I can.

It would be great if the remaining un-refurbished E300s go through the refurbishment programme rather than making the one way trip to Kingsbury. I understand that the scrapping process has been halted for the moment so fingers crossed!

 

[F Great Eastern]

It’s a controversial opinion but all you describe does not surprise me coming from Siemens and considering what the manufacturer has sold to European tram and railways in this century.

Go look at the league tables for the most reliable EMUs in the country over the past few years.....

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It would be great if the remaining un-refurbished E300s go through the refurbishment programme rather than making the one way trip to Kingsbury. I understand that the scrapping process has been halted for the moment so fingers crossed!

I'd prefer them unrefurbished; the refurbished ones are having the same seats as the 374s fitted...

 

[TRAX]

Go look at the league tables for the most reliable EMUs in the country over the past few years.....

Yeah I know for some reason the UK Siemens stuff hasn’t run into any major problems. This can’t be said for a lot of their stock on the Continent.

 

[TRAX]

He also said some of the drivers of the Siemens units are suffering from fatigue more than the older units as the driving controls require less input and are more automated than the E300s meaning the drivers just sit there and adjust their hand position rather than moving the round console and thus get bored. I'm not saying this is gospel or even true but this is what he told me!

The e300s don’t have the circular traction controller though. Just a joystick.

 

[cactustwirly]

Well the news is I saw 374031 & 374032 arrive at St Pancras from Brussels at 19:03 on Friday 05/01/2018 on a service train.

This probably means that only the last pair (374033 & 374034) are left to be built. They may of course be built and in service but I suspect it is too soon given the gradual progress of the preceding 374s into service.

This sighting also begs the question - have 374013 and 374014 also entered service ?. I know they got to St Pancras once on a special run but have otherwise spent ages in Holland. At least 374031 & 374032 did not hang around there for so long.

I don't think I saw any 373s in the old livery in the 90 minutes I was there btw.

I had 3224 & 3223 on the 1058 St Pancras - Brussels on Monday, both unrefurbished in the old livery