Pretty obviously yes.
They may not have a TOPS class (more correctly a R2 class). They could be registered in France rather than Britain.
Now that I would love to see through the tunnel
www.theguardian.com
The whole point of the EVN system is a vehicle doesn't need to have a corresponding number in another country.
There's some complicated agreement between Network Rail and HS1 Ltd. Given that it is still a railway in the UK it would need a TOPS class probably, especially when sharing the line with domestic Javelin services.
We would still have a short form number on the vehicles as well. Eurostar have four digit unit numbers.
I think you mean palette there. Pallets are generally much more wooden.
But adding these trains to the Cross-Channel routes will not increase capacity if a 540-seat trainset is replacing a 758-seat trainset. You'd need about 11 pairs of trains to couple up together to increase the capacity, and that would only leave enough new trains leftover to barely replace the continental PBA sets. There is also the question as to whether they will be compatible with Channel Tunnel accessibility requirements.
It’s the operator that determines the interior. The hull/exterior of the train has little impact to this, beyond ride comfort and physical space. If DB for some reason ordered an Alstom Avelia to be their next ICE, it would have an interior that looks like an ICE. The goes for SNCF ordering a Siemens Velaro to be their next TGV, which would have…a TGV like interior. That is to say that if Eurostar somehow believes that their current interior design is the best thing since sliced bread and wishes to continue with it, I wouldn’t have high hopes. But we’ll see how it goes.
Yes, the 9 PBA (basically an 8 trailer, 3 voltage TGV-reseau painted red) and the 17 PBKA (which had 4 voltage power cars that in profile look more like early TGV duplex power cars, but same trailers) are now 30-32 years old. The Eurostar 373s date from similar period 1993-1995. They were the tail end of second generation TGV and were variants of the 2+10 Atlantique sets from 1989-92 and 2+8 Reseau sets built 1992-94
I'm assuming this is about replacing the e300s/373s, not the e320s/374s?
Would make no sense replacing the E320’s especially as uber have ordered new Siemens. I think other services are looking more luxury now the double deckers will probably have iron board seats low height on top deck and over all worse ride. If I was taking one of the Belgium double decker trains vs a E320 I would say it the service wouldn’t be as good. I would worry if they replace these trains on the London route more will choose other operators. I even think the ex Thalys are better very comfy seats recently had a refurb. Can’t but bit feel these doubles are a step backwards to fit more people in.
Given that the 4DD had the legs of the upper deck passengers between the heads of the lower deck passengers, I'd say it'd be hard not be better designed than them. And even then a 6ft tall passenger would be severely cramped in either deck. The TGV-M is a proper double-deck train with flat floors for each deck. Not sure what the headroom is like.
