I am pleased to hear there is an over all positive reaction to the AT100. There has been so much negative comments on the forum about Bombarider in Derby. I thought Hitachi could not of had better timing in advertising there communter EMU which will be manafactured in the UK. Thus train building will not be "dead" in the UK, instead we have been blessed by the outstandingly brilliant Japanese. No need now to panic and think of uttering mad words again about this Chinese CRSE nonsence!
I say the AT100 is ideal in a few sences. Notably because they will be manafactured in the UK with British jobs and skills under Japanese design technology. The Japanese are light years ahead of us and we have a good history with us developing ideas, in this case Rail, then the Japanese developing it to amazing effect. My favouritest example is Operation Judgement on the 11th November 1940 where us British did a "mini" Pearl Harbour on the Italians at Taranto. The Japanese observed this, thought highly of our idea and then went away and created the Pearl Harbour attack. Having travelled on the Japanese rail network they truly have taken everything we love about rail travel and worked on it like a art masterpiece. I mean theres even markings on platforms where you have to que to board the train, which stops at the exact point to the second hand on your watch!
I also believe the AT100 shall be ideal as it is to be built in the UK, thus safe guarding skill manafacturing jobs that everyone is up in arms about currently over at Bombardier,
This leads on to my other reason i say "ideal". They shall be built well, under great technology and by employees who actually will go the extra mile as that is the Japanese ethos. I read too often Derby staff are very much "set in their ways" and hence it is why after nearly 10 years the Electrostars look, well frankly, old and tired and "cheap" whereas the Desiros look still newish and strong.
Lastly what i utterly LOVE about Japanese trains (mainly the bullet trains) are the window arrangements. All of the seats line up to the windows as you have individual window per seat isle. All seats are uni directional, thus always airline, and swing around once the train goes in the reverse direction. It leads to higher loading as all seats are airline and all passengers can enjoy the view out of their window.
So, though these trains shall not be ordered anytime soon, it is great to see a future where we still have trains manafactured in the UK, with proven excellent technology and what well, look rather good i think!
We should all stand behind Hitachi and welcome them with there plans, celebrate none of us for much longer will have to bare another Bombardier train, excusing it as it was built here in the UK, missing out how rubbish it is!
And no i do not see pigs flying regarding there Country Durham plant. I would believe as it is a Japanese company they have planned this to every last detail. So when Hitachi say they are building it to attract further UK and European orders they mean it. After all the plant is close to sea docks where trains can easily be shipped over to continental Europe. Rather than being in Derby, surrounded by land and restricted by British Loading Guage.
Bring on future contracts being given to the At100 (and its DMU sister unit that i bet they are planning) including: Merseyrail, Anglian, Welsh Valleys and Great Western (when the 319s need to go). (Please note i did not say Crossrail as Crossrail would be mad not to order the Desiro City, anyother unit would not be compatiable with the Thameslink stock)
