Refurbished Eurostar?

[woolwinder]

Latest estimates is April/May 2014

The budget is not unlimited. The funding for the 373 refurb is part of original financial deal negotiated for the purchase of 374 sets (total cost £700m, refurbs £200m)
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I presume you mean withdrawn from SNCF service? I can only see Eurostar being interested in SNCFs few full length sets if they needed a stop gap measure, the NOLs being shorter would be a headace. Although I think the full lengths are owned independently by SNCF and have had nothing to do with Eurostar for years, if ever.

If you travel by temple mills on the great eastern you can see the empty hulks of 3101/02 power cars. in the sidings riding high on their springs which denotes that their machinery(transformers/power modules) and other external running gear have been cannibalised. To keep the other 373's running to their refurb. Their R1 to R18 coaches are "stored" in an SNCF elephants graveyard in France.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Their R1 to R18 coaches are "stored" in an SNCF elephants graveyard in France.

Has the refurbishment subcontractor in Thouars finished trialing interiors in them and handed them back then? The last I heard ( a couple of months ago ) they were still being used to trial various interior options.

 

[34D]

Interested to know more about this "SNCF graveyard"

 

[woolwinder]

Has the refurbishment subcontractor in Thouars finished trialing interiors in them and handed them back then? The last I heard ( a couple of months ago ) they were still being used to trial various interior options.

Trialling completed, but none of the 3015/16 R1-R18 completed at Hellemmes

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Ok, if 3015/6 is at Hellemmes, which is the one being done at Le Landy - or did The Rail Engineer magazine get the location wrong?

 

[woolwinder]

Got it wrong.

My be confused as Le Landy do carry out in service heavy maintenance for ES from time to time.

 

[jaffa]

Hi, is there any update to this refurbishment? Has the first refurbed set been completed yet?

Thanks

 

[Max]

Hi, is there any update to this refurbishment? Has the first refurbed set been completed yet?

Thanks

Given that the release date is April/May 2014 and the article posted previously stated that the look will remain a "closely guarded secret" for now, I'd say unlikely! :P

 

[Alfie1014]

Included in this article in the Guardian is reference to the service beyond Avignon towards Marsaille becoming permanent from 2015 (after the introduction of the E320 train sets)?

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/dec/30/eurostar-passes-10-million-year

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Quite likely; now that the Bruxelle - Lille thing has been settled* ( sort of, anyway! ) and Eurostar can now resume carrying domestic passengers between the two, at least on some services but not all of them.



*Rather interestingly the ( partial ) solution is one that was floated on this forum - they're using carriage 18 for the domestic leg with staff guarding the corridor to 17 to ensure nobody passes and to ensure everyone in 18 gets out at Lille and doesn't get back on board further down the train.

 

[IKBrunel]

at last a sensible solution to the Lille loophole issue, though presumably this approach also requires additional staffing to manage boarding/disembarkation at both Brussels and Lille? If for example someone with a Lille/coach18 ticket ended getting on another coach in Brussels it would cause a bit of a headache for example.

But maybe something like this could also work for domestic passengers on the Amsterdam-London services?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

As I understand it, everyone's ticket is getting closely examined upon boarding to ensure the Lille lot are only able to board carriage 18.

Perhaps someone from on here who is travelling from Bruxelles shortly ( there must be someone?? ) could report back on this?

 

[Chris125]

But maybe something like this could also work for domestic passengers on the Amsterdam-London services?

Domestic traffic between Amsterdam and Brussels may well be able to use the service like any other, supposing that passengers to London are forced to leave the train at Brussels to go through Border Control - I believe this is what they do at Lille with Eurostar's Aix-en-Provence services.

Chris

 

[Yew]

Given that the release date is April/May 2014 and the article posted previously stated that the look will remain a "closely guarded secret" for now, I'd say unlikely! :P

I really hope it isnt something too radcal, that will be awful to sit in for any length of time.

 

[317666]

Perhaps someone from on here who is travelling from Bruxelles shortly ( there must be someone?? ) could report back on this?

I will be at the end of March, will keep an eye out although hopefully somebody else will before then. Interestingly though, I've just had a look at my booking and if I wanted to, it would let me change my seat to be in Coach 18, so perhaps they haven't implemented this system just yet? (I'm travelling back to London.)

I really hope it isnt something too radcal, that will be awful to sit in for any length of time.

I hate to say it, but I think that's exactly what's going to happen!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I will be at the end of March, will keep an eye out although hopefully somebody else will before then. Interestingly though, I've just had a look at my booking and if I wanted to, it would let me change my seat to be in Coach 18, so perhaps they haven't implemented this system just yet? (I'm travelling back to London.)

Maybe you're booked on one of the services it doesn't apply to? They did say it wouldn't be available on all the services.

I hate to say it, but I think that's exactly what's going to happen!

I'm desperately hoping it won't be like the refurbished TGV-Atlantique interior; those have the reading light clusters on a big bump betwen the seats at the back; guaranteed to smash your head on them... I did that several times on our trip to Lourdes back in August, and so did the rest of the family and quite a few others in the carriage each way!

From what I do understand, it'll be pretty much the same inside as the e320 sets will be and it will be different from the current layout - the seat numbering will be totally different for a start, which means during the changeover period you could well find your favourite seat numbers are suddenly facing the wrong way and are on the wrong side of the carriage...

 

[jopsuk]

during the changeover period you could well find your favourite seat numbers are suddenly facing the wrong way and are on the wrong side of the carriage...

A nightmare for The Man in Seat 61!

 

[jon0844]

Now the man in seat 19...!

 

[317666]

It's funny that both The Man In Seat 61 and Eurostar seating layouts are mentioned. It says on his website that the plan Eurostar are currently using, when you select seats, has incorrect seat directions and window alignment, and to actually use the plan linked to from his site to choose the correct seat.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

This one http://www.eurostar4agents.com/files/Eurostar_seat_plan_UK.pdf looks accurate for the 373s and it matches the one on the seat 61 site.

 

[317666]

Yes that one is correct I believe, it's the one you use when actually selecting your seat that is wrong. Although it doesn't matter an awful amount considering they're about to be changed anyway.

 

[Squaddie]

It's funny that both The Man In Seat 61 and Eurostar seating layouts are mentioned. It says on his website that the plan Eurostar are currently using, when you select seats, has incorrect seat directions and window alignment, and to actually use the plan linked to from his site to choose the correct seat.

Thanks for posting this. I inadvertently fell foul of this error last summer - my outward seat was correct, but the seat on the return journey was facing the wrong way even though the train was the right way round. The person I spoke to at customer service suggested I must have made a mistake when booking: I'm happy to know that I probably didn't!

(In the event it didn't really matter, because the seat opposite me was free anyway and I was able to move).

It's a useful reminder to always check with Seat61 even for journeys I've made many times before.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

My own favourite seat is carriage 2, 3 or 4 seat 74 on the way out from London and carriage 15, 16 or 17 seat 74 on the way back to London.

 

[Andyjs247]

As I understand it, everyone's ticket is getting closely examined upon boarding to ensure the Lille lot are only able to board carriage 18.

Perhaps someone from on here who is travelling from Bruxelles shortly ( there must be someone?? ) could report back on this?

I travelled back from Brussels on 24th November on Eurostar for the first time, on the 14:52 to St. Pancras. This train also stopped at Lille Europe, Calais Frethun and Ebbsfleet.

I didn't pay too much attention to the boarding arrangements at Brussels but did notice there were separate "Intra Schengen" boarding arrangements. Not having travelled previously I didn't think too much of it. I was sat in coach 4; I don't know where Intra Schengen passengers boarded but from reading this thread they could well have boarded to coach 18 at the rear of the train. I guess these passengers also avoided the passport check and security scanners.

We had to show both tickets and passports when going through security and our tickets (not passports) were stamped by the immigration staff at Brussels. I also remember that before departure there was a general announcement to passengers to keep our tickets and passports available for inspection on board - and indeed French police did inspect tickets and passports between Lille and Calais. On arrival at St Pancras we had to show both tickets as well as passports to UKBA before clearing security.

The whole journey was smooth and efficient and I didn't sense there was anything unusual in any way.

 

[Goldfish62]

I really hope it isnt something too radcal, that will be awful to sit in for any length of time.

Well, they claim they will be the most comfortable high speed trains in Europe. We shall see....

I hope they have better legroom than currently. Getting of an ICE3 at Brussels then onto a Eurostar is a shock to the system!

 

[NL Railways]

Yes indeed i was very dissapointed when I took a Eurostar for the first time, didn´t like standard class seats at all, ICE3 I think have the most comfortable seats of all highspeed trains which I travelled with.

 

[317666]

Agreed that ICEs have one of the best interiors, although I find the refurbished 2s to be slightly more comfortable than the 3s. Really is a staggering difference between an ICE and a 373.

 

[Goldfish62]

Agreed that ICEs have one of the best interiors, although I find the refurbished 2s to be slightly more comfortable than the 3s. Really is a staggering difference between an ICE and a 373.

ICE2 have recently been refurbished. ICE3 are getting quite worn, but a refurbishment is due to commence soon.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I was booking a Eurostar for travel later this year on a date after the refurbishment is due to be unveiled and while selecting the specific seat schoices ( this was in person at St Pancras ) I asked the clerk what would happen with these seat numbers if the refurbished set was working the train as it's laid out differently inside.

The reply was that the seat selection screen would show the different internal layout if the service was diagrammed for the refurbished set; I then asked if that means the system has already had it loaded up, the response was yet it has, but it will only show it if you are booking a train which is supposed to be worked by the refurbished one.

Hmmm... interesting...

So in theory the refurbished set, when it is out, will be working a dedicated disgram for at least the first few weeks. The clerk did not know which trains that will be, but had seen the different seating plan come up a few times in the course of making bookings for people.

So equally in theory it should be possible for someone with a lot of time to spare checking online booking options to establish both the planned diagram and the new internal layout...

 

[ModernRailways]

I was booking a Eurostar for travel later this year on a date after the refurbishment is due to be unveiled and while selecting the specific seat schoices ( this was in person at St Pancras ) I asked the clerk what would happen with these seat numbers if the refurbished set was working the train as it's laid out differently inside.

The reply was that the seat selection screen would show the different internal layout if the service was diagrammed for the refurbished set; I then asked if that means the system has already had it loaded up, the response was yet it has, but it will only show it if you are booking a train which is supposed to be worked by the refurbished one.

Hmmm... interesting...

So in theory the refurbished set, when it is out, will be working a dedicated disgram for at least the first few weeks. The clerk did not know which trains that will be, but had seen the different seating plan come up a few times in the course of making bookings for people.

So equally in theory it should be possible for someone with a lot of time to spare checking online booking options to establish both the planned diagram and the new internal layout...

A quick phone call may get you the answer. I will have a quick look myself as I wouldn't mind going for a trip to Paris on it myself. I suspect it will be either early morning or late evening services it will run.