All conflicting reports.... i heard they will.continue til November..plus we still dont know where they will end up
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Thameslink/ Class 700 Progress
- Thread starter fgwrich
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All conflicting reports.... i heard they will.continue til November..plus we still dont know where they will end up
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Silverlink
Member
Is it just me or is the 700's interior getting really dirty all of a sudden?
samuelmorris
Established Member
Fair enough - can't remember it being announced before, but my travel is intermittent on Thameslink at the moment so if I'm just being dopey then I apologise
Both those announcements have been around for a long time as I recall.
The trains can be left full of food/drink (perhaps made worse by people not knowing where the bins are, and no tables in most of the train).
I also saw a bit of glass etching in first class. Or should I say anti-etch film etching! I assume first class was targeted because, well, it's the most rebellious.
asylumxl
Established Member
Personally, I feel like general train cleanliness has dropped since Govia took over, but perhaps I am biased against them. Having said that, I am quite sure the number of cleaners getting on and off in the core has dropped. It used to be a pretty regular occurrence between Farringdon and Blackfriars.
The Churchill crew do a great job cleaning the incredibly messy trains that come into King's Cross, but they don't work the late trains (which probably need jet washing!).
I didn't know how they did/do the trains on Thameslink that don't terminate. Cleaning trains as they go, then coming back on another, sounds messy (pun intended).
I didn't know how they did/do the trains on Thameslink that don't terminate. Cleaning trains as they go, then coming back on another, sounds messy (pun intended).
samuelmorris
Established Member
In my opinion, exterior vandalism seems less common after GTR took over, general outer cleanliness seems a little worse (but it may just be because it's more obvious on a plain white livery than FCC colours), interior cleanliness definitely seems poor, because the 700s are already getting pretty grubby inside.
spark001uk
Established Member
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I think they'd be ok if they put as much cleaning effort into the units as they do at stations. In particular CTK, I always see someone there in overalls and hard hat, cleaning every nook and cranny of the station - walls, posters, ceiling areas, going along the platforms with a tool to clean the tops of the advertisement frames, even the ones up and down the escalators!
In 14 years on the route, travelling at all times of day, night and all days of the week, I have never seen a cleaner on a TL train in passenger service.
tsr
Established Member
It did happen in the latter days of FCC, I remember that much. Nowadays turnaround cleans seem to be the favoured method of operation on TL. When I went to Three Bridges more often, I regularly found them there, and the Brighton cleaners are very good, too. GTR are not averse to onboard cleaners on trains in service, though - they're regularly found between Ashurst and Uckfield. Contrary to common belief, this was not actually my idea...
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Trainspotter74
Member
I can second this. Travelling regularly at lunchtime in the core, cleaners would often get on at City Thameslink and off again at St Pancras, presumably then change platforms and get on a service in the opposite direction. Haven't seen this for a least a couple of years though.
ChiefPlanner
Established Member
When I briefly worked for FCC , all staff were given cleaning kits / gloves etc - so I set off to see what happened on the Catford and Wimbledon loops , litter picking in service. (mid to late afternoon)
Hilarious , - the number of people who suddenly decided to get off when they saw me with name badge etc , loads of tickets offered for inspection etc. Nothing dodgier than normal...
Got about 3 bagsworths whcih was donated to the very grateful staff at the E+C.
bengley
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I can't speak for other stabling points, but a few months ago the number of cleaners at Brighton Down Sidings was cut from 7 to 2. Drivers are diagrammed 40 minutes between arrival and auxing the unit off (this has to be done because the neighbours complain about the noise from trains).
Unfortunately this is not enough time for 2 cleaners to fully clean the interior of an 8 car, let alone a 12 car.
Not been to Sevenoaks ? They have a cleaner there every single day.
*edit* I'm assuming you mean them travelling through the trains between stations ? I thought you were a St Albans regular and the cleaners also go into the sidings and back out when the units terminate there.
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itdoesntmatter
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From/toward Brighton I don't think they look any dirtier but certainly cleaned less often.
I absolutely detest those trains and dread getting on one when going to London Bridge. Quite often they use a Southern on the way home, phew.
The world is getting taller yet legroom has been reduced, nowhere to hang your jacket, no arm rests, solid upright seating on a 70min journeys, no tables, no power or USB sockets...just an empty, soulless tube with wide-aisles and updates about the underground.
Reading through the now 9 year old Passenger Focus, you realise how little they actually listened.
Oh I see them on the SAC terminators when out of service, but never when a train is in service with passengers on board.
Sevenoaks terminate on the platform and the cleaners jump on and whizz through. Passengers on board
Luton also has cleaners that jump on when I'm changing ends and the unit has passengers on.
My perspective is that there are cleaners when I change ends and they hand bash at Cricklewood. I've only ever passed on 3 700's as I'm pointy end.
I think there was an issue with cleaners going through units when the unit is in service. Ours used to go a few stops out of Sevenoaks and then headed back from Swanley. I get the feeling there is a corporate image at work here. I have spoken with the Cleaners at St Albans a few times and they got told about carrying bags through the train.
tsr
Established Member
Litter picking should only take a couple of minutes per coach unless things are really, really bad. Proper surface cleaning is obviously a bit trickier, as are vacuuming, toilet refills (soap / water tanks / loo roll) and graffiti removal.
Obviously it does sound like the resources have been cut back a bit too far. If that's all that's available, I'd rather a litter pick was done throughout the whole train, rather than just a deeper clean in a couple of coaches. A consistent level of cleanliness does at least show there is a system at work, rather than random patches of dirt and spotlessness.
tsr
Established Member
I forgot to also mention the Milton Keynes route (when it's running). That has a resident onboard cleaner or two, or at least it did until quite recently. The system always used to be that they would work on the train whilst it was in service north of Clapham Junction.
Very briefly, about a year ago or so, turnaround cleaners were being deployed at the south end of the route (ie. East Croydon), but promptly disappeared again.
Trainspotter74
Member
I completely agree. Couldn't have put it better myself. They are completely devoid of character and basic amenities.
Class 466
Established Member
A further increase in 700 diagrams this weekend sees 377509-512 leave ThamesLink.
True the population (in northern Europe at least) is getting taller, but trains are also getting busier so maybe it's a better option than leaving passengers on the platform whilst the lucky few get slightly more comfortable seating.
The rest of your sentence has absolutely no relevance to the potential increasing height of human beings.
I can't see a real problem with the 700s but the screens will hopefully go on to show more useful information.. I am still seeing that the TfL updates can be hours out of date, which is of little use when it will either not show disruption, or show disruption that has cleared.
Either way, totally useless.
Either way, totally useless.
coppercapped
Established Member
This issue of crowding is one which is of importance for a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon.
For the other 20 hours of the day I suspect that many passengers might quite like a bit more legroom and all the other creature comforts itdoesntmatter mentioned.
You never know - it might encourage more people to travel off-peak and so improve the financial performance of the service as a whole.
Don't be so dismissive.
Not just 700s - the 377 I was on this morning was displaying "There is a Good Service operating on all London Underground lines. Last updated: 07:30" - at around 8:45...
Also talking about the PIS - noticed yesterday my coach was showing as "Plenty of seats" although it was very full with people standing. I'd have thought the grey "no information" should have been used in that situation?
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Possibly full with many slim people? These indicators work on load not occupied space.
I could be mistaken here. But I thought I saw one of those Class 700's in the compound at Peterborough last week for possible testing. So I am wondering if the PBO-KGX are to get some Class 700's at some point soon? I am a bit confused considering that there has been some Class 387's operating there as well. I saw the 700 when I was passing it on my way to Doncaster last week for my Barnetby trip .
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