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Tyne and Wear Metro

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142094

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It is Nexus policy to show the usual destination during disruption to stop people letting trains pass in the hope that a Airport/St James train will turn up.

Although this doesn't happen all the time (e.g. when Wallsend to Tynemouth was blocked, a good amount of trains were displaying the correct terminating station instead of St James/South Shields.

Double-edged sword - people will see trains advertised as 'Airport'/'St James' then wonder why half way they are getting kicked off at Haymarket.
 
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Paul_10

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Although this doesn't happen all the time (e.g. when Wallsend to Tynemouth was blocked, a good amount of trains were displaying the correct terminating station instead of St James/South Shields.

Double-edged sword - people will see trains advertised as 'Airport'/'St James' then wonder why half way they are getting kicked off at Haymarket.

Most if not all drivers do normally announce that the train will terminate at the next station and explain why that is the case and tell passengers to get the replacement service 900 to continue their journey. I was on the "coast" train coming from the South side of the Tyne and when I got off at Monument I noticed it said on the platform indicators that it said "This train is for Haymarket" and heard the very rare announcement of the automated PA woman saying "This train is for Haymarket".

I do have mixed feelings on not showing the correct destination because yes passengers could wait around for a train they are going to will never show up but most if not all passengers will hear the PA's during the week, will see the platform indicators and on the day itself we get more PA's telling that the service is suspended between stations so surely to stop passengers getting confused that the right destination should be shown on the trains and the platform indicators. Plus the confusion must even raise more when the interior PA's saying this train is for all stations to St James' via Newcastle.

I know not all stations are listed in the blinds but Haymarket and South Gosforth are so I do feel Nexus have to have a re-think on this because whats the point of putting stations where trains don't normally terminate like Haymarket on the blinds if they are never going to be used?
 

142094

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Some people will automatically assume that a normal service is running when St James/South Shields etc are displayed. Cue complaints when they find out half way that they need to get a replacement bus. Also, this is made worse by the fact it wasn't an all day closure today, but only between 7am and 7pm. Plus, when only one platform is used and the platform displays are showing services as running (as happened at Monkseaton recently), this causes even more confusion.

I'm 80% sure that when a driver sets up a route, two things are done - the route is set up so it can be displayed on the platform indicators, and satisfies the signalling. The driver then sets the destination indicator separately. So 'Haymarket' could be displayed, but the platform indictors would show 'Airport'/'St. James', and would satisfy everyone.
 

Kryten2340

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Although this doesn't happen all the time (e.g. when Wallsend to Tynemouth was blocked, a good amount of trains were displaying the correct terminating station instead of St James/South Shields.

Double-edged sword - people will see trains advertised as 'Airport'/'St James' then wonder why half way they are getting kicked off at Haymarket.

Most if not all drivers do normally announce that the train will terminate at the next station and explain why that is the case and tell passengers to get the replacement service 900 to continue their journey. I was on the "coast" train coming from the South side of the Tyne and when I got off at Monument I noticed it said on the platform indicators that it said "This train is for Haymarket" and heard the very rare announcement of the automated PA woman saying "This train is for Haymarket".

I do have mixed feelings on not showing the correct destination because yes passengers could wait around for a train they are going to will never show up but most if not all passengers will hear the PA's during the week, will see the platform indicators and on the day itself we get more PA's telling that the service is suspended between stations so surely to stop passengers getting confused that the right destination should be shown on the trains and the platform indicators. Plus the confusion must even raise more when the interior PA's saying this train is for all stations to St James' via Newcastle.

I know not all stations are listed in the blinds but Haymarket and South Gosforth are so I do feel Nexus have to have a re-think on this because whats the point of putting stations where trains don't normally terminate like Haymarket on the blinds if they are never going to be used?

Another problem they have is the PA announcements are cut off when a train arrives at the platform. This has happened all week during peak hours and this is when the majority of people will be travelling.

I think when the major stations are refurbished they should invest on putting the platform indicators on tg advertising screens. Although cost would be an issue.
 

Paul_10

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I think when the major stations are refurbished they should invest on putting the platform indicators on tg advertising randamly, jumbled up letters will appear like "Routh Shields" for example and I screens. Although cost would be an issue.

I will settle for anything other than those TV monitors we have at Haymarket at the moment, they are awful and whilst white information on a black background is not a bad idea, they are too small for a partially sighted person surely and very unreliable. Alot of the time, the information will go off prefer the Dot Matrix displays. They are not unreliable its just the track ciruit GPS things which tends to mess around so you have trains being stuck on a particular minuite even though the train is not being held up.

On the subject of refurbished cars, noted 4061 was paired with 4041 on Saturday evening, coming down the stairs from platform 4 at Monument and I seen them then. 4061(I assume) was making quite alot of loud "spitting" noise which sometimes you can hear on metrocars, not sure what that is but you could hear it from quite a distance!

That pairing did not last long as I saw 4072 paired with 4041 again but I looked in the B cab of 4072 and noted that it does not have that purple on the cab desk like the A end did, so it would appear as been menturned before the cabdesks in the B end has not been touched much if at all.
 

Kryten2340

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Another rare crossover opportunity coming up for you all. Service suspended on 14th and 29th April between Gateshead Stadium and Hebburn/Brockley Whinns

I know it will never happen but I long for the day when there is no service running through town and a circular service around the coast loop taking in the manors curve. Been years since I did that. Still remember the puzzled looks from people on the Manors platform when the train left 'the wrong way' and disappeared to the right.
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Just passed 4042 sitting in the depot in single car formation waiting to head out to Regent Centre on what I think will be a test. Can someone confirm how many cars are back now? Is it 41, 42, 62, 71 and 72?
 

sprinterguy

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I'm sure that there was a pair of refurbished Metrocars out on the Sunderland extension yesterday. I passed them near Brockley Whins at about twenty five past one. That's the first pair of refurbished cars that I've seen out and about over the last week while I've been back in Sunderland, and they can't have been out long as I hadn't noticed them earlier in the day, nor did I see them later on.
 

142094

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Some problems last night described as a police incident - so either someone has been hit by a train or someone has been attacked.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Person was hit at Gateshead Stadium last night.
 

142094

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Person is still alive according to latest reports I've heard.
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I originally posted this on the Nexus Discussion forum but looks as if they haven't put it up, either due to the Bank Holiday or some other reason.

As the regular users of the system will know, all trains have been fitted with customer information screens and automated announcements. Not all of them work, and the project has been ongoing since 2010. After a quick look I've found that Nexus paid £1.7m for all 90 Metrocars and the work was carried out by a firm called Interalia.

So that is £1.7m for a system that doesn't yet fully work and is prone to frequent problems.
 

sprinterguy

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Some problems last night described as a police incident - so either someone has been hit by a train or someone has been attacked.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Person was hit at Gateshead Stadium last night.
Yeah, I was on the Metro after the one involved in the incident. Had to get a taxi back to Sunderland from Gateshead :|
 

142094

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Paul_10 said:
On a side note, all must be forgiven then!

At the very least it seems he's stopped saying that he works there, although I was talking to someone else recently who said he worked at the depot but didn't know its address...

Have to laugh at this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coachalex1996/7068798043/in/photostream/

I have no idea what he means by that, but the hoppers are used to transfer the waste from the wheel lathe across 6 Road into the skip.
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For those of you who've wanted to see the Manors empty stock line, there is a vid on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKK2...DvjVQa1PpcFPC4UlEnat_vWOKtwM2y9hKHJVwjvosNCI=
 
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Paul_10

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For those of you who've wanted to see the Manors empty stock line, there is a vid on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKK2...DvjVQa1PpcFPC4UlEnat_vWOKtwM2y9hKHJVwjvosNCI=

I'm surprised how little time it seems to take to get from Manors to Jesmond on that line especially when you include the pause at the red signal.

Obviously I have not been along that line myself but I'm also surprised too see how the "curve" does not seem to be as sharp as I thought it would be, maybe the video does not do it justice?

It would be good too see an service from Wallsend to Regent Centre(for example) being used via that line but it will probably never ever going to happen sadly.
 

142094

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Looks as if the video starts after it has gone round the curve and is coming out of the tunnel portal - if you think of between Byker and Chillingham Road it is similar.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Anyone seen some of the refurbed Metros out today? Haven't been on the system in a few days.
 

Kryten2340

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Looks as if the video starts after it has gone round the curve and is coming out of the tunnel portal - if you think of between Byker and Chillingham Road it is similar.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Anyone seen some of the refurbed Metros out today? Haven't been on the system in a few days.

I was on 4042 this morning doing its usual short running to Regent Centre. Is it just me or have they increased the duration of that bloody annoying tone when the doors open?
 

142094

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41 and 72 were definitely out last week as I was on one between Monument and Gateshead (was running a short service to Pelaw). Also read from somewhere that another one was out with either 41 or 72 but can't remember off hand which ones.
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I was on 4042 this morning doing its usual short running to Regent Centre. Is it just me or have they increased the duration of that bloody annoying tone when the doors open?

Think it is just the same, although I hope it is changed sooner rather than later. Even if it is for DDA/Equality Act compliance, it doesn't have to be that loud and annoying.
 

142094

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Does a train wash need to cost so much? £800,000 seems like a lot of money for a washer, but at least the trains will be cleaner
http://www.nexus.org.uk/news/2012/nexus-invests-new-metro-train-wash

Probably not, but if it is going to last say 30 years, and being used everyday then it could be seen as a good investment. The old one really was falling to bits - I'm sure for a while only one side could be cleaned as the brushes stopped working. So either you had half of the exterior clean, or had to turn the set around.
 

Paul_10

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Is it me or has anyone else got the impression that these metrocar refurbishment programme appears to of stalled somewhat, maybe its because no one has seen/reported another train leaving for Doncaster(and one may of gone down) but it seems to be taking an awfully long time to get these trains into service, its also still seem to be taking a while to actually refurbished these trains. 4058 has left around 2-3 months ago, I'm sure DB Regio aim is for them to take around 3-4 weeks per car. I highly doubt all 90 will be refurbished by late 2015, which is I'm sure is the original aim.

I know its nothing to do with the Metrocar refurbishment but other posts have drifted off topic although still talking about the metro itself so I thought I add the "Jesmond Local" youtube video of the approved West Jesmond refurbishment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svth69VBorc&feature=player_embedded

Must say I think passengers will enjoy a more staffed station and more additional shelters on Platform 1 in particular, not sure how many people will be happy with the potential removal of the Car Park bays however.
 

goldsmithb

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In that video, the West Jesmond Refurb looks like a great thing to happen, the new shelters look very modern and sleek. I cannot wait for it to happen, I just hope they really clean the underground tunnel as that is quite dirty
 

jelliott2010

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im currently doing a project and i am trying to compare the metro from when it first started to now and was wondering if anybody has pictures from its construction to the metro deliveries itself down the ecml and the testing days. I have photos from it referb stage as i have been to hylton street when 4041 was taken away/redelivered
 

Maninblack

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Metro refurbishments too slow!! I said this ages ago. I don't think all the units are going to be refurbished! How long has this been going on? And only six units refurbished up to now!!! The project is going too slow me thinks!!
 
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142094

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im currently doing a project and i am trying to compare the metro from when it first started to now and was wondering if anybody has pictures from its construction to the metro deliveries itself down the ecml and the testing days. I have photos from it referb stage as i have been to hylton street when 4041 was taken away/redelivered

Depends on what you're trying to compare - most stations haven't really changed that much.
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41 and 42 out this afternoon on Pelaw shorts
 
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