Why aren't the FLIRTs more nationally widespread?

[Trainbike46]

I very much doubt Stadler will win any more tenders for rolling stock, did Stadler bid for the new Southeastern suburban order? If they did I highly doubt they will win it, seeing how much trouble Merseyrail have got themselves in with the Class 777s

I think this is highly premature - whether stadler will win future orders will depend on the requirements set, who the competition is, price and costs, etc. It certainly won't be based on the experience at one specific operator with one specific class, especially when there are a many different stadler fleets already in service (231s, 755s, 745s, glasgow metro) or coming soon (756s, tyne and wear metro, 398s)

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All of them. They're full to the brim of design flaws, some major, some minor. In my view they are utterly awful things, the only redeeming features being level boarding and big windows.

is there anywhere on the forum describing the issues? Whenever I'm on merseyrail (which admittedly isn't that frequently), they seem fine?

 

[Thirteen]

The SMILE would be great for Eurostar but I suspect they'll replace the Class 373s with more 374s.

 

[Sorcerer]

The SMILE would be great for Eurostar but I suspect they'll replace the Class 373s with more 374s.

The SMILE is a good train, but even assuming Eurostar never went for more 374s they'd probably still want 300/320km capable stock for the LGV routes and HS1. I wouldn't rule it out, but I wouldn't place Stadler as my first guess for new Eurostar stock. Plus the SMILE is more of a long-distance premium intercity version of the FLIRT than a true high speed train.

 

[Struner]

All of them. They're full to the brim of design flaws, some major, some minor. In my view they are utterly awful things, the only redeeming features being level boarding and big windows.

level boarding & big windows are part of the manufacturers’ design
most, if not all, interior design is specified by whoever fancied to order them
especially goes for seats! don’t blame the manufacturer, your toc should put the interior up for for a test & choice
(doesn’t just go for uk, you’ll find it all over the place, “these are bad trains”, but no: these are badly designed interiors, as specified by the operating company

 

[Joseph T]

I still think Stadler have chance at winning some orders from Scotrail, GWR and Northern, if Bi Modes are desired then operators may desire the FLIRT, due to the fact that they seem to be operating seamlessly with GreaterAnglia and recently have won themselves a Silver Spanner!

I can imagine an ideal replacement for the soon-to-be and current XC Voyagers would be 9/10-car quad-mode (OHLE, diesel, third rail and battery) SMILEs (SBB Girunos).

 

[signed]

The SMILE would be great for Eurostar but I suspect they'll replace the Class 373s with more 374s.

I can't see anything from Stadler be fitting to the SNCF/SNCB/NS ownership of E* + would/could it be upgraded to 320kph operation?

 

[Trainbike46]

I can't see anything from Stadler be fitting to the SNCF/SNCB/NS ownership of E* + would/could it be upgraded to 320kph operation?

NS does not have a stake in Eurostar - it is SNCF/NMBS SNCB/federated hermes infrastructure/Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec

though I agree that a eurostar SMILE is unlikely

 

[DanNCL]

Merseytravel specced their own units, and it now turns out they did so really quite badly. i guess the others took a more standard product specced by a company that is used to speccing trains (i.e. Stadler)?

Nexus created their spec from a catalogue of options provided to them by Stadler. The final interior spec is similar to the spec used by BVG in Berlin which has performed very well.