Why were the e320 trains not built as double decked?

[Terilyte_]

I can't seem to find a reason within the loading gauge, was it just not worth it financially?

 

[gordonthemoron]

Siemens don't build double deck high speed trains. Alstom has the AGV which is double deck but, at the time of purchase, I don't think Alstom had managed to sell any

 

[Western Lord]

Channel tunnel trains have to be very long to meet the tunnel escape requirements. There is absolutely no justification for a very long double decker!

 

[swt_passenger]

Channel tunnel trains have to be very long to meet the tunnel escape requirements...

I think that explicit requirement was removed about 10 years ago, when the first moves to allow more operators started.

It might be recalled that the French government spent years objecting to the possibility of Siemens winning the rolling stock order, on various grounds including train length, distributed traction, etc etc. It turned out that the supposed requirement to be as long as the gap between cross passages had never been a requirement, as it wasn’t possible on freight shuttles, or on the north of London sets, which were approved although they never operated.

 

[30907]

Doubledeck trains have a number of accessibility issues to overcome, but the major issue is coping with the numbers of passengers on a full-length train - I don't think the ES terminals could cope!
SNCF are the only major European operator, and they don't have check-in, security etc to deal with. Ouigo double units would be a challenge, which is perhaps why they dont yet use the Paris termini.

 

[popeter45]

Eurostar currently doesn't need double decker with current passenger demand but i could see procurement of such in future for core destinations to allow e320's to begin serving other destinations

 

[Bletchleyite]

Doubledeck trains have a number of accessibility issues to overcome, but the major issue is coping with the numbers of passengers on a full-length train - I don't think the ES terminals could cope!
SNCF are the only major European operator, and they don't have check-in, security etc to deal with. Ouigo double units would be a challenge, which is perhaps why they dont yet use the Paris termini.

I thought they didn't use the Paris termini in order to differentiate the market.

 

[gazthomas]

Having been on a couple of 4 year old duplex Alstom TGVs this week in Morocco accessibility for the less able or for those people with luggage is severely compromised. Dwell times are extended too. Claustrophobic. Would they actually meet current regulations if properly scrutinised?

 

[SHD]

Doubledeck trains have a number of accessibility issues to overcome, but the major issue is coping with the numbers of passengers on a full-length train - I don't think the ES terminals could cope!
SNCF are the only major European operator, and they don't have check-in, security etc to deal with. Ouigo double units would be a challenge, which is perhaps why they dont yet use the Paris termini.

I thought they didn't use the Paris termini in order to differentiate the market.

This was the original marketing differentiation indeed (and it was also pushed by the fact that stopping fees are much lower at LGV/interconnexion stations than at Paris termini). However, this has changed in the last year, and Ouigo trains now serve Montparnasse, Gare de l'Est, and Gare de Lyon. Up to 25% of the seats offered on certain routes are now on Ouigo trains. Unless a major change is incoming, Ouigo will keep growing on the low-end of the market.

Siemens don't build double deck high speed trains. Alstom has the AGV which is double deck but, at the time of purchase, I don't think Alstom had managed to sell any

Apart from the Japanese, nobody ever built double-deck high speed trains with distributed traction. Alstom's AGV is single-deck. SNCF's latest tender for high-speed trains was awarded to Alstom - the result will be double-decker "Avelia Horizon" trainsets, still true to SNCF's two-powercars-and-a-rake-of-coaches preferred configuration since 1978.