Greater Anglia's Stadler Flirt - Class 745 & 755

[great central]

9 hours ago, Chris116 said:

This country has got some things very wrong! We scrap comfortable railway coaches and replace them with stock that has very little comfort which discourages people from using the trains.

Anyone would think Mr Marples was still in charge and his road building companies needed more work!

 

Not only that, people are being actively discouraged from using trains now anyway. We went to Cleethorpes last week, by car, to get some sea air because we can't use our caravan in Norfolk. 

It was busy but folk seemed to be being sensible regarding current requirements. There was a significant BTP presence on the station turning back anyone wanting to travel by train unless they were making an essential journey, leisure travel of any sort is NOT classed as essential even though it could help someone's mental health significantly.

Those arriving by car or even bus were left alone......

[Andrea506]

On 25/05/2020 at 18:50, russ p said:

 

Really,  I just find the seats so uncomfortable and the ride isn't great quite a lot of hunting 

The seats are not brilliant in the Dutch ones either. They are definitely a commuter train rather than Inter-City!

[phil-b259]

On 27/05/2020 at 02:55, great central said:

 

Not only that, people are being actively discouraged from using trains now anyway. We went to Cleethorpes last week, by car, to get some sea air because we can't use our caravan in Norfolk. 

It was busy but folk seemed to be being sensible regarding current requirements. There was a significant BTP presence on the station turning back anyone wanting to travel by train unless they were making an essential journey, leisure travel of any sort is NOT classed as essential even though it could help someone's mental health significantly.

Those arriving by car or even bus were left alone......

 

Those in cars were most likely all from the same household and thus can quite legitimately be in close contact under the Governments rules so no intervention required.

 

Buses require the same social distancing measures as trains - and that means running no more than half full with no standing permited. Technically the civil police could intervene - but I imagine they were fully occupied with other matters (e.g. keeping folk apart when they had arrived) than inspecting every bus to check travellers details.

 

Trains, like buses can be no more than half full (and no standing), but unlike buses the railway has its own police force whose jurisdiction does not extended to other transport modes or anything in the domain of the regular police for that area (unless requested under the 'Mutual Aid' rules by the host county).

 

Thus BTP officers were not in a position to start checking other transport modes - but could quite legitimately enforce the social distancing and travel guidance at the station.

 

More widely the Governments message is DON'T TRAVEL BY TRAIN unless its absolutely essential - while at the same time encouraging folk to roam far and wide for exercise BY CAR. What you observed in Cleethorpes reflects that stance.

[great central]

1 hour ago, phil-b259 said:

 

Those in cars were most likely all from the same household and thus can quite legitimately be in close contact under the Governments rules so no intervention required.

 

Buses require the same social distancing measures as trains - and that means running no more than half full with no standing permited. Technically the civil police could intervene - but I imagine they were fully occupied with other matters (e.g. keeping folk apart when they had arrived) than inspecting every bus to check travellers details.

 

Trains, like buses can be no more than half full (and no standing), but unlike buses the railway has its own police force whose jurisdiction does not extended to other transport modes or anything in the domain of the regular police for that area (unless requested under the 'Mutual Aid' rules by the host county).

 

Thus BTP officers were not in a position to start checking other transport modes - but could quite legitimately enforce the social distancing and travel guidance at the station.

 

More widely the Governments message is DON'T TRAVEL BY TRAIN unless its absolutely essential - while at the same time encouraging folk to roam far and wide for exercise BY CAR. What you observed in Cleethorpes reflects that stance.

 

My concern is how long that can last, no train that I have worked in the last few weeks has had passenger numbers in double figures.

If this situation continues is some bright spark in government going to use it as a reason for cutting back on railways in general, don't forget that the government is paying the bills at the moment.

Increasing usage has now slowed, when the 'new normal' finally appears will it actually have become reduced usage?

Many colleagues are wondering quite where this is all leading to with, potentially, more people working from home permanently and likely a general downturn in the economy all pointing to reduced need for rail travel. In truth it won't over concern me as I'm already past retirement age but no interest in doing so. It's the younger ones that are going to feel the results of all this for many years to come.

 

[Nova Scotian]

3 hours ago, beast66606 said:

2 Basils down as I type this - 37611 has rescued one from Witham Up Loop, meanwhile Basil 2 sits at Lowestoft awaiting it's tow.

This has gone on too long - why are they still failing so regularly?

[russ p]

12 hours ago, Nova Scotian said:

This has gone on too long - why are they still failing so regularly?

 

Wait and see what happens when things get a bit more normal! 

[corneliuslundie]

People commuting into cities by car won't last long. There is little parking, the roads are already at capacity in many cities at the rush hour and anyway several cities are proposing car free central areas. So hang on to your bike. OK for ten miles or so each way (if you are young and fit).

BTW the figure I saw was 25% of maximum capacity on trains and buses (from a bus company), not 50%.

Jonathan

[great central]

10 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

People commuting into cities by car won't last long. There is little parking, the roads are already at capacity in many cities at the rush hour and anyway several cities are proposing car free central areas. So hang on to your bike. OK for ten miles or so each way (if you are young and fit).

BTW the figure I saw was 25% of maximum capacity on trains and buses (from a bus company), not 50%.

Jonathan

 

My commute is just about 10 miles, takes around 25 minutes by car in the early hours, tomorrow I'm 05.10 book on. We have a few, universally detested jobs starting around 08.00-.09.00, it can take well over an hour for those. 

Although reasonably fit despite the heart attack 10 years ago, but unfortunately not young,  I wouldn't contemplate a 10 miles bike ride starting at possibly 03.00 or earlier in the middle of winter, some jobs book on around 03.30. It's bad enough getting in the car!!

[caradoc]

17 minutes ago, great central said:

 

My commute is just about 10 miles, takes around 25 minutes by car in the early hours, tomorrow I'm 05.10 book on. We have a few, universally detested jobs starting around 08.00-.09.00, it can take well over an hour for those. 

Although reasonably fit despite the heart attack 10 years ago, but unfortunately not young,  I wouldn't contemplate a 10 miles bike ride starting at possibly 03.00 or earlier in the middle of winter, some jobs book on around 03.30. It's bad enough getting in the car!!

 

Before I retired my commute was also around 10 miles. Around 25 years ago, before my local line got a Sunday service, I did try cycling, in to work for Sunday night shift, and home from work off Saturday night shift. This was during the summer, in good weather and daylight, and even then I did not repeat the experience very often ! I love cycling, but it is one thing doing it in ideal conditions, but very different, not to mention dangerous, on a dark, windy and wet winter night. While getting people out of their cars and onto bikes is a laudable objective it is for many, if not most commuters, simply unrealistic.

 

(I did use the train for commuting whenever possible, greatly encouraged of course by having free travel, but two years before I retired my work location moved, only a couple of miles but enough to make the train impossible for the early shift and grossly inconvenient for the night shift, resulting in me having to lease another car !)

 

[corneliuslundie]

I must admit that the time when I did cycle ten miles each way was about 50 years ago,, from the north of Cardiff to the top end of Barry so not exactly flat. But it was also a summer job.

I have cycled 30 miles in a day for pleasure in recent years, but only in nice weather on minor roads. To think that back then I gaily cycled along the A469 and the A48!

But my main point was that everyone driving to work in cities just won't work, quite apart from the environmental issue of increased air pollution.

So what will the "new normal" be? 

Jonathan

[Reorte]

On 29/05/2020 at 21:14, great central said:

Increasing usage has now slowed, when the 'new normal' finally appears will it actually have become reduced usage?

Many colleagues are wondering quite where this is all leading to with, potentially, more people working from home permanently and likely a general downturn in the economy all pointing to reduced need for rail travel. In truth it won't over concern me as I'm already past retirement age but no interest in doing so. It's the younger ones that are going to feel the results of all this for many years to come.

 

Although I don't want to dismiss all the downsides is a decrease in rail usage (taken in isolation) really that bad a thing? We keep hearing about how crowded the network and the trains on it are these days (in usual circumstances), taking some of that pressure off may be good.

[Reorte]

54 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

I must admit that the time when I did cycle ten miles each way was about 50 years ago,, from the north of Cardiff to the top end of Barry so not exactly flat. But it was also a summer job.

I have cycled 30 miles in a day for pleasure in recent years, but only in nice weather on minor roads. To think that back then I gaily cycled along the A469 and the A48!

But my main point was that everyone driving to work in cities just won't work, quite apart from the environmental issue of increased air pollution.

So what will the "new normal" be?

 

What I'd like it to be - many more local jobs instead of the centralisation that leads to everyone piling in to cities (or even from one city to another). What I fear is a home working push, and I fear that because I'm a firm believer in keeping work and home separate. The local shared office with all the connections and facilities supplied within walking distance from home though (so working remotely, just not in your house) idea gets mentioned every now and then, and I like the sound of that. Cycling will never be all that big I think whatever the traffic situation simply because it'll be a hard task persuading lots of people to cycle in the dark in January when the rain is horizontal and only a couple of degrees above freezing.

[Siggie in the east]

Morning all. 4 failures today so far and it's only 08:15! 

Current failure is 2W06 on the up Harwich. 1Z99 is in the refuge siding at Manningtree warming up ready to go wrong road all the way to Wrabness on the Up. Dont no which 37 it is but the unit is 755411.

 

Thanks

[Siggie in the east]

Failure 3 of 4 was 745007 1P00 Ips-Nor. PA failure so went 5P00 to Nor Low-level.

Failures 1 and 2 were door faults on 755s at norwich early this morning.

 

Thanks

[Siggie in the east]

Yep, just confirmed on the GSM-r its 47812. Going to drag 2W06 from Wrabness to Crown Point.

[Siggie in the east]

1 hour ago, beast66606 said:

 

1P19, 08:00 NRW - LIV has been terminated at Colchester this morning as well - one of the faulty basils doors ?

Was terminated as it was a 755 and they arent permitted to pass Marks Tey yet.

[mcowgill]

1 hour ago, Siggie in the east said:

Was terminated as it was a 755 and they arent permitted to pass Marks Tey yet.

 

I wasn't aware of that ,are the 755's just waiting on approval?  I thought they have been to Liverpool St on test runs and were intended to run Lowestoft to London services

 

Martin

[The Stationmaster]

The more I read of this the more I realise every cloud has a silver lining.  Our week at sea should have been on the West Coast but the ship was actually on the East Cost this past week (no real problem).  The silver lining in not having the week's holiday was that we would have been travelling from Harwich to London yesterday and both the trains we would have/virtually travelled on over the GE ran punctually.    No doubt the next time we really travel. things might well be rather different  

[Trainshed Terry]

There is to much modern technology in these trains and are not desinged for the riggers of morden day usage or have the stability for the jobs that they hav to do.

 

Terry.

 

[StuartMc]

Not really relevant to the discussion, but it was lovely watching the one running Newmarket to Cambridge on Monday in the brilliant sunshine - just past the former junction at Six Mile Bottom.

[Siggie in the east]

20 hours ago, mcowgill said:

I wasn't aware of that ,are the 755's just waiting on approval?  I thought they have been to Liverpool St on test runs and were intended to run Lowestoft to London services

We have no idea why. They have to terminate at Colchester as they arent permitted to carry passengers passed here unless working a service to sudbury only.

Yes they have been to London and back on 5Qxx runs but no news as to why yet.

 

Thanks

[31A]

1 hour ago, beast66606 said:

Interesting evening yesterday, which promised a drag but in the end delivered nothing.

 

A Basil failed at Ely while working to Norwich, it limped into the Up Reception and 47812 set off to rescue it, the 47 arrived at Ely but the Basil restarted and didn't need a drag, the Basil returned to Norwich on it's own, meanwhile another Basil had failed between Cambridge and Shepreth so the 47 set off to rescue that one instead. The 47 made Cambridge but again the Basil was restarted and didn't need assistance so the 47 returned light to Norwich.

 

Why was it going to Shepreth?  I didn't know they worked on that line?

 

[31A]

Just now, beast66606 said:

 

Junction -> Stansted

 

Oh Shepreth Branch Junction, not the station.

[31A]

18 minutes ago, beast66606 said:

 

 

47812 was sent to Cambridge to retrieve 755423 which was the failure at Shepreth (Junction) on Saturday late evening.

No sooner had it returned with Basil when it was needed to rescue 755405 (which had also failed on Saturday evening) from Bury St Edmunds, it set off, got as far as Wymondham before realising the pilot man was still at Norwich so back it went, having collected the pilot it set off again and finally arrived at Bury around 20:00, it attached to 405 and dragged it back to Norwich - two Basil Brushes was too much for me to ignore so ..

 

 

 

Why not give the place its proper name:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52087249@N07/9099617555/

 

 

[beast66606]

26 minutes ago, 31A said:

 

Why not give the place its proper name:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52087249@N07/9099617555/

 

 

 

Tell you what - why dont I stop posting, there you go, problem solved.

 

I've removed my recent posts, I won't be posting again, nit pickers who don't add anything and some of the political comment which is permitted these days on the forum means I'm just about ready to leave here.

Edited June 8, 2020 by beast66606