A Stock withdrawals - Discussion

2 more carriages gone from Northwood today. 5066, 6066, 5067 remain this evening.

Sorry but it is not. Yes the train needs to fit the guage and needs to (generally) fit the platform but there is more to it than that. The system is struggling to cope with current passenger numbers and the only area where we can practically address this, without spending billions on a complete redesign of all the major stations, is to look to rolling stock design.
The new stock needs to be as long and as wide as possible whilst still fitting the guage and platforms, so that is a compromise. The new train needs to accomodate an increase in passenger numbers, so we need to balance the needs of longer distance customers (seats) and the needs of the short hop customers and the increase in demand (standing space), so another compromise. As adding more seats reduces standing room (which is needed to meet the demand over the next forty years) we need to look to strike a balance, which in itself is a compromise.

Perhaps you haven't asked around too hard Ben? I say that in the nicest possible way, because I have asked around and i have asked around for the last six years. An 'A' Stock cab was designed by engineers and is cramped. Over the years the cab has been fitted with more and more equipment which has made the cab an ergonomists nightmare. An 'S' Stock cab is bright, spacious, and has all the controls exactly where they should be, because it was designed with the input of Railway Operators.

As for 'A' stock, you are right it is designed in the LT tradition but so is 'S' stock. 'S' Stock had a wealth of LT trained staff (it was LU by the time I joined) involved in the design to ensure it met our requirements. You are also correct when you say 'A' stock took into account 'customer wants', but again so did 'S' stock designers. We noted that customers no longer use luggage racks and prefer to maintain tactile contact with their personal items, we noted that customers no longer wanted to hang up their umbrella's and bowler hats on hooks, we noted that customers wanted an environment that promoted a feeling of safer travel, we noted that customers wanted better levels of accessibility, we noted that customers wanted modern information systems, the list could go on!


I never said it was elegant Ben. I will go on the record as saying that I believe that 'S' Stock reflects the company values of a 21st century metro system, and I will go one step further and say I believe that the 'S' Stock meets our aspiration to provide a world class tube for a world class city. As for the seats, do me a favour! I prefer to remain in my seat when I travel rather than bounce around from one side to the other!! I do accept that seat comfort is a subjective area though.

I was told officially yesterday that this train is going to Eastleigh! If you can confirm differently, please advise.

From what I can remember being told, the company weren't especially happy with the way in which the aforementioned units had been scrapped, that CF would be their preferred mount.

Eastleigh is actually at the top end of the environmental tree when it comes to processing standards, with most of their work done slowly and undercover.