Class 710 Delivery / Entry to Service

That would certainly be possible, but I suspect it wouldn't come cheap.

Not sure I understand this - how could you be certain there would be nothing approaching on the NLL? The NLL service is quite frequent these days, so I hear.

Sorry, I meant the Barking Line that the train had just travelled along before branching into the platform track.

710 105 (a West Anglia unit) has been out on test today on the Chingford Branch.

Full document available here by clicking on the link from this tweet.

Indeed it has! Just the one in service at the moment, with more expected to follow over the coming weeks.

Alas, none were in service when I was there today! Even the staff training journeys were cancelled.

I checked on realtimetrains (RTT) before travelling and even whilst on my way to where I wanted to see the new train... it showed as being out and about but failed to turn up at the allotted time. I was at Kensal Green - just outside the station above where the main lines go into a tunnel, with the station platforms to my left.

The train I wanted to see was 5C29 www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/F02338/2019/09/11/advanced due at 13:07; and again at about 13:39 on a northbound working.

What did impress me however was that RTT showed every Bakerloo line train, using the code LT, as if London Transport was one of the many Train Operating Companies.

I realised that it might be the only train that was out on that route and of course (as you say) the time will come when these are commonplace.

It just means that the film I am planning to make showing my WCML footage from today will not include any 710's.

I was going to go down to the platforms for the 13:39 train and also film it entering the tunnels just to the north of the station... and pose the question that because they are single bore and circular, does it make the 710's tube trains?

Indeed - there are some German station codes used by DB that pre-date the Second World War.

I can only comment about their performance from the point of view of a passenger, and I'd say that things seem to be going well.

I travelled on one today and saw a few others in service. Mostly these were on Goblin but I did also see 710 263 on the DC at Willesden Junction. To my surprise* it stopped and unlocked its doors, but only to allow what I assume were railway staff to board. Then after travelling about one coach length it stopped again, somewhat abruptly, before restarting again. Whilst stopped some amber lights on the carriage sides (door open indicators, I think) on the carriage sides were flashing.

*) Why was I surprised? It had a 5xxx train code on realtimetrains, which I thought to mean that it was a passenger train not in passenger service.

There were also red lights illuminated on the doors, I was too far away to see the pictogram but suspect it was a 'door not in use' warning light.

A few days ago I made a rare foray to territory that will eventually be served by the 710's - in this case the Chingford branch. Maybe its just me, but the 317s seem wider than the 710s. Anyway, I now have a greater understanding of comments I read a while ago suggesting that some passengers might not welcome the new trains - especially passengers who travel off-peak and are used to travelling in the declassified 1st class seating - its a multi-faceted issue as the four carriage unit which had Greater Anglia seat fabric had different (more comfortable - InterCity quality) 1st class seats than the four carriage unit that had London Overground seat fabric (outer suburban style seats).  

Chingford has had mostly 315s.317s are rarer.But yes,passengers won't like the wholly transverse seating. Why did LT change the original spec?

Do you mean transverse, or is the seating longitudinal?

It is the latter.

"..But if they now cannot get a seat thanks to the Tube style interior then they won't have a 'modicum of comfort'!"

As you say that may well be the view of people travelling in from the furthest extremes of the line.

However a very different view may be held by people living nearer the centre who are currently finding it a nightmare to squeeze onto many peak hour services and who may never get a seat in either direction.

So if you always have to stand whilst commuting - at least the 710s have air conditioning and ample space to pass along the train to potentially locate any empty seats.

Far too often those middle seats in three seat groups are mysteriously "occupied by luggage". So the actual seated capacity of 315s is also somewhat overstated, and sadly transverse seating is far more prone to people placing feet on seats - you would have to be a giraffe to put your feet up on the opposing seats on the 710s.

Meantime the raw numbers tend to speak for themselves and suggest that the 710s should add useful capacity to the line and prove to be reliable people movers.

A 10 coach 710 formation potentially carrying 1,764 (482 seats plus 1,282 standing).
Meantime a 12 coach 315 formation can only carry 1,293 people (954 seats and 339 standing). (ORR data)

Sticking with the current 315 services potentially means leaving nearly 500 people behind compared with a 710 service. Personally, and I stress this is a personal perspective, then faced with the choice of getting on board a 710 or being left behind and late for work, I suspect many commuters will prefer to just get on board the train.

As they say time will tell - but thus far the folks on Goblin seem mostly happy with their 710s. If traffic continues to grow once Barking Riverside comes on stream then it won't be too long before they need to move to more frequent trains and even introduce 5 car 710s - I just hope TFL have secured an option to obtain extra coaches at affordable prices.