Class 710 Delivery / Entry to Service

Thanks you, goldenarrow


I wish I could find this train, but its like looking for the proverbial needle in a haysack.

Hopefully when the 710s are introduced the 315s will be replaced first - not the 317s.

The declassified 1st carriages are cute but that’s no compensation when you are stranded on the platform at St James St with a 15 minute wait because the vestibules are too congested to board the train.

Train interiors have just got worse over the years. The most comfortable ride I had on the Chingford Line was in declassified firsts on the Quints. The 305s were reasonably comfortable and well-sprung, but your neck ached from the low backs. They were very efficient at discharging a thousand passengers at LV. The 315s had all the bad features of the 305s but few of their good points.

TfL train design quality has far far outstripped most TOCs for the last 20 years because unlike the TOCs corporate TfL cares deeply about design. But this is veering way off topic.

Lots more training runs next week:
www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/LOF/2020-01-29/0000-2359?stp=S&show=non-passenger&order=wtt&toc=LO

I think you need to split design and quality.

Threadbare seat coverings are commonplace.

Look nice when new but they aren't lasting.

Jack, you are correct here, indeed before the routes became part of London Overground I had only travelled on them a mere handful of times. Even now I only use them to experience the route.

I agree that the door vestibule areas on the 317s and 455s are substandard. Especially the 317s were not designed for high capacity short distance urban services. The 315s may have been but they suffer from very limited standing space around the seats. The LNER 306s were better than the 315s as they only had 2+2 seating - and much more longitudinal seating for crush load peak hours.

Older trains had more wooden interiors which perhaps people preferred to present-day plastic. I'm not saying that one is better or worse than the others - just different, based upon available materials in the respective eras.

But as for seat comfort .... yes this is where the railways have regressed at high speed. Fully sprung proper upholstered seats have been replaced by hard solid seats. Too often buses have far better seats.

Indeed do, they were regularly run in nine-car formations, so had more capacity than a 2x4-car train of class 315 or 317.

Similar issue again today - couldn’t board at the rear doors of a 710. Had to move to the next set of doors (as myself and other passengers had left those rear doors they then opened - not sure if it was delayed or if someone perhaps opened them from inside).

I suppose it's probably because the old trains had a direct connection to the door engines, whereas now it'll be software controlled.

If we are talking about issues with the rear door in a 710 I wonder if this is actually down to the selective door opening system?

I think 710s have selective door opening systems to allow them to call at platforms which are either too short or at platforms where sections of the platform is considered to be too narrow to allow safe boarding. Where selective opening is due to operate there should however be in car messages alerting passengers where doors are not going to open and advising them to move along to doors which will open. The system is meant to be automatic with a balise on the track telling the train which doors to open. However if the train is not properly berthed alongside the stopping board the system can also block some or all additional doors from opening.

These are however still new units and now they are in regular use faults are still coming to light occasionally.

So if there is no obvious reason for the problem occuring - then perhaps the most valuable thing passengers can do is to send a twitter message to the Train Operating Company running the service explaining which door in which coach failed to open together with time and location information. That will allow maintenance staff to check and possibly resolve any issue with the unit or if appropriate get the trackside equipment overhauled.

I remember when the class 313 where taken over by London Overground some of the three bay seats were reduced to 2 to free up standing space. I’m not suggesting this is done but there are a few options to help temporary capacity.

It will be interesting to see the passenger reaction to the new trains I imagine they will be positive.

These units have the latest software that fixes coupling, and a few other TCMS, PIS, and ASDO bugs. Will most likely swap out 121/119 for next week.

121 has been replaced by 120. 120 has new software and will run with 119 on the training next week.

Why? The longest journeys are 30 minutes, the average significantly less. These trains will be crush loaded in the peaks and every bit of space matters. Longitudinal seating is absolutely fine.