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Post by Tubeboy on Apr 28, 2006 12:19:56 GMT
Just saw an item on local news that the class 458[juniper units] are going to be withdrawn, as they fall foul of disability laws. The problem is that the digital displays are 3mm too small. pc gone mad or should we cater for every disability. personally i am wondering how swt missed this oversight.  |
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Post by doubletrigger on Apr 28, 2006 12:49:52 GMT
I'd be very dubious towards this being true, considering the fact that some trains still don't have any digital displays. If this is true then the exact doubles of them, the 334 fleet, would also be withdrawn which would catastrophic for SPT.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2006 18:46:11 GMT
All 458s have digital displays...
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Colin
Advisor
My preserved fire engine!
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Post by Colin on Apr 28, 2006 20:54:48 GMT
It is most certainly true - well, I read it in the Metro, Sun, and sub standard - so there must at least be something in it.
I have to admit that 3mm does seem a tad pedantic......
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prjb
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LU move customers from A to B, they used to do it via 'C'.
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Post by prjb on Apr 28, 2006 22:04:00 GMT
Word on the street is that they were having other problems with the Junipers anyway, so the issue of the DMI's falling foul of RVAR may be just one of the straws on the camels back!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2006 22:18:07 GMT
Junipers are very reliable, there are rarely traction package based failures, the problem was the non-DOO availability as SWT do not run in DOO, but the 458s were built for DOO. The driver-guard interaction is the main problem.
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Phil
In memoriam
RIP 23-Oct-2018
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Post by Phil on Apr 28, 2006 22:39:11 GMT
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Post by greatplum on May 7, 2006 12:06:09 GMT
From Wikipedia...
"The future for the class 458's does not currently look very promising. The remaining 28 units with South West Trains have been withdrawn, because of the disability discrimination act ruled that the Passenger Information System displays inside each carriage had letters 3mm too small to be 'accessible'. The units were withdrawn in April 2006 as enough alternative units can be found to cover the diagrams. The two units (8001/2) transferred to Gatwick Express have still not entered service as of April 2006, and with the termination of the Gatwick Express franchise announced it is unlikely they will see much usage, if any. Options for re-deploying the class are also running thin. An original idea had been to convert the units to 25Kv AC operation to run alongside the class 334 'Junipers' with First Scotrail, this idea has however not come to fruition as it has proved too expensive to convert the units to AC. Porterbrook also tendered the units for use on the East London Line extention, which would have seen the units totally refreshed internally and saved the need for new stock to be brought for the line. Unfortunately the Department For Transport rejected the proposal with their preferance being for new stock. Many more rumours exist about where the 458's may end up, but with no plans from Porterbrook currently announced it seems entirely possible that the class may roll into the history books once their days are finished with South West Trains."
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