New Overground trains (378s)

Couldn't they lenghten the platforms? The platforms on the West Coast Main Line were lengthened so that Silverlink could run 12-car trains.

The problem with 9 cars on the GN is that during the day trains run to and from Moorgate. None of thiose platforms can accommodate 9 cars. A quick glance at my quail shows that north of Finsbury Park; Hadley wood down platform, Welwyn GC are the only platforms which can hold 9 coaches on the suburbans. There is nowhere on the Hertford North branch.

Thameslink doesn't currently include the inner suburban stations on the line to Moorgate. Those will probably be a selection of the Peterborough & Cambridge services.

What is a "wheel flat"? and do the 501s, GN&C 313s and NXEA 315s suffer from this too?

Wheel flat occurs where, during braking, the wheel locks up, and 'slides' along the rails... this results in a flatted part on the wheel and gives rise to an annoying bang-bang-bang-bang-bang noise which increases tempo during accelleration.

313s suffer from it chronically, no knowledge of the 501's having bene prone to this, but I would guess the 315's suffer the same, being from the same 'family' of units...

The worst flats I've ever experienced were on a Class 150 between Swansea and Cardiff, where the vibration was such that the bouncing was painful. The unit was due to continue eastwards (I forget where to) but it was taken out of service at Cardiff and substituted with a pair of 153s.

I don't really know. Maybe it is something to do with two DM cars on each train rather than one (in the middle), or the starting process of the trains. I like the noise of the trains actually. The fan comes on then, the trains sort of puff and pant away with the camshaft equipment gently ticking.

It is absolutely easy as the 'bang-bang-bang' caused by wheel flats is frequent and occurs at regular intervals (1 'bang' for 1 turn of the wheelset). Also, if you are standing about the track and the oncoming train has wheel flats, you may notice that 'bang-bang-bang' sound moves, whereas noise created by rail joints does not move.

Thats a really interesting point as the idea of linking the GN with the TL side of FCC is due to be timetabled around mid 2015, the same time as our all new fleet will be operating. What I hadn't thought is most of these services will be 12 NXEMU with a silmar design to the S stock (ie walk through). There's no plans as part of the Thameslink Programme to extend GN platforms, may this is, as I'd thought, is why they're keeping Kings Cross open for the stoppers where as all the expresses will run onto TL Core and south of the Thames that way?

Not from where I'm standing they're not - and I usually am standing these days, thanks to 23% of the seats having been removed, and most of the rest being crammed so close together that anyone more than average height (i.e. half the population!) can't sit straight in them.

Window-seat passengers cannot get into or out of the face-to-back seats if someone is sitting in the gangway seat, and feel further hemmed-in by the high seat backs. Bizarrely, some of these are designated "priority seats" for disabled passengers, despite their complete unsuitability for anyone other than a midget limbo dancer with agoraphobia. There is very little for standing passengers to perch on except two "bumrests" and two litter bins in each doorway (the unrefurbished sets had a perch on the end of every single seatback next to the gangway).

The problem is that they are not used on Metro-type services, but on middle-distance routes. Clandon, Shepperton and Dorking are all 50 minutes-plus from Waterloo: the same as a fast train to Basingstoke. One expects a seat over that distance, but they are full and standing for most of it. The opportunity to read, let alone work, has been lost (perhaps that's why the Metro newspaper isn't often made available at Norbiton!).

SWT justified removing the middle seats on the grounds that they were always occupied last. Yes, but they were always occupied in the end!

You don't have to look far to see how it could have been - the refurbished 455s on Southern, generally used on shorter distance journeys, kept their 3+2 seating and would be ideal for SWT's services.

The PEP type units are all prone to getting wheel flats, this is a combination of factors & is because they're very light, low geared & have powerful disc brakes with no sanding gear or ABS. So when they're lightly loaded it doesn't take a lot to lock up a wheelset.... The Great Eastern class 315s are just as bad!
Depending on how bad the 'flats are, they're allowed to run since minor burns will run out after a few thousand miles. To put an entre unit on the lathe is expensive!

Yes, I'm inclined to agree. I'm really not convinced the proposed new electrostars are altogether right for these routes. As I've said before, tube-style seating on a suburban rail service is just plain wrong and unpleasant, imo. I do think the 313s have had their day, but their planned replacements are not the way to go, in my view.

Am I right in thinking 313s have rheostatic braking? That could be a contributory factor.

I'd love to compare the capacity between the NLL the DC line and some of the Underground lines. How would the numbers of seats/crush loading compare in relation to usage. Compare this with LU.