I've done some digging and guess what the most common failure is? The trains have a CCTV system, which allows the driver to see when the passengers are clear of the doors. If this breaks down, the train can only stop at stations where there are station attendants who can tell him when the doors are clear. this means that most stations have to be missed. Now, having spent years commuting, I smelt a rat. The old trains (the 319's) don't have the CCTV camera. All stations have a CCTV system and the driver stops by the monitors and watches these until the doors are clear. Why can't the driver of the new trains, the 377's do this. This is the good bit. They can't because the position of the chair in the drivers cab doesn't line up with the window. As such, the driver would have to stand up and bend his neck. This is deemed a "health and safety" issue, so the drivers are not allowed to do it.
In other words, because First Capital Connect ordered a fleet of trains with the drivers window in the wrong place, thousands of passengers are being inconvenienced on a daily basis. Who is responsible for ordering a fleet of trains that is not fit for purpose (despite being over a year late)? The man who has just been promoted to be the managing director. It is quite clear that to save a few quid on the train design (no doubt boosting First Capital Connects profits), they skimped on the windows, so the new trains can't use the already installed station TV monitors. Yet another reason why they should be stripped of the franchise.
(Picture: A new First Capital Connect 377 train being assembled. Note the lack of a window for the driver to watch the platform CCTV monitors on the side of the cab)
These Trains were actually bought for Southern , hence why they are in green interiors , they also had the same problems when they first got these trains!
ReplyDeleteDear "The Insider",
ReplyDeleteI know nothing about the railway? Well I've used it since 1981 on a regular basis so I know what it's like to be a passenger on this godawful service. I know it's got MUCH WORSE under FCC.
If you know so much, tell me exactly what I've got wrong and why I know so little. I'm sure that we'd all be happy to benefit from your wealth of knowledge. It would be great if you explained who you are and what your wealth of experience is.
Ok, the 377’s were ordered in April 2007 BUT Neal joined FCC May 2009 so he did not order these units. His role was New trains director for the new fleet that will replace the 319’s.
ReplyDeleteThe 377’s are part of the Electrostar family with southern and C2C operating them as well. One thing that has been consistent with these units as with any new train, because they’re so complex there has always been reliability problems to begin with but once ironed out the miles between failures increase. One difficulty on the Thameslink side is the trains have to change the supply from overhead to the third rail system and vice versa This is a multipart circuit and is prone to failures where as the southern route only runs on a single power supply.
The position of the driver’s seat would never have been an issue if the cctv the train manufacturer supplied had been reliable.
All new trains since privatization are supplied on a build and maintain contract meaning it’s not fcc or southern that maintain the 377’s its Bombardier. The TOCs only over see the maintenance and ensure it’s carried out on time.
The late delivery of these units is because a number of part suppliers for Bombardier going into admin.
I must stress that I am not a manager/teamleader of any kind of pr person for FCC. Everyone is entitled to have an opinion and so they should when they are not receiving a service that they desire. I think you should do some research before writing these articles.