Trainspotting, First Crapital Connect Style

Tens of thousands of us use First Capital Connect to go to work every day. For most of us, the number on the front of the train is not something we take much notice of. As one of the victims of this awful company, I've become aware of the importance of taking note of these. Why, you may ask yourself?

Well it seems there are two types of train on our route. There's the old crap ones (known as 319's) and now there's the new crap ones (known as 377's). Now for those of you not too interested in such things, what is the big difference? Well the old crap ones (319's - got that) have got no air conditioning and so when it's really hot (ie now) they can be quite uncomfortable. When they go into sardine mode, there is a mad scramble to open windows. If the windows are open, then once the train gets moving, there is a bit of air circulation and it is just about bearable.

Now the new crap trains (the 377's) are fully airconditioned. Of course this is fantastic on days such as today. A scantily clad hostess serves you ice cold G&T's at your seats as you thunder in climate controlled luxury into London. Then you wake up, because the aircon has packed up/ not been switched on. You are boiling to death, there's no window to open and no scantily clad hostess serving G&T's.

You can see evidence of this scenario here on the latest FCC Q&A - question 84 where they admit that the A/C is systematically being accidentally turned off :-

http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?iCmsPageId=233&sMethod=ViewArchive&iForumId=25&iSectionId=VA&iRowCount=110&sQuestionNumber=&sAskedby=&sSearchFor=&iPage=7

Would it have been that hard to have fitted thermostats to alert the driver if the carriages were getting too hot and to train them to switch the A/C back on.

Now it seems that when it does work, it can have the opposite effect, actually being to cold for comfort - check question 104 & the answer from their latest "meet the management" session -

http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?iCmsPageId=233&sMethod=ViewArchive&iForumId=25&iSectionId=VA&iRowCount=110&sQuestionNumber=&sAskedby=&sSearchFor=&iPage=2

So my advice to you. If the train looks packed to standing, check the number on the front. If it says "377" remember that you could get well and truly roasted or frozen. Luckily for me, Mill Hill Broadway is designated to only be served by the old crap trains. That suits me fine, judging by the accounts I've read.

Strangely enough, on the FCC website they have a page specially dedicated to all of their trains :-


http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/Main.php?iCmsPageId=90

Rather oddly, they don't mention the new crap trains (the 377's - got that) at all? I wonder why? Could it be they are a bit ashamed?

First Capital Connect - Another fine mess

You really couldn't make it up if you tried. First Capital Connect have just appointed a new managing director, Neal Lawson. His previous job was to procure new trains for the company. How did he get on with that job? Well First Capital Connect recently bought a new fleet of trains for the Thameslink route. Guess what? They were delivered over a year late and are prone to failure. It has emerged that whilst these trains (class 377) can run for South East Railways for 22,000 miles before they go wrong, the ones First Capital Connect bought go wrong every 6,000 miles. The distance from Bedford to Brighton is 128 miles, therefore these trains break down every 46 journeys. When you consider they may travel the route, 5 or 6 times a day, that means there is only.  a few days between each train failure.

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)