please empty your brain below
The passenger information screens were not yet enabled
Maybe someone’s taking the PISs?

Dorc | 22.01.19 - 7:32 a.m. | #

This morning, the line to Moorgate is closed because of a broken rail at Essex Road.

Surely just coincidence, as the new trains are slightly lighter (in terms of average axle load) than their predecessors. The GN Inner Suburban route has avoided the bloated trains seen on many other routes in recent decades.

Rail Observer | 22.01.19 - 7:33 a.m. | #

Yippee - more grey trains.

Still Anon | 22.01.19 - 7:37 a.m. | #

Absolutely brilliant blog, thanks Dan. (man liking trains!)

Peter | 22.01.19 - 7:39 a.m. | #

If the trains have on-board wi-fi, presumably you can connect in the tunnel between Moorgate and Drayton Park. Is there an internet service underground? I can't see how that would work (given that the GN platforms don't have wifi unlike the TfL ones, particularly noticable at Highbury).

Steve | 22.01.19 - 8:05 a.m. | #

As someone who stood on the pedestrian bridge at Ally Pally, circa 1976, with my locoshed book in my eleven year old self's pocket, eagerly awaiting the next arrival of the new 313, it does rather make you wonder where the time has gone...

PJS | 22.01.19 - 8:06 a.m. | #

The trains have on-board wi-fi, but you cannot connect in the tunnel between Moorgate and Drayton Park. Obviously.

Dan Gricer | 22.01.19 - 8:12 a.m. | #

OK, I give up. Dan Gricer is a alias but doesn't seem to be an anagram (unless he's really someone called Reg Cranid). So who is he? DG after all? Or maybe Geoff Marshall having some fun?

RayL | 22.01.19 - 8:24 a.m. | #

Ah, excellent stuff. Dan Gricer, very good. Pretty sure most MWLTs copies will have arrived by now, but this month's Modern Railways "Informed Sources" column details the whole late running procurement program. A turnback platform at Gordon Hill too, who knew? Certainly not me. Is it in regular use I wonder. Off to read some timetables now.

Lorenzo | 22.01.19 - 8:56 a.m. | #

Dan/DG,

Nice article, but in future might it be possible to include a station's name rather than its three letter code? For somebody both with only a passing interest, and who isn't from the area, this editorial decision made the article harder to follow than it otherwise would have been.

Philip Brown | Homepage | 22.01.19 - 9:11 a.m. | #

Dan Gricer has the same fantastic eye for photographic symmetry as DG. Let's hope they are twins rather than a manifestation of associative personality disorder.

Blue Witch | 22.01.19 - 9:18 a.m. | #

"You have caught me. Sir, like a treen in a disabled spaceship." but does every fule relly kno about the yelo at the front?
Nigel

B | 22.01.19 - 9:35 a.m. | #

Strange Case of Dr. Geezer and Mr. Gricer, anyone?

Muzer | 22.01.19 - 9:50 a.m. | #

My congratulations to Dan on his excellent report.

I never tire of TLAs and only wish dg would adopt this style too rather than insisting on writing thoughtfully at length for the benefit of the entire readership.

Michael T | 22.01.19 - 9:55 a.m. | #

Ooh, a shiny new train before it's been 'peopled'.

Cornish Cockney | 22.01.19 - 10:22 a.m. | #

I'm on one of these trains now.
Absolutely hate them.
There seems to be a basic model, and a ultra-basic model of carriage.
I have never travelled on one and noticed a plug for charging up phones etc. Just checked. Nothing there.
No wifi. Never been asked to connect.
Some occasionally have little fold up tables so you can put a coffee down behind the seat.
My biggest quibble is no tables. Nothing for people to work on or put things. Everyone is forced to hold their laptops or pads in their hands. And for taking the kids out nothing for their games and books, things to do on long journeys.
Plus side - good walk through, accessible train, spacious, lots of toilets, easy to get on even when packed.
But who is responsible for the penny pinching style approach? The government or the TOC?
(Regular user)

Le Ver | 22.01.19 - 10:27 a.m. | #

No Class 717s are currently in passenger service, not until 5K81 reaches MOG at 1031½, so you cannot be sitting on one right now.

Dan Gricer | 22.01.19 - 10:30 a.m. | #

Trains that were due in Q4 2017, and completely in service by Q4 2018 (per LondonTravelWatch's report *from Govia*).

Protracted delays to enter service, carriage 6 won't be opening at a number of the stations on the NCL due to signal position.

A bit of a dog dinner, alas.

Jordan D | 22.01.19 - 10:38 a.m. | #

Gordon Hill has some trains terminating there (mainly in the peaks), indeed that is the only use of platform 1. See Wikipedia.

I am slightly puzzled by 180102 being at Bowes Park. Is Dan trying to smuggle a truth past David Mitchell? Or was BOP actually Bhogpur in West Bengal?

Malcolm | 22.01.19 - 10:54 a.m. | #

@Le Ver - Lots of toilets? Tables? Not on a 717, as DG2 noted. And unlike the 700s, which only have them in 1st class, the 717s do have power points.

Surely the idea of a "lap-top" is that you don't need a table - the clue is in the name.

@Lorenzo - Gordon Hill has always had a bay platform (there used to be two), and it sees regular use as a number of peak hour services start and finish there.

Gordon Hill | 22.01.19 - 10:56 a.m. | #

When are we going to hear the views of Gordon Hill ?

Paul | 22.01.19 - 11:00 a.m. | #

Yes, how come the yellow fronts have disappeared?

Adrian | 22.01.19 - 11:13 a.m. | #

Regarding yellow fronts, I assume everyone is familiar with the new Railway Group Standard covering audibility and visibility introduced by the RSSB in March 2016.

Dan Gricer | 22.01.19 - 11:20 a.m. | #

@Philip Brown. I love Dan Gricer’s use of the 3 letter station codes: easiest way to spot a gricer from a muggle and always guaranteed to wind up Forum Mods

Joe | 22.01.19 - 11:20 a.m. | #

where are all the train-spotters? just one lonely guy on a platform being photographed by a disinterested blogger /correspondent

Grumpy Anon | 22.01.19 - 12:14 p.m. | #

Painted concrete seats, harsh icy cold lighting, permababble from the Public Annoyance system... I'd like to be a gricer but British trains have become so horrible that I go by car whenever possible.

You can have wi-fi in tunnels, it works happily in the long one at Polhill, ditto Chelsfield. Oh, and they're sockets under the seats, not plugs.

Gerry | 22.01.19 - 12:38 p.m. | #

Not actually the oldest EMUs in regular service on the British mainland - not even the oldest to serve Finsbury Park

The trains on the Bakerloo Line are even older.

timbo again | 22.01.19 - 2:01 p.m. | #

Though of course we have even older stock on the Isle of Wight!

Drew | Homepage | 22.01.19 - 2:04 p.m. | #

Ah that Dan Gricer. What a wag. A class 390 at Moorgate?! What an image!

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 22.01.19 - 2:21 p.m. | #

I suspect that Le Ver was actually traveling on a 700.

The reason why 180102 was at Bowes Park is that it was heading into Bounds Green depot.

X-Plaistow | 22.01.19 - 2:22 p.m. | #

Shockingly dull livery on these and the 700s, I can understand the DfT not wanting jazzy operator specific liveries which then have to be removed, but surely they can do better than this?

Mikey C | 22.01.19 - 2:29 p.m. | #

DG does have a similar writing style to at least one of dg's. Are they ever seen together? I think we should be told.

By the way, this Woman Who Likes Boats loved it.

Sarah | Homepage | 22.01.19 - 4:54 p.m. | #

I hope Dan Gricer becomes a regular correspondent.

Perhaps DG could cultivate a wide range voices for different topics, a sort of blog version of Chris Morris / Ted Maul / Eugene Fraxby et al.

stevekeiretsu | Homepage | 22.01.19 - 8:42 p.m. | #

Also on the oldest stock, as well as the Bakerloo, do the Scottish sleepers still have the Mk2s as 'lounge cars', are the prototype Mk 3s still in use (they don't have the aluminium beading around the windows), and the Mk1s are still in regular use on specials, not sure about the royal train, it might be all Mk3s now, and 313s will remain in service on the Southern.

Still Anon | 22.01.19 - 9:49 p.m. | #

If you'd like eleven minutes fifty-one seconds of Class 717s, including a cab ride and a depot visit, Geoff's just published this video:
youtube.com/watch?v=l5p0oOOR2mY

Dan Gricer | 22.01.19 - 10:17 p.m. | #

As an intermittent traveller that way I have got used to the plush padded seats on the 313s. Oh well.

Sprout Eater | 22.01.19 - 10:53 p.m. | #

Great video from the excellent Geoff Marshall - thanks for the info Dan!!

Dave B | 22.01.19 - 11:04 p.m. | #

I worry that some of you enjoyed that too much.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 23.01.19 - 12:03 a.m. | #

Should be nice and easy to apply London Overground livery to that without the need of a full repaint....

Phil | 23.01.19 - 7:07 a.m. | #

@Gerry Functioning WiFi when going through the Polhill and Chelsfield tunnels is not as a result of any intentional in-tunnel solutions alas. Rather, the combination of a whopping great big antenna mounted on the roof of the train and the ability to use both Vodafone's and EE's networks means that Southeastern's WiFi service tends to work to an extent in some tunnels. The Polhill and Chelsfield tunnels specifically have also benefited from a recent mast upgrade close to the mouth of the Polhill tunnel which has significantly improved coverage of the bit of track between tunnels and somewhat in to the tunnels themselves!

For an example of where things alas haven't worked out, take a trip through the Sevenoaks tunnel - the WiFi stops functioning soon after entering either portal. Alas the masts near either end of the tunnel don't point in to it.

Similarly for the Northern City Line, i'd expect the WiFi to stop working soon after entering the tunnel at Drayton Park. Most of the masts around there are focused on providing coverage to the stadium, rather than aimed down the tunnels. Ultimately, an in-tunnel coverage solution would be needed - either using small cells as in the Channel Tunnel, or leaky feeders as in most other tunnels with coverage. The Underground is due to get coverage later this year (so 2025 ultimately?) - but if that will cover the Northern City Line I don't know.

(Apologies, it's rare to get a chance to combine trains and mobile networks in a single nerdy comment!)

KingJ | Homepage | 23.01.19 - 1:21 p.m. | #

Wi-Fi and plug are surely a paradox.

kev | 23.01.19 - 1:38 p.m. | #

Did you, (sorry Dan) make use of the very pleasant coffee shop whilst waiting at Bowes Park?

mclm | 23.01.19 - 4:19 p.m. | #

There has always been a turnback platform at Gordon Hill.

Mike Newman | Homepage | 24.01.19 - 7:05 a.m. | #











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