The Electrification of the Western Rail Hub

[barrydidit]

Brunel was only five feet tall, so his hat would probably fit through current doors: Who's Who of Short People: Isambard Kingdom Brunel

I wholeheartedly support your proposal though

Five foot! All these years I've thought those chains were massive

That explains his obsession with broad gauge too. If he was that short he couldn't be tied to the tracks.

[NickFitz]

Build the towers taller then. Also, building regs should mandate doorframes high enough to walk through in stovepipe hats. The country would be better for it.

Brunel was only five feet tall, so his hat would probably fit through current doors: Who's Who of Short People: Isambard Kingdom Brunel

I wholeheartedly support your proposal though

[barrydidit]

Hats like that will be banned once overhead electric cables are installed.

Build the towers taller then. Also, building regs should mandate doorframes high enough to walk through in stovepipe hats. The country would be better for it.

[VectraMan]

Hats like that will be banned once overhead electric cables are installed.

[barrydidit]

Shouldn't Brunel have sorted all this in the first place?

Too right. Standing around with his hands in his pockets. F'kin disgrace.

[VectraMan]

They're electrifying as far as Oxford where it fizzles out.

Shouldn't Brunel have sorted all this in the first place?

[NickFitz]

The new train servicing facility at Swansea has been gaudily branded with "Hitachi" for a couple of weeks.

No catennary wires yet, mind.

I've seen the Hitachi trains several times over the last few months - they've been testing them on a disused line that runs alongside and then crosses part of my route into ExClientCorp. They look fairly similar to the HST to me, though I'm no expert on such matters.

[TykeMerc]

I miss Gricer.

I don't and it's not like it's stopped posting anyway.

[Pondlife]

I miss Gricer.

[VectraMan]

Can't you afford a car?

[SimonMac]

I don't know if anyone is affected by this but the scenes at Westbury at 7 am this morning wouldn't have looked out of place in a French farce. Imagine if you would, a very flustered individual in a PA van that looked like it had been commandeered from a local village fete, failing to shepherd disparate groups of passengers to the appropriate bus stand for their journeys.

This is going to be complete and utter chaos once the holiday season is over.

And why should we be thankful for all this disruption to our morning commutes?


Well, according to FGW, electrification will bring the following benefits:

1)Greater acceleration - reducing journey times
2)More seats and tables per carriage
3)40% more seats into London Paddington per day
4)Enhanced customer communication systems and on board service
5)Electric and bio-mode operations that reduce harmful emissions
6)Improved reliability compared with the trains they replace

I'd like to address these points one at a time;

1) Journey time from Bath Spa to London Paddington was 1 hour 15 minutes in 1976 when the new HSTs were introduced. Fastest journey time at present is 1 hour 26 minutes.
2) Smaller seats and less legroom
3) As above
4) You will be charged £10 for 5 hours usage of our on board wi-fi service that is slower than the slowest dial-up connection.
We will also be getting rid of the buffet cars and if you're lucky you may get the opportunity to purchase refreshments from our trolley service but blink and you'll miss it
as our staff to like entertain themselves by seeing how fast they can dash from one end of the train to the other.
5) Well, of course - the obligitory justification to turn on the tap for some nice tax payer funded subsidies.
6) I may just allow them that one since the new tractions units are manufactured by Hitachi it means that journeys will no longer be hindered by the "train faults" that all too often blight the modern rail experience.
That said, they'll be utterly lacking in charm and character.


Progress, eh?

You think you have it bad?

Up north we are waiting for you lot to get new trains so we can get your hand me downs to replace 30 year old Pacer Trains!

[barrydidit]

Progress, eh?

Could be worse, the NorthernPowerhouse idea got sunk even quicker than dividend taxes were dreamt up.

Northern powercut: has the Tories' rail revamp reached the end of the line? | UK news | The Guardian

[Martin Scroatman]

I don't know if anyone is affected by this but the scenes at Westbury at 7 am this morning wouldn't have looked out of place in a French farce. Imagine if you would, a very flustered individual in a PA van that looked like it had been commandeered from a local village fete, failing to shepherd disparate groups of passengers to the appropriate bus stand for their journeys.

This is going to be complete and utter chaos once the holiday season is over.

And why should we be thankful for all this disruption to our morning commutes?


Well, according to FGW, electrification will bring the following benefits:

1)Greater acceleration - reducing journey times
2)More seats and tables per carriage
3)40% more seats into London Paddington per day
4)Enhanced customer communication systems and on board service
5)Electric and bio-mode operations that reduce harmful emissions
6)Improved reliability compared with the trains they replace

I'd like to address these points one at a time;

1) Journey time from Bath Spa to London Paddington was 1 hour 15 minutes in 1976 when the new HSTs were introduced. Fastest journey time at present is 1 hour 26 minutes.
2) Smaller seats and less legroom
3) As above
4) You will be charged £10 for 5 hours usage of our on board wi-fi service that is slower than the slowest dial-up connection.
We will also be getting rid of the buffet cars and if you're lucky you may get the opportunity to purchase refreshments from our trolley service but blink and you'll miss it
as our staff to like entertain themselves by seeing how fast they can dash from one end of the train to the other.
5) Well, of course - the obligitory justification to turn on the tap for some nice tax payer funded subsidies.
6) I may just allow them that one since the new tractions units are manufactured by Hitachi it means that journeys will no longer be hindered by the "train faults" that all too often blight the modern rail experience.
That said, they'll be utterly lacking in charm and character.


Progress, eh?