Minor annoyance on S7's - potential maintenance issue?

[class411]

The fact that S7's have air conditioning, and thus close their doors after a short period, together with the abilty to walk, easily, through the entire train causes a minor annoyance to anyone getting on at a terminus and wanting to get off at a station where the exit is at the rear or the train.

As you wait, there is a continuing cycle of people opening the first set of doors they get to and getting on the train, no matter which carriage they are aiming for.

Not too much of a problem if it is very busy or very quiet, but when it is between these two extremes there is a continuing cycle of doors banging open, beeping, and banging closed, together with the occasional collision as someone desperately tries to get on as the doors close, mistakenly thinking the train as about to depart (it's amazing how many people don't bother to look at the signals). I wonder if they will find that extra repair and maintenance is needed for the end doors on this stock to reflect the significant extra use they seem to be getting.

[domh245]

Well, I know that when they start appearing on the district, I will use the door a couple down from the one I will want at my station, especially in winter! As for the maintenance,I doubt that it will pose a problem, as the doors will have been built to last, and will probably be able to go to at least refurbishment without any "extreme" maintenance.

[carltona]

Can we really expect the public to look at the signal class 413? They will not know a signal from their armpit even if they could see it from the back of the train. The answer is to travel away from the end car then walk to your preferred door before arriving at your destination. I agree that the doors are loud and the eeeaawing bleepers can get irritating.

[class411]

Aug 4, 2013 14:38:29 GMT carltona said:

Can we really expect the public to look at the signal? They will not know a signal from their armpit even if they could see it from the back of the train.

You can see the signals very clearly at the station where I've seen this happen. Plus there are repeaters on the platform.

And knowledge that a red signal means the train is not going anywhere is hardly specialist.

[domh245]

Yes, at Wimbledon, you can be walking along the platform and then hear the other punters say "Look it's got a green signal" at which point they promptly throw themselves into the train, so I guess it is possible for them to understand "green signal = go"

[orienteer]

As I usually get on at a terminus, this has always been a problem. The cause is that passengers get no warning that the train is about to depart. Few operators bother to announce departure. It shouldn't be necessary to be able to read signals, which in any case are disappearing with ATO.

Great system in Japan, where a warning bell sounds on the platform for 30 seconds prior to departure from a terminus.

[Deleted]

Aug 4, 2013 16:11:28 GMT orienteer said:

Great system in Japan, where a warning bell sounds on the platform for 30 seconds prior to departure from a terminus.

OT but similar. I haven't travelled from there for yonks and no doubt with ticket gates and sliding door trains it no longer exists, but there was a bell that sounded at Charing Cross main line when the signal had cleared. It's prime purpose was to tell staff to close the gates to the platform but it had a useful secondary purpose which was to encourage straglers to get a move on.

[Chris M]

Nope, no such bell these days.

[castlebar]

I remember the Charing Cross bells.

They worked a treat. Staff "sprung into action", and passengers noticeably doubled their paces

Surprised to learn the system is not used any more. Somebody has come up with something not better but more expensive? It wasn't broke and didn't need fixing and in fact, I would have replicated the Charing X system at other termini

[peterc]

They had the same system at Liverpool Street. The function was to warn staff to close the gates to the platform so I suppose that it became redundant when the patforms ceased to have individual gates.

There are still repeaters on the platform although I only discovered what they meant after running into an old school friend who worked for British Railways (as it was then)

[rail2210]

I have noticed on the S stock that when a train is about to depart and the doors are closed but not locked, all the doors open about a minute before the train is about to leave then shut again. Not sure if it happens all the time.

[orienteer]

Aug 10, 2013 10:52:29 GMT rail2210 said:

I have noticed on the S stock that when a train is about to depart and the doors are closed but not locked, all the doors open about a minute before the train is about to leave then shut again. Not sure if it happens all the time.

No, it depends on the operator. Since they only have to press a button to activate an announcement that the train is about to depart, I don't know why this is not mandatory.

In the A60 days, it was not uncommon for the doors to be closed without warning while passengers were walking down the platform alongside the train. Now at least most have learned to board through the first door and walk down inside.

[class411]

Aug 10, 2013 11:33:18 GMT orienteer said:

In the A60 days, it was not uncommon for the doors to be closed without warning while passengers were walking down the platform alongside the train. Now at least most have learned to board through the first door and walk down inside.

Which is really unfortunate if the train has been waiting a while and the first carriage is packed as it causes massive congestion.

Perhaps the more savvy will learn not to board through the first door and walk down inside unless the signal is green.

[l1group]

The "board through first door and walk down train" possibly might be abused by school kids as sometimes, they run from the back of the train to the front, e.g. in Hammersmith with people from my school (which I don't exactly like...). And running inside a train isn't usually acceptable unless you are at a station with a short platform and you forget it has one, then I may understand, yet again they should've paid attention...

I decide to walk down a carriage at least, unless my exit is the rear! But some still walk along as they are used to the C Stock, but that is getting rarer nowadays...

When I'm at Acton Town waiting for a train to depart, and two trains of the same line are there eastbound, I always stand in the middle of the platform if both signals/repeaters are red, and run/walk to the train which has the green when it appears, which might not be my train... Other punters notice to do the same as well.