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Post by miff on Mar 28, 2024 17:37:59 GMT
I would have thought a solution would have been to just get the interiors done rather than go head to head with the Dft There's no need to go 'head to head' with the DfT since it's DfT (Secretary of State for Transport) who issues the exemptions. Consultation on extending the exemption for '72 Stock is already in progress and I imagine the '92 will follow.
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Post by miff on Mar 20, 2024 18:32:23 GMT
"Challenges experienced in our supply chain, COVID and more recent cost inflation also mean that some suppliers entered administration and replacements had to be found. These factors taken together mean that we are now working for all the trains to be upgraded by the end of 2029." [CLIP funding Request ID: FOI-4278-2324 Date published: 14 March 2024]For completion by 2029 this means Acton's output'll need to be about 16 or 17 trains per year 2025-2029. I'm assuming no more than 5 or 6 (if that)'ll be completed by the end of 2024 since the second completed train isn't expected until August.
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Post by miff on Mar 11, 2024 23:06:31 GMT
One of the above posts said 4 trains were currently in the CLIP programme at Acton, plus the completed one being tested out on the line. It said the sixth train to be worked on would be a stopped unit needing body repairs, which was due to be moved from Hainault to Acton by road.
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Post by miff on Mar 11, 2024 8:36:18 GMT
When the production trains start to enter service, will this prototype need to be altered to match? Based on earlier posts in this thread and elsewhere I believe this one is seen as the first ‘production’ train, designed following the earlier testing of two prototypes - one for the traction-package, t’other for the interior design & systems etc. Those two prototypes, neither of which ran in passenger service, are indeed now being modified to the production design. However it seems full production won’t get under way until in-service testing, mileage accumulation and certification of the first one is completed. The second train isn’t expected out until August. I guess it’s envisaged any further physical design changes, if necessary following testing, would be minor. Software tweaks & upgrades will, of course, go on for ever. And training to be done.
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Post by miff on Feb 6, 2024 7:02:50 GMT
Redbridge’s page about the bridge closure says their engineers are working with TfL to complete all the structural surveys & analysis needed to fully understand the bridge condition; and “the Central Line is safe to use, and the full closure of the bridge has reduced the residual stress load the bridge carries daily”. I imagine TfL’d’ve taken their own action to close the railway if they didn’t agree with Redbridge’s structural engineers. Redbridge also reckon it could be about £25 million to fix it and’ve started a petition to the gov’t since they don’t have it. www.redbridge.gov.uk/have-your-say/broadmead-road-bridge/
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Post by miff on Jan 28, 2024 23:16:18 GMT
If the second completed train (T4 in the above post) is not due out until August it does seem likely to be an awfully long time before production really gets going.
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Post by miff on Dec 29, 2023 21:11:14 GMT
The new moquette is a late change - a previous FOI (May '23) said the moquette, apart from the priority seats, would be replaced with new material of the existing design.
I also wonder whether the slow ramping up to volume production is due, at least partially, to financial constraints. Perhaps a big chunk of this expenditure could not be authorised before TfL's latest funding-agreement was finalised by the Gov't which might mean various parts of the programme can't really get going until the 24/25 financial year, too late to get the budgets through in the current one.
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Post by miff on Dec 24, 2023 15:16:55 GMT
I wonder what the print-run is nowadays compared to pre-internet times. With so many pressures on TfL expenditure I wonder if, rather than a design re-think, they’re looking forward for to the day they can get away with abolishing it as a free publication. They could still make the data and images available to external publishers.
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Post by miff on Dec 19, 2023 8:33:47 GMT
What feedback?
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Post by miff on Dec 18, 2023 17:36:12 GMT
Yes, I was referring to the 2 Central line Sandite trains, although now you come to mention it, seeing that the TRV car is a converted 73 stock that could also be a plan. Not sure if there is the money to replace those trains even when the 73TS units become available. Surely it would be prudent to keep a few trains for when conversion money does become available? Those old girls can't carry on forever as much as it pains me to say that. I recall it seemed surprising when both the Asset Inspection Train and Tunnel Cleaning Train projects were scrapped around the same time none of the 67/72TS units, recently overhauled for these projects, were repurposed to keep the existing TRV going - they decided to retain and overhaul the 1960TS pilot cars. And LUL have recently acquired the 62TS unit at Hainault, sadly no longer preserved by Cravens Heritage Trains, to be stripped for RAT spares.
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Post by miff on Dec 15, 2023 19:04:06 GMT
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Post by miff on Dec 7, 2023 13:58:31 GMT
I don’t watch them all, but enjoy them when his subject (particularly the historical ones) sparks my interest.
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Post by miff on Nov 27, 2023 8:27:43 GMT
Yes
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Post by miff on Nov 26, 2023 15:55:53 GMT
A May '23 response to a FOI request said: "the existing speakers will be retained but the rest of the audio system will be upgraded in terms of hardware and the quality of the audio files, which will deliver better sound quality."
Interesting that it also said the moquette, apart from the priority seats, would be replaced with new material of the existing design. Therefore the new design may've been a quite recent decision.
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Post by miff on Nov 25, 2023 19:39:52 GMT
There’s a couple of videos on YouTube of the first run. Good to see it at last and I like the moquettes. Not so keen on the screaming door alarm. One of the videos shows the inside of one of the doors perhaps awaiting the planned additional cosmetic attention.
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Post by miff on Nov 23, 2023 13:16:33 GMT
Will that one definitely be the train used for the ‘launch’ or are any of the others nearly ready to enter service?
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Post by miff on Nov 19, 2023 9:31:27 GMT
Otherwise we could get to a point some years down the line where there isn’t a single colour light signal on the entire network yet passengers are still being told they’re being held up by a “red signal” I hope that may happen since I’m a bit of a fan of historical anomalies. No-one, other than rail professionals and enthusiasts, will know there are no-longer red lights since passengers can’t see out of the front of the train. On the rare occasions it needs to be explained it’s no great leap these days if you say it’s no longer a physical signal but a ‘virtual’ one.
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Post by miff on Nov 17, 2023 20:11:20 GMT
If these are due in service in around a fortnight, I am quite surprised that there are no final pictures. It is as if TFL are trying to keep this some sort of top secret?! The Evening Standard tweet says the moquette design and name is being kept under wraps until the train launch date. This implies there’s going to be a ‘launch event’ (at least for the press) therefore you can’t really blame them for keeping the whole train ‘medium secret’ until they’re ready to make a bit of a splash with it.
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Post by miff on Aug 5, 2023 13:12:05 GMT
I know but: 1. The govt is nowhere near agreeing the funding yet (the DfT spokeist merely said they’re “continuing to engage with the LLDC and partner organisations on the business case for the long-term upgrades to the station”). So no guarantee the bidders won’t have to settle for something less than their ideal vision, especially once they start costing it.
2. It’ll be necessary to maintain as many services as possible even during a major rebuild therefore I predict at least some of the existing platforms’ll survive a very long time to come, perhaps indefinitely, in their current locations.
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Post by miff on Aug 4, 2023 20:53:10 GMT
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Post by miff on Aug 4, 2023 12:42:19 GMT
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Post by miff on Jun 25, 2023 10:49:15 GMT
Whilst shops don't have to accept legal tender for purchases, neither do they have to sell you a produce at the price listed on the shelf. The "invitation to treat" is when the sale is rung through the till and that is when a customer gains the right to buy; it is however false advertising. I’m not sure why it’s false advertising- it tells the customer how much the shop hopes to be offered and they’d be unwise* to try and ask for more when you get to the till. The customer can try offering a lower amount if they wish - unlikely to be accepted in a supermarket but some traders may be willing to consider offers in the right circumstances. *I think retail businesses who don’t include taxes & service charges in their displayed prices are unwise.
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Post by miff on Jun 25, 2023 9:08:46 GMT
Even though it’s the norm “via Newbury Park” may still be helpful to any traveller who doesn’t know which way around the loop their train is expected to go.
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Post by miff on May 14, 2023 14:38:29 GMT
The videographer’s YouTube thread confirms no-one was in the cab at the time of his video - he checked. When the driver came back he was interviewed by the Police.
The person posting on Twitter also seems to’ve been on site at the time and reports someone thinking ‘the brakes on the rig came off when they were at breakfast’.
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Post by miff on Apr 16, 2023 9:16:42 GMT
I doubt if anyone’s made such a conscious decision, but that’s exactly what happens when, for a long period, there is insufficient money for the required level of care & maintenance.
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Post by miff on Mar 21, 2023 19:15:39 GMT
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Post by miff on Feb 12, 2023 7:06:51 GMT
Let’s hope there is a decent supply of spare parts for the 484s, and ability to support the software.
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Post by miff on Feb 10, 2023 15:53:23 GMT
The Vivarail Administrators have filed a statement of their proposals for winding up the company. They have two preferred bidders in place (it doesn’t say who they are) for all tangible assets including 82 scrap-condition D78 cars; and for all intellectual property including patents etc. The report also confirms the end came when the principal investor (RDC) decided they could not put in any more money, and Vivarail were unable to find any other investor or buyer. Published on this page at Companies House: find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08661726/filing-history
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Post by miff on Feb 6, 2023 23:12:33 GMT
In context of the whole ETCS / CBTC discussion, and not just picking out one line, my response to that is, in the words of Manuel - Que ? You asked how flexibility might be limited. My answer suggested flexibility might be limited if suppliers are only allowed to design to the ETCS spec. rather than something bespoke to the client’s needs. In many Metro systems interoperability between lines is not needed, so why bother with it?
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Post by miff on Feb 6, 2023 20:27:39 GMT
How does allowing make A kit run on supplier B kit 'limit flexibility' ? A on A only or B with B only is a limit. A on B is not. Wouldn’t it prevent A from offering something good which B cannot do, or is not (yet) in the ETCS agreed spec?
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