By God - Those Class 331s Are Fast!

[Mat17]

Lol! I must admit, I was only thinking in terms of passenger comfort. But I suspect to the layman much is missed...

Isn't that something you can do from the comfort of the passenger saloon these days?

Through floor Aircon?

 

[RailWonderer]

Are the north east and north west 331s completely segregated or is there any stretch of electrified track where they can cross over?

 

[py_megapixel]

I mean... theoretically, they could cross over via Edinburgh and Glasgow then down via Carlisle, or they could be dragged behind a diesel loco... but in reality I think they're probably separate.

 

[Mag_seven]

Are the north east and north west 331s completely segregated or is there any stretch of electrified track where they can cross over?

There are no "east west" or "west east" completely electrified routes in the north of England. To transfer them under their own power you would have to go via Scotland or London.

 

[Watershed]

I wonder what the timing is between Bolton and Salford Crescent with these, 8 mins?

8.5 mins Start to Stop (the journey is two mins "longer" towards Salford because of the 2 mins engineering allowance).

Even with the current TSR, it's achievable in a fair bit less than that.

 

[Trackman]

8.5 mins Start to Stop (the journey is two mins "longer" towards Salford because of the 2 mins engineering allowance).

Even with the current TSR, it's achievable in a fair bit less than that.

Downhill as well.

 

[swt_passenger]

Yes, 331s shoot off like scalded cars from Bolton when you've been conditioned to years of Sprinter acceleration.

Is that not usually “cats”

 

[AM9]

Is that not usually “cats”

typo I expect.

 

[swt_passenger]

typo I expect.

Possibly just as likely an autocorrect error nowadays...

 

[Railperf]

It isn't unheard of for manufacturers to tune the traction software to feed the power in more gently. Even if the driver slams the controller into full power, the traction software should feed the power in cleanly enough to prevent people falling over. Tube trains have very fast acceleration 0-10 and 20mph but people don't complain of falling over.
There should be an announcement advising people to hold on to something as the train starts anyway.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There should be an announcement advising people to hold on to something as the train starts anyway.

Really? There's enough verbal diarrhoea without adding that.

 

[py_megapixel]

There should be an announcement advising people to hold on to something as the train starts anyway.

Really? There's enough verbal diarrhoea without adding that.

Yes... remember just how fiercely hated "Please hold on - this bus is about to move" was in London...

 

[Nymanic]

Not to mention nothing much to hold onto around the doors!

 

[D365]

There should be an announcement advising people to hold on to something as the train starts anyway.

Really? There's enough verbal diarrhoea without adding that.

Just needs something in the vein of the Sheffield Supertram:

”Hold tight please”

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just needs something in the vein of the Sheffield Supertram:

”Hold tight please”

<cringe>

Seriously, if you don't know to hold on when you're standing on a vehicle and the doors close ready for it to move, you shouldn't be allowed out on your own.

 

[dgl]

Lol! I must admit, I was only thinking in terms of passenger comfort. But I suspect to the layman much is missed...


Through floor Aircon?

One of the major positives to these trains is it's very airy feel to the carriages.

 

[Jozhua]

Just shy of it, but they've plenty of power. Far more than you need for just 100mph running but I'm sure drivers are very pleased with the performance compared to the Mk3-family EMUs

The acceleration is 1.1m/s, or approximately .1G

Not bad for a train!

There are no "east west" or "west east" completely electrified routes in the north of England. To transfer them under their own power you would have to go via Scotland or London.

Bit of a joke really isn't it!

 

[hexagon789]

The acceleration is 1.1m/s, or approximately .1G

Not bad for a train!

Bit of a joke really isn't it!

Not bad at all, though there's something that does either 1.3 or 1.4 on the continent, can't remember what. Maybe a Flirt?

 

[D365]

<cringe>

Seriously, if you don't know to hold on when you're standing on a vehicle and the doors close ready for it to move, you shouldn't be allowed out on your own.

It’s not an intrusive message at all. Plays during (or just after) the door close chime. I’m rather fond of it

 

[hexagon789]

It’s not an intrusive message at all. Plays during (or just after) the door close chime. I’m rather fond of it

Or sometimes after the vehicle has started moving...

Which renders it pointless

 

[Ianno87]

It’s not an intrusive message at all. Plays during (or just after) the door close chime. I’m rather fond of it

If it it's anything like the new Blackpool trams, it's nothing more than a quick "Ding, ding, hold tight please". If you've just got on and still faffing with getting your ticket in your pocket, etc, its a handy "attention call".

Or sometimes after the vehicle has started moving...

Which renders it pointless

On London buses, the bus was usually half way to the next stop when it played.

 

[Mat17]

My favourite is where messages interrupt each other, Supertram is great for this...

"This is the yellow route service, the next stop is..."
"Hold tight please!"

 

[hexagon789]

On London buses, the bus was usually half way to the next stop when it played.

That's precisely what I was thinking of!

 

[Bletchleyite]

On London buses, the bus was usually half way to the next stop when it played.

It wasn't half as annoying as "bus stopping at next bus stop, please stand clear of doors", a message that is entirely satisfactorily put across by a simple "ding".

 

[Energy]

Not bad at all, though there's something that does either 1.3 or 1.4 on the continent, can't remember what. Maybe a Flirt?

The 755s achieve around 1.3.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The 755s achieve around 1.3.

I don't know what the figure is, but the Swiss FLIRTs practically knock you over.

 

[Energy]

I don't know what the figure is, but the Swiss FLIRTs practically knock you over.

Wasn't it the Norwegian ones which had to have software limits after achieving I think 1.6? Definitely was a Stadler train but not sure which.

 

[D365]

My favourite is where messages interrupt each other, Supertram is great for this...

"This is the yellow route service, the next stop is..."
"Hold tight please!"

How did I forget to mention this

 

[Railperf]

Wasn't it the Norwegian ones which had to have software limits after achieving I think 1.6? Definitely was a Stadler train but not sure which.

Yes they have been reigned back. They are a 5-car unit with no power pack but 3 powered bogies for 200km/h compared to our 4-car 755s which have a power pack but only 2 powered bogies.

 

[Jozhua]

Yes they have been reigned back. They are a 5-car unit with no power pack but 3 powered bogies for 200km/h compared to our 4-car 755s which have a power pack but only 2 powered bogies.

So apparently the 3-car trains do 1.3m/s electric, 0.7m/s diesel.

4-cars do 1.1m/s electric, 0.9m/s diesel.

So the 4-car trains are a bit more consistent, 3-car trains are faster under wires.

Clear OLE can provide a pretty significant advantage with the right rolling stock. I'm pretty sure even the 319's were faster than 150's despite only one out of the 4 carriages being powered? They were comparable at least.

Even ignoring that, the passenger experience was much nicer and refined.