The Anonymous Widower

The Carriages Are Coming

The London Overground is overcrowded, which is more due to the fact that it has attracted more passengers than was predicted.

But within a year or so, things will be better, as Transport for London, has just bought 57 new carriages to lengthen the trains by 25 %. The story is reported here on the BBC. This is the second time, that some of these Class 378 trains have been lengthened.

All it needs now is some more carriages for the Gospel Oak To Barking Line.

It is worth looking at the economics of the lengthening trains by inserting carriages. the fifty-seven carriages are costing £88 million, so that works out at £1.54 million per carriage, one of which is inserted in each train.

There must be a few advantages in terms of certification, training, maintenance and other issues, in lengthening trains, rather than moving the old stock elsewhere and bringing in new trains.

So could other trains benefit in the same way?

In fact, quite quite a few projects are on the go, to shuffle carriages and make longer trains.

So don’t be surprised if your train actually is a few years older than it looks!

May 8, 2013 - Posted by | Transport/Travel | , ,

3 Comments »

  1. In Oz Modern Trains are normally built in 3 Cars “long term hooked up” into a unit.
    Trains are hooked up for a Six Car Consist. Schaffenberg Car Connectors, carry all Control Cables & Computer Cables [all Trains today are Computer Controlled] . . .
    So a new type of “stand alone car” needs to carry Modern Controls & Computer Cables thru, to join both 3 car train units.

    Comment by Steam Lover | May 8, 2013 | Reply

    • Most of the trains that have been lengthened by adding an extra carriage are generally starting at three carriages or more. The Class 378 on the Overground, started as three car units, with a trailer carriage in the middle, So I think, they’ve just fitted another trailer or two in the middle. I have read that some train types can’t be lengthened, as there isn’t enough power in the driving cars. But the 378, obviously have loads of grunt!

      It could be as so many of our trains have been lengthened, that British design rules, make lengthening by adding extra cars part of the specification. You also find that some trains like Inter City 125, come in different lengths, depending on the route and application.

      Comment by AnonW | May 8, 2013 | Reply

      • Thanks . . . very interesting for a Train Designer . . . a simple solution : Two Trailer Cars, if the Power Cars could drive them . . .

        The Speed of a Three Car Consist of Feeder Lines linek 75 km Gold Coast to Brisbane is 130 to 148 kph depends on Trains, Old EMUs fastest . . . newer Trains lower, but with better Acceleration.

        Comment by Steam Lover | May 9, 2013


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