Vivarail In The Financial Times
There is an article about Vivarail’s Class 230 train in the Financial Times today.
I have a feeling that this is one of those projects, where the engineering will deliver, but the overall concept might initially not be a big seller.
I can think of one or two cars, for which that could be said.
I’m certainly looking forward to riding in the prototype that hopefully will be appearing between Coventry and Nuneaton before the end of the year.
It will be interesting to compare the experience with that of a D78 stock, that I rode a couple of weeks ago.
As any horseman will say. “Handsome is as handsome does!”
Escalators In Station Design
Over the last few months, I’ve been to three brand-new stations.
- Kirkstall Forge, which I nwrote about in Kirkstall Forge Station
- Lea Bridge, which I wrote about in The People Of London Welcome Lea Bridge Station
- London Bridge, which I wrote about in Details Of The New London Bridge Station
All are well-built stations with step-free access.
But I have to ask, if Kirkstall Forge and Lea Bridge would be better stations with a more favourable financial outlook, if they had escalators instead of stairs to the bridge.
Consider.
- London Transport used escalators extensively before the Second World War and few think that was wrong.
- Escalators must surely attract more paying passengers.
- If escalators are used could we see them paired with inclined lifts. to perhaps create more compact stations.
Quite frankly, Kirkstall Forge and Lea Bridge have boring layouts. I do think, we need more innovative station designs.
In some ways the most interesting station I’ve seen in the last few months is Welwyn Garden City, where the station is on the First Floor of a Shopping Centre. The main escalators and lifts are in the Shopping Centre with individual lifts and stairs to the platforms.
The Anonymous Widower 