The Coolest Trains In London
It was hot in London today, so I thought I’d investigate how well the New Class 710 trains on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
I did the following journeys.
- A 141 bus from my house to Harringay Green Lanes station.
- A Class 710 train between Harringay Green Lanes and Gospel Oak stations.
- A Class 710 train between Gospel Oak and Blackhorse Road stations.
- A Victoria Line train between Blackhorse Road and Highbury & Islington stations.
- A Class 707 train between Highbury & Islington and Moorgate stations.
- After doing some shopping, I took a 141 bus to my home.
I took these pictures on the route.
Some observations.
Passengers Towards Gospel Oak Weren’t Numerous
The train going to Gospel Oak station wasn’t very full, wil only about half the seats taken.
The Train From Gospel Oak Was Packed
It was rather different going back, as every seat on the train was taken and there were passengers standing.
The Seats And Air In The Train Were Comfortable
I would certainly recommend a trip in a Class 710 train on a hot day, as a means to cool off.
Let’s hope that all the other classes of Aventras have the same quality of air-conditioning.
The Victoria Line Wasn’t Busy
The air and temperature ion the Victoria Line wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t of the same quality as the Class 710 train.
But the trip made me think that passengers avoid the deep tube in hot weather.
Class 707 Train To Moorgate
I used the cross-platform interchange at Highbury & Islington station to switch to a Class 707 train, running a Great Northern service to Moorgate station.
The air-conditioning was working well and the two other passengers remarked that it was good in this hot weather.
It’s a pity that these trains have ironing-board seats.
Will These Trains Cut Crime?
When I moved to Dalston in 2010, the service along the North London Line was just being launched and wasn’t fully running until May 2011.
Dalston was the haunt of aimless youth and it wasn’t the best place to live.
Nine years on and it has all changed.
The youths have disappeared and the perceived threat of crime seems down. So where have they all gone?
From stories I have heard, public transport has improved so much, that a large proportion of the youths, have discovered something better to do! It’s called work.
- New Class 378 trains
- North London Line trains have gone from four trains per hour (tph) to eight.
- East London Line trains didn’t exist in 2010 and are now sixteen tph.
- There are several fleets of new buses.
- Increases in train frequencies are planned.
Dalston is now a much better place to live.
The new Class 710 trains will soon be running on the following routes.
- Gospel Oak to Barking Line
- Liverpool Street to Cheshunt
- Liverpool Street to Chingford
- Liverpool Street to Enfield Town
And the new Class 707 trains will soon be running on the following routes.
- Moorgate to Hertford East
- Moorgate to Stevenage
- Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City
Most new trains will be in service by the end of this year.
The following will be delivered.
- More capacity
- Increased frequencies
- Better comfort
- Wi-fi and power sockets
- On-train CCTV
A lot of the previous ancient trains will be scrapped.
Will the new trains cut crime and the perception of crime in the areas of North-East London, that they serve.
It is too early to tell, but good public transport has had a remarkable affect on Dalston.
So will the same thing happen in Enfield, Hasringey and Wathamstow?
Conclusion
I wonder how many people with a Freedom Pass like me are cooling off in this weather by using these and other trains.
Steaming Up To Treforest In A Class 143 Train
On my trip to Treforest, I was in a Class 143 train or one of the dreaded Pacers.
It was performing well on the challenging route and I wondered how the power compared with that of the proposed tram-trains, that will be used in a couple of years.
Class 143 Train
- Speed – 75 mph
- Sections – 2
- Weight – 48.5 tonnes
- Length 31 metres
- Power – 336 kW
- Capacity – 122 seats
- Gross Weight (90 Kg per passenger) – 49.6 tonnes
- Kinetic Energy At Operating Speed – 7.7 kWh
- Time to Operating Speed At Full Power – 1.5 minutes
The train I was on was pretty smooth! Or for a Pacer anyway!
Class 399 Tram-Train
- Speed – 62 mph
- Sections – 3
- Weight -66.15 tonnes
- Length – 37.2 metres
- Power – 870 kW
- Capacity – 88 seats and 150 standing.
- Gross Weight (90 Kg per passenger) – 87.6 tonnes
- Kinetic Energy At Operating Speed – 9.3 kWh
- Time to Operating Speed At Full Power – 6 minutes
These figures are taken from details of the tram-trains in Sheffield.
The two trains are very similar in some respects, but the tram-train is heavier with a full load of passengers.
I certainly can see no reason, why the Class 399 tram-train won’t perform as well as the lass 143 train, but with a bigger and heavier load of passengers.
But one important factor should be born in mind.
The German cousins of the Class 399 tram-trains are used in Karlsruhe, where they easily climb out of the city into the surrounding hills.
A trip up the valleys to Aberdate, Merthyr Tydfil or Treherbert could be no more difficult, once the electrification is in place.
Conclusion
I can see other cities and tram networks around the UK, Europe and the wider world developing urban transport networks around these Stadler tram-trains.
UK cities for their deployment must include Manchester and Sheffield.
Nissan Refuses To Improve Qashqai’s Toxic Emissions
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Tuesday’s copy of The Times.
This is the first paragraph.
Nissan has refused a government request to carry out adjustments to thousands of highly polluting diesel cars to make them less toxic.
The car is called the Nissan Qashqai, which I wouldn’t recognise, unless it reversed into me on the street and I could see the name badge on the boot.
Today, there is this article on the BBC, which is entitled Nissan Workers Braced For Job Cuts.
As they say in Private Eye, could the two stories be related?
Especially, as Nissan seem to have had problems with a CEO recently, who seemed to find enhancing his lifestyle more important, than good stewardship of the company.
The Anonymous Widower 