My First Ride In A Class 331 Train
After yesterday’s post; My First Ride In A Class 195 Train, today, I took a ride in that train’s electric sister; the Class 331 train, between Leeds and Doncaster stations.
These are some pictures.
These are my views on various aspects of the train.
Noise, Vibration And Harshness
The electric trains, I travel in most are London Overground’s and TfL Rail’s various classes; 315, 317, 345, 378 and 710.
These Class 331 trains seemed to have a smooth ride, but a noisier transmission compared to say the Class 378 train or the Class 710 train.
To check, the day after I rode the Class 331 train, I rode the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, sampling both Class 378 and Class 710 trains.
It was no surprise that noise levels in the Class 710 train were lowest, but the Class 331 train was noisier than the Class 378 train.
Interior Design
The interior design is the same as that of the Class 195 train and my same comments apply.
- It is inferior to that of a Class 385 train.
- The seats are not aligned with the windows.
- There are lots of tables, which I like.
I also noted that the information display wasn’t working. Was this just teething troubles?
Entrance And Exit
As expected, this was the same as the Class 195 train.
Conclusion
The Class 331 train like its sibling; the Class 195 train, has a few design faults, that hopefully will be rectified in the next few months.
My First Ride In A Class 195 Train
Today, I rode the ten o’clock Virgin to Manchester Piccadilly station.
I then waited for one of the new Class 195 trains going South to Manchester Aurport station.
These pictures show the Class 195 train.
These are my views on various aspects of the train.
Noise, Vibration And Harshness
The Class 195 train is a diesel multiple unit, with an MTU engine and a ZF Ecolife transmission.
Wikipedia describes the transmission as is a 6 speed transmission for city buses. It also lists these features.
- Boosted operating economy, longer service life, and higher temperature resistance for operation with Euro 5 (1st generation) and Euro 6 (2nd generation) compatible engines.
- An integral retarder,
- Longer operational intervals between oil changes.
- Higher torque capacity.
It looks like ZF have created a sophisticated and very efficient gearbox for diesel buses and trains.
During today, I rode also rode in Class 156 and Class 175 trains, that are also diesel powered.
I would put the noise, vibration and harshness of the diesel engine and the transmission of the Class 195 trains, as worse than that of the Class 175 train and better than than that of the Class 156 train.
I am surprised that the Class 195 train doesn’t use a hybrid electric transmission, which are starting to be developed by MTU and will be retrofitted into various diesel multiple units like Porterbrook’s Class 170 trains, as I talked about in Rolls-Royce And Porterbrook Launch First Hybrid Rail Project In The UK With MTU Hybrid PowerPacks.
I said this in the linked post.
As I understand it, the current hydraulic traction system will be replaced by an electric one with a battery, that will enable.
- Regenerative braking using a battery.
- Battery electric power in urban areas, stations and depots.
- Lower noise levels
- Lower maintenance costs.
This should also reduce diesel fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
As the Class 195 train has a similar electric cousin; the Class 331 train, I would have felt that it would be possible to fit the Class 195 trains with an MTU Hybrid PowerPack or similar.
This should reduce, what to me, are unacceptable noise levels.
As the MTU Hybrid PowerPack has been developed, at the same time as the Class 195 train, which uses a traditional MTU engine, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Class 195 train has been designed to be retrofitted with the more efficient MTU Hybrid PowerPack.
Interior Design
The designj of the interior is disappointing in some of the details and I would rate it inferior to the Class 385 trains, built for ScotRail by Hitachi.
The most annoying aspect is that the seats and windows are not aligned, as they are in Hitachi’s design.
This picture taken in a Chiltern Railways Mark 3 carriage, shows the alignment done in a better manner.
But I believe, that it can be done better still.
Entrance And Exit
As the pictures show, there is a big gap and a high step getting into the train. I know that the platform at Manchester Piccadilly is not easy, but the gap was still large on the straight platform at Manchester Airport.
With any new train, a passenger in a wheelchair, should be able to push themselves into and out of the train.
They certainly can’t in a Class 195 train.
Conclusion
I was rather disappointed with the Class 195 train.
Good points were the number of tables and build quality.
Bad points were the noise, vibration and harshness, execution of the interior design and entry and exit.
Compared to the Class 385 train, which I would score at 8/10, the Class 195 train, is no better than 6/10.
In some ways though, my biggest disappointment, is that they didn’t get the smaller points of the design right first time!
Infrastructure Delays Force Northern To Soldier On With Pacers
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
Forty-six Pacers remained in traffic with Northern at the start of January, after they were supposed to have been sent off-lease.
Northern are saying they are still in service because of delays in the delivery of the electrification through Bolton, which would have allowed the replacement of Pacers with electric trains.
The situation has not been helped by the late delivery of eight Class 769 trains, which could be running partially-electrified routes.
The Class 331 trains should also be arriving this year.
As there are also some more Class 319 trains in store, it does look like Northern’s blaming of the late electrification is on the mark.
