Forum topic: New trains - next week?

Interesting!
But I thought GTR was owned by Keolis, a French and Canadian Company, and The Go-Ahead Group, based in Germany and the UK??? Not that I want to absolve Failing Grayling in any way. I heard that the Hertford Loop was about to become part of the wonderful London Overground system but Grayling blocked that as he didn't want it to fall into the hands of socialists.

it's "official", or at least confirmed by today's ES. Lets hope they come with their own drivers.

Slightly disappointing news - it rather spoils my hand-crafted joke about the new rolling stock - like Brexit, promised but not delivered.....
I found myself on one of the new trains the other day. Very few folk aboard, and my sensitive rear parts registered quite a lot of bouncing around as we clattered over the points. But it was nice to have the electronic display telling us where we were going and which station we had reached. And of course, the seats were clean, not many passengers having put up their feet yet.......

I have just indulged in a return trip on the new trains (10.55 from PG, 13.25 from Moorgate). Off-peak of course and not many passengers, but what immediately struck me when I boarded was how close together the airline-style seats are. There's very little leg-room and the back of the seat in front is right in your face. If you have long legs and/or baggage you're in for a cramped trip. This detracted from the otherwise roomy and open-plan feel of the train. I found myself seeking the facing pairs of seats (there aren't many) or one of the few inward-facing, Overground-style seats by the doors. The seats are pretty hard, too.

The free wifi is easy to get on to, and pretty quick, though it doesn't work underground (confusingly, your device would indicate you have a signal, but you're only connected to the train's wifi, not the outside world). On the return I appeared to reconnect automatically, but it didn't work. I had to forget the network then reconnect. There are three-pin sockets between each pair of seats, but no USB points, so if you need to recharge a device you must have a plug with you as well as a cable.

The audio and visual station announcements are welcome and worked fine. The door alert sirens are quite harsh but otherwise the ride was smooth and quiet, with no annoying compressor rattle (the suspension seemed stiffer, but that's maybe down to the firm seats). The power switchover at Drayton Park is considerably less dramatic, almost unnoticeable.

Overall it was a pleasant experience, like travelling on the Overground but with a different seat layout.

Passengers in a crowded peak-time train may, of course, have a completely different view...

I board the 07.21 train every morning and the new trains have far fewer seats than the old ones so it's standing room only now . This is obviously a design just to pack even more people in without any thought of passenger comfort. This is not helped by the time table changes which leave us with no train for sixteen minutes prior to the 07.21.

The best thing about the old trains was the fact that there were no announcements. Everywhere you go these days there is music or some other noise distraction. It was a real tonic that you would have a relatively peaceful trip home. I am now less likely to get a seat as a result of the removal of a good many of them and this is not a good start as my job requires me to stand most of the day.
Having said that I am of average height and find the leg room perfectly adequate and the seats comfortable enough.

I thought no announcements nor any screens was an absolute pain!

Winter peak time travel, with the windows opaque with condensation, it was impossible to know where along the line you were unless stood in eyeshot of the opening doors on constantly checking google maps on your phone.

Interesting feedback on this forum vis a vis many others I've seen where commuters seem delighted for all the additional room. Plugs another added 21st century bonus.

In last night’s total timetable carnage (start of a significant holiday week and presumably absolutely no margin in driver numbers so as to maximise profits irrespective of collateral damage to mere users), round the corner tootled a new train. So to add to Denis’ thesis I’d add: very bright headlights, priority seats with covers different to standard seats, a fire extinguisher under a seat near the door (useful for fires, or as often happened back at school, to make someone’s clothing all wet and foamy), a small red light above the doors so you know where they are in the dark and a very beepy door closing beeper. The journey seemed quieter, beeper aside. Just wish there was enough drivers to run the timetabled service.