| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
West Fleet Refurbishment - 4521/8314 Written by Sion Bretton on Monday, 22nd October 2007 I had the pleasure to ride on a refurbished 158. http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=1692 The seats were very comfort, nice and clean the would of got 10 out of 10 but lost a point as there were no power points on the train at tables. FGW installed power points on the refurbished High Speed Services; Customers travelling up from Portsmouth to Bristol/Cardiff may want to do work on their Laptops. Come on First think again Re: West Fleet Refurbishment - 4521/8328 Written by Industry Insider on Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 I haven't had chance to see one of these refreshed units in service yet, but I quite like the refreshed HST carriages. There were all sorts of rumours about no legroom before they came into service, and at nearly 6' 3" I feared the worst, but (although not as generous as Adelante seats) they seem better to me that the old HST seats are for room and the netting on airline seats has gone which used to irritate me. Also the moveable arm-rests means you can relax a little more in the seat if the one next to you is unoccupied. Criticism about the removal of tables is of course valid for those travelling in groups of more than two, but how else was FGW going to increase the seating capacity? And how many people travel in groups of more than two anyway? Admittadly they are more useful as long-distance commuter trains than weeked leisure trains now, but that was a good decision capacity wise in my opinion. The fold down table seems of good design when using laptops, and in my opinion the high seatbacks give you a feeling of you having more personal space and means you don't have to sit looking at your fellow passengers - not to mention the added safety benefits. There are minus points though. It is still quite a 'cheap' job, as in there are no in-carriage information systems supplied, though I have yet to see one of these which is designed well as they nearly always come with annoying repeated automatic announcements as on the Adelantes. The removal of the buffet cars on the 7 car sets is also causing controversy - enough for Andrew Haines to state the their implementation will now be in stages to ensure that the at-seat service works properly (his first admission that the Foster era was not being managed well?). What do other users of the forum think? Re: West Fleet Refurbishment - 4521/8473 Written by Mark A on Monday, 5th November 2007 When it's dark out, the lighting in the refitted HST carriages renders them pretty dire, especially when combined with the 'Hall of mirrors' effect from the windows - for some reason the designers seem to have gone down a route followed by few others. Perhaps this is subjective though, but the effect resembles a food preparation area temporarily in use to store furniture! Re: West Fleet Refurbishment - 4521/8480 Written by Nick Field on Tuesday, 6th November 2007 [quote author=Industry Insider link=topic=4521.msg8328#msg8328 date=1193161393] What do other users of the forum think? [/quote] Personally I cant stand the high seat backs giving a feeling of being boxed in. Much prefer to see all around me. Re: West Fleet Refurbishment - 4521/8482 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 6th November 2007 [quote author=Mark A link=topic=4521.msg8473#msg8473 date=1194300030] When it's dark out, the lighting in the refitted HST carriages renders them pretty dire, especially when combined with the 'Hall of mirrors' effect from the windows - for some reason the designers seem to have gone down a route followed by few others. Perhaps this is subjective though, but the effect resembles a food preparation area temporarily in use to store furniture! [/quote] I dont think its subjective at all. Its exactly how I feel about travelling in them. Re: West Fleet Refurbishment - 4521/8487 Written by Industry Insider on Tuesday, 6th November 2007 Yeah, even when the half-lighting mode is switched on by the Train Manager at night (as I believe they are being told to do now) it is still brighter than the old carriages. link to index of articles |
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Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham. Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome. The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users. We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can. -- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021 | |||
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