Talk:British Rail Class 395

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new --> bbc news article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/5108088.stm --> video - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3681938.stm

Contents

[edit] Sources for Class 395 designation

The last two links above no longer work, I will remove them if no-one objects. Rayhol (talk) 18:58, 30 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Contradiction

This page now states that services will begin in 2009, and that they will begin after the 2012 Olympics. Which is correct? David Arthur 23:40, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

Very good question. CTRL part 2 opens this November IIRC, but the stock (395's) for CTRL-DS are still being built. IIRC the new Integrated Kent Franchise timetable is coming in in 2009 so that would make sense, but how the new CTRL-DS services will work with the Olympic Javelin is a good question too. Pickle 16:04, 10 June 2007 (UTC)
There's absolutely no scope for speculation on this one. The plans for a 2009 start are pretty much set in stone, the trains have been ordered, and special platforms at St Pancras built. The 2012 claim was added by an anonymous user who's never posted anywhere else, and I've removed it. --82.45.163.4 12:56, 10 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Based on shinkansen technology?

I have removed the sentence which claims that the train is based on shinkansen technology as they are regular EMUs which are completely different from shinkansens. If anyone disagrees then please feel free to drop a comment.Tbo 157talk 21:23, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

Early reports of the purchase suggested that they were Shinkansen-derived, but that may have been based simply on an assumption that all Japanese ‘high-speed trains’ were Shinkansens. David Arthur 21:51, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
For what it's worth, two of the references cited in the article contain the word 'bullet', which seems to be interchangable with 'shinkansen,' including a BBC News item which must have been based on South Eastern press release material. Rayhol (talk) 23:13, 26 December 2007 (UTC)
I don’t think we can rely on that; the media will often refer to any fast train as a ‘bullet train’, regardless of where it’s from. Since these ones are Japanese, I think many writers don’t bother to check their specific design lineage. David Arthur (talk) 15:01, 27 December 2007 (UTC)
A search of the South Eastern website seems to show no reference to anything shinkansen related, so I would guess that South Eastern would like us to believe that the Class 395's are shinkansen derived when, actually, they're just ordinary trains given monkey gland treatment. Rayhol (talk) 09:54, 28 December 2007 (UTC)
It is my understanding that the train was based on the Hitachi "A-Train" concept. I am 99% sure that it is not based on "Shinkansen" technology ... which covers such a range of different trains, that it is a misnomer IMHO. Harry Holland (talk) 17:59, 28 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Route the new trains will take

Does any one know if thes trains will run the entire length of the CTRL, say from Folkestone to St Pancras? Or will they run on the old exsisting tracks up until they join the CTRL at Ebbsfleet?Screen42 15:16, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

One service will go from Rochester via the Chatham main Line, then North Kent line and join the CTRL at Ebbsfleet,
Another will start somewhere on thannet (Ramsgate/Dumpton Park/Margate - i don't remember) and run the Chatham Main line to Chatham, and then go fast over the rest of the Chatham Main Line and North Kent Line to ebbsfleet and then CTRL.
The third service, as i understand it, will run from somewhere on thannet (Ramsgate/Dumpton Park/Margate - i don't remember) and go down via Canterbury to Ashford and *i think* join (might be a separate fourth service) the Dover to Ashford bit (the domestic lines from Dover, through folkestone to Ashford - see SEML) and run up the CTRL from Ashford, to Ebbsfleet.
hope that explains it ;) Pickle 17:33, 22 September 2007 (UTC)
Cheers. I still think they will be slowed down some what using the old rail lines.Screen42 20:22, 22 September 2007 (UTC)
Third rail technologically (as i understand) is limted to 100mph, and the electorstars (and maybe networkers) can reach that already. thus normal linespeed restrictions such as visibilty, signalling, etc will limit speeds when on the domestic network. even so the published times will offer a significant reduction in journey times to London, really opening up more parts of kent ot comuters. Pickle 21:31, 24 September 2007 (UTC)
And after all, we wouldn’t want them moving town-centre stations far out into the country just to keep on the high-speed line, as the French have done in some instances. David Arthur 22:40, 24 September 2007 (UTC)
Trains from Folkestone and Dover will use the old line to Ashford, and transfer to the high speed line after leaving Ashford. The layout of the junction of the old line and the Channel Tunnel line outside Folkestone doesn't permit trains from the old line to access the new. The trains will, anyway, stop at Sandling and Folkestone West, and a speed of 100 mph is unlikely to be attainable for any length of time, given the short distances between stations, so journey times between most stations will be unchanged. The South Eastern Railway website has information about stopping patterns, etc., although the quoted journey time savings are a bit suspect. Rayhol (talk) 23:13, 26 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Viability

"Many in the industry do not think this will be viable, especially for services which leave the CTRL at Ebbsfleet and travel via the North Kent Line, and so it is likely that some will be transferred to the East Coast Main Line at some point.[citation needed]" This has been added recently, without a source, as noted.

While I agree with the contributor that many in the industry do think the service won't be an economic success and will be unpopular with passengers, I don't know of anyone who has gone as record as saying so. I doubt, anyway, that the trains would be redeployed, I suspect it's more likely that South Eastern will seek a renegotiation of the franchise to cover the extra costs of running the service at a loss. I think the comment should be removed until we can find something to back it up. Any objections? Rayhol (talk) 19:22, 30 December 2007 (UTC)

It’s unsourced speculation; unless we can turn this ‘many in the industry’ into a specific person or article, it doesn’t belong in Wikipedia. David Arthur (talk) 20:08, 30 December 2007 (UTC)