On Saturday, 19 May 2018 13:41:34 UTC+1, Recliner wrote:
On Sat, 19 May 2018 11:36:13 +0100, Robin9
wrote:

Last week I asked one of the station staff at Leyton Midland Road when
the electric trains would be running. The answer was that almost none of
the drivers had even begun learning how to drive the new trains.

Presumably *none* of the MTU drivers will have started learning to
drive them (except perhaps in the classroom and simulator), as none of
the 710s have been delivered yet? Or maybe they can start to be
trained on the similar class 345s in service with TfL Rail.

The contract requires a simulator to be provided in advance of the scheduled train deliveries. I'd therefore expect it to have been installed months ago as the first train was contracted to be delivered last December. No point using it in anger as drivers will lose whatever knowledge they may gain given delivery of the real trains is so late.

The line user group has reported that the trains won't enter service until September at the earliest. Not one 710 has run on the NR network excluding the Old Dalby test track. Based on comments elsewhere the 710s use a brand new software platform and this is what is causing Bombardier problems. The 345s use a modified Electrostar software package which is why they're in service but 710s are not. I also suspect the 710s may have differences in how they perform plus functionality (e.g. dual voltage) which probably invalidates any use of the 345s as a driver training tool for Overground drivers. I also guess that MTR Crossrail (not MTU) have their hands full in training drivers for December and all of the testing in the core.

--
Paul C
via Google