Paul Corfield wrote:
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.

Thanks, that's interesting.

I must admit I'm very surprised indeed that the software platform has been
completely changed between the 345 and 710 Aventras, built little more than
a year apart. I'd have expected either an all-new platform for all
Aventras, or that the slightly later Aventras would have just minor changes
from whatever the first Aventras used. I presume that the new Aventra
software platform was running so late when the 345s had to be delivered,
that the obsolescent old Electrostar platform had to be used as a stop-gap?

Incidentally, didn't the 345s also have persistent software problems when
first introduced on the Shenfield line?

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.

Oops, yes, of course I should have said MTR.