“These Have Lots Of Faults” £1 Billion Fleet Of Trains Stalled Because Windscreen Wipers Too Big

[@PleiadesImprezaT2000AWD-l4l]

"Privatisation will make the railways more passenger focused." they said. Anyone who's looked in the cab of most modern trains will see that they aren't exactly spacious to begin with.

[@ColinMill1]

As I understand it the problem of the wipers was resolved with a 15% pay rise for the drivers. Strange how a technical safety issue can be fixed like that.

[@mrgrumpy771]

appalling

[@stevea4771]

I think you'll find for Drivers a pay rise doesn't Trump safety concerns. Naturally if you have written evidence to the contrary please provide a link rather than using hearsay

[@ColinMill1]

@@stevea4771 Check out Owen Scott's report on this topic for LBC. (unsurprisingly this channel does not accept the link but you should easily find it via Google).

[@ColinMill1]

@@stevea4771 Check out Owen Scott's report on this topic for LBC. (unsurprisingly this channel does not accept the link and even tries to reject this comment.)

[@ColinMill1]

@@stevea4771 I have responded to your post now three times and had it removed. Search the topic and you will find reputable sources making rather direct links between the settlement and the pay rise. I didn't make it up.

[@billmmckelvie5188]

Regardless of operator, there should be national standardisation to prevent things like this from happening.

[@eileensimons-p8e]

There is, it's called Railway Group Standards. As long as the train complies with RGS they cannot be rejected by anyone.

[@billmmckelvie5188]

@@eileensimons-p8e Thank you, interestingly cab design is not in it!

[@Transportman211]

To make it simple for non-train enthusiasts. SWR brought 90 Class 701 Electric trains to replace the aging Class 455s and other trains. These trains have so many faults, from onboard computer systems to not enough space for the drivers.

[@Trevor_Austin]

So let’s get this right. No matter how much you paid the drivers, these trains would be unusable?

[@tomsmith99a]

How do you reach this conclusion based on the discussion in this clip? It is explained that the trains are riddled with technical faults.

[@oddities-whatnot]

@@tomsmith99ahow did you reach the conclusion about their conclusion ? Yes ?

[@CLWF3]

Saftey must come first. I know it sounds silly, but if there is a chance, the drivers view of signals is any way obstructed it must not enter service. saftey must come first. This story is just for a headline. First, it references the wipers, which, as the transport commentator rightly said, isn't the main issue and then made, which sounded quite condescending, a comment about how drivers dont have as much space as before..... they could be driving for up to 6 hours straight..... they are entitled to a comfortable working environment.

[@Trevor_Austin]

So which is it? The wipers are too big, the cabs too cramped or the pay to drive them insufficient?

[@CLWF3]

@Trevor_Austin pay was never mentioned in this interview..... the main concern is safety.

[@Otacatapetl]

I've got a suspicion that it's when the wipers are parked when switched off. They're mahoosive, and if they park on the left, the driver's view of the signals is certainly blocked. Depending on the curvature of the track, if they park on the right the same thing can happen. There's one locomotive (I forget which; I'm not a driver myself, just a train nerd) which has a switch to make the wiper park either side at will. I'm only guessing, but I bet that's what it is. The whole design needs to be looked at.

[@mrmofthegower3926]

It’s not only just for headline, it’s typical right wing click bait designed to wind up the plebs.

[@abbyisfromtesco]

Keep the 455's, they will be more reliable than any modern thing

[@IANROD2000]

A 455 on the Waterloo to Wokingham service? No thanks - OK for short commuter services but not that far - my heart sinks when I see one on these longer services.

[@abbyisfromtesco]

@@IANROD2000 Why is that?

[@OneTrackMinded]

@@abbyisfromtesco No air conditioning, loud, etc. They also have really slow acceleration

[@abbyisfromtesco]

@@OneTrackMinded There not loud and the acceleration is not that bad considering there age but the no air conditioning is a point.

[@tenny_tenten]

​@@abbyisfromtescoNo toilets are also an issue too. Imagine someone with a Crohn could board on a 455 And lastly, spare parts, when the trains like the 455 are over 30 years old i do not think parts are still available for it, ending up in.... canniblising one unit to keep others working (remember, the 483's on the Isle of Wight suffered with that)

[@court692able]

They’ve now started driver training on these new units so they will soon be rolled out to the public Safety is the most important issue

[@waitingfortheknock]

Similar problem with the new Pic line 24 Tube stock, drivers windows are to small for the driver to get good visibility of the signals, resulting in new signals having to be put in place, thus adding a huge needless cost. Why are these things not thought of during the design consultations??

[@NickGillings-vf3ye]

DOT in charge of design rather than railway people ?

[@porgfury9221]

Everyone cries for driverless trains... look we can't even build a bloody train right, or on time or within budget...

[@UshiHirosaki]

The same company that spent £1Billion on trains they scrapped the following year.

[@cjmillsnun]

No they didn’t. South West Trains leased the trains. The lease passed to South Western Railway (a different company) who then decided to end the lease. The trains weren’t scrapped. They are now leased to SouthEastern.

[@UshiHirosaki]

@@cjmillsnun No the 442's you donkey

[@terrybarnes-b]

@@cjmillsnun i think they were referring to the class 442 not 707

[@oldshiny3012]

why am i not shocked /surprised or amazed by this . oh thats right its the uk and the public sector

[@sansovino4124]

What is public sector about them? These are about as private sector as you can get.

[@swanseamale47]

I remember the underground buying trains too big for the older tunnels. But the wrong windscreen wipers? How had is the to get wrong.

[@SirReginaldBlomfield1234]

Your last sentence is unintelligible. From the look of it you must be dyslexic.

[@kevinhare7037]

Can't even get the thumbnail right. 701 NOT 444 !

[@Sam_Green____4114]

Class 444 aren't new ! They are about 20 years old !

[@alfi_csgo6011]

Yep! A great example of this channel solely being dedicated to misinformation/ making the working man fight his fellow working man. That’s all this is.

[@ruthcollins2841]

How come Alex has heard that the windscreen wipers were not the issue, their pay was! Now they have had their pay increase the train drivers want to use them!😂

[@ColinGraham-u7p]

Absolute shite from Talk TV as usual. Pathetic!!

[@grahamallen1970]

Bloody news reporter still trying to bait about small cab and wipers😮😮😮

[@WST_Mozz]

SWR new (x90) Class 701 to replace Class 455s on Waterloo suburban routes. Sometimes trains have design issues before entering service - some more than others happened back in BR days with Class 323. It will get fixed eventually. But why they didn’t see problems with the first few units is beyond me. Logical way of doing things is completely ignored - seems just like everything else in the UK presently. 🤡’s are running things.

[@paulmorgan6269]

Just take the extra row of seats out. Then take a few inches off the wipers. 1 hour max per train.

[@Trevor_Austin]

If only.

[@bus131]

They aren't a new type of train being introduced as there are already examples of the Aventra Family on the UK Rail Network, the only difference with these trains is they run on 3rd Rail as appose to OHLE. Not sure how the windscreen wipe size/position can be a factor in not seeing signals as the wiper is it's normal off position is to the left on the screen & signals are generally above or tot he left on the UK rail network. This couple with the fact that the new fleet has a drivers seat in the centre of the cab which goes the whole width of the train, rather than the old fleet that had 1/3 of the width of the train & was to the left

[@charlie8562]

I am a train enthusiast myself, these class 701s are meant to be new and effective againt the old 455s. Im not a big fan of new trains because the seats are absolutely horrible. I find it ridiculous how drivers dont drive them just because of windscreen wipers

[@mrmofthegower3926]

Typical train spotter that think they know more than train drivers. It’s not just about the windscreen wipers. There are numerous faults with these trains that compromise safety. Get back to your toy trains and stop commenting on something you know absolutely nothing about.

[@charlie8562]

@@mrmofthegower3926I probably worded it a bit wrong. ​​⁠​⁠​i know they have many faults because otherwise they would stay in service. They are all stored at long marston and hopefully are repaired and rolled out soon.

[@johnathanrowley2707]

Excuses, the transport unions are as bad as British leyland as they prefer to make customers suffer with cancalled trains and less services while old trains are being withdrawn without replacements

[@joeblogs5163]

I wonder who was the designer, and manufacturer of the wind screen wipers was, I used to work for one.

[@pipandkitty2004]

I was led to believe that there was no trains made here anymore. That all the parts are imported here and fixed together or in some cases they import the locomotives here,such like the Hitachi Azuma.

[@vernongoodey5096]

This transport commentator has written many books on the Railways but historical is so incorrect in every book he seems obsessed with the first railway being the 1830 Manchester to Liverpool Railway! Even though next year the Railway world will be coming to the 200th Anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened on 27th September 1825? Even the locomotive used that day may be a pointer No.1 Locomotion (yes there are many older locomotives but not many with the No.1). Don’t even know why I’m writing this. subject is such bollocks!

[@kenstevens5065]

I remember a few years ago when the unions refused to use a brand new fleet of trains because the customer information screens in the carriages weren't big enough. There are millions of people in this Country who would love to have drivers jobs on the railway considering salary, pension and job security in spite of shift working. If private operators can't get cooperation from the unions heaven help us when all the trains are under Government control. Tragic or what?

[@dukeofdevon5608]

Most trains come with wipers that you can park on either side of the screen for this very issue 🙄

[@JDT-19933]

This train is cancelled due to the windscreen wipers being to big

[@Andrewjg_89]

Just get all 90 Class 701 Arterio trains in service and stop messing around. Get these new trains in service and get rid of the Class 455. South Western Railway are a massive waste of time being a train operator. Get these brand new trains service.

[@carlowingfield7743]

The windscreen wipers are not too big it is the trains which are too small .

[@andrewaw9294]

There we go again Talk TV only giving half of the story and facts 😂 I expect nothing else from Rupert Murdoch press

[@BJHolloway1]

This non news story came striaght from today''s Telegraph (another news outlet which distorts the fact to suit) where, the subject here, was was wrongly attributed as holding up the introduction of these trains. Wrong Wrong and better Wrong. Some of the trains with the said wipers are actually in service. How do you explain this away I wonder.

[@trying58]

Non-union drivers are driving them

[@BJHolloway1]

@@trying58 Have they had any crashes yet?

[@DessieTots]

Who manufactured the stock?

[@dglcomputers1498]

Bombardier (now Alstom) in Derby, quality isn't their forte!

[@peterfox2538]

You would of thought someone would of had the brains to check them first,bob the railway builder what a laugh.

[@mrmofthegower3926]

It’s “Would have, not “would of”. Maybe it’s you that needs to get some brains.

[@brianbishop2235]

Why do trains need driver's anyway? We have driverless cars and there's nothing more random than the road, so i hope the casey johnes will be history soon.

[@cjmillsnun]

We don’t have driverless cars despite what Elon Musk wants you to think.

[@Anonymoususer_8823]

And you wonder why that South Western Railway are a total joke since they ordered 90 brand new trains to replace the Class 455. And now it’s all about the windscreen wipers that blocks train drivers views. Wow what an absolute shambles. Just get these new trains in service for goodness sake and stop messing around with more issues. SWR and Alstom are a disgrace to UK train industry.

[@ahuman9143]

What's an even bigger joke is what TFL did with the Elizabeth line and removing its Eastern fast services, and have Greater Anglia not call as some stations during Peak hours...

[@Anonymoususer_8823]

⁠Absolutely. 👍

[@alanrogers9597]

All done for comedic value, These are small those are far away for 85k

[@mobilephil244]

Shoulda stuck with steam. Proven tech. Let bean-counters and teenagers design things and look what happens.

[@alfi_csgo6011]

Nice thumbnail, misinformation channel.

[@photo3sixty700]

Be Interesting who Built these Trains

[@GeorgeCoyle-y2r]

Train drivers need extra room for their wallets

[@nicksloan8860]

Thank you for your understanding

[@alfi_csgo6011]

If you think it’s such a brilliant job, why not go apply for a driver position?

[@SkullBanker-68]

Money talks BS walks.

[@photo3sixty700]

Alstom I believe ?

[@RWL2012]

yes, but the part that used to be Bombardier until 2021. Derby Litchurch Lane Works.

[@photo3sixty700]

@@RWL2012 Thank You 🙏

[@currysauce-ft3yf]

the table has turned,starmer already announced the british people stand with israel,he is now the commander in chief and you becomes the go do it boy,when i said the jewish is unpredictable,see he turned the table to him

[@donaldmaxwell3428]

so it is not single man operation ???

[@alfi_csgo6011]

Coming from a swr guard, 701s are to retain a guard onboard. As of now, guards are also operating the doors as DCO is not yet working.

[@CarpFish1]

Not being funny when covering the story can you not show a picture of the wipers so we can understand it

[@tobyjackman3212]

Insert immigrant bashing here 👇