British Rail Class 395

Although this isn't "new" news per se, I thought all of you might like this. A new high speed train, the Javelin, will be operating in the UK starting in 2009. Superior to the Pendolino, currently in the fastest domestic train in the UK (Eurostar is faster, but international), it will operate at speeds up to 225 hm/h (140mph). The Javelin will operate the Olympic Javelin service during the 2012 Summer Olympics.


-Phil

There has been a lot of sceptical writing about this train and the service it will provide.

It will speed up commuter travel from East Kent, the ostensible reason for building it. However, not by a lot because most trips will need a part of the journey to be on conventional third rail track, some of which is cleared for 100 mph but most is not.

It will arrive in London at St Pancras, whereas most of the present commuters arrive at London Bridge or Charing Cross. If they work in the City the journey from St Pancras will wipe out the not very large time gains. Perhaps some will alight at Stratford, if the station is available, and then go by Docklands Light Rail to Canary Wharf, or Jubilee line to Westminster, or Central Line to Bank.

The fares are certain to be higher.

For the Olympic service (Four weeks is that?) I am sure they will be very useful. But for general service there are doubts.

However, the ordinary service in Kent is certainly slow. I have taken the train to Dover for the ferry from time to time and it is frustrating that it takes 102 minutes from Charing Cross when that time on the East Coast Mainline would see one much further.

Give them a couple of years after the Olympics, and I fear that half of them will be doing what the class 458s are doing now - rusting in a yard, unwanted by anyone.

I think this is really very nice train. The train will be equipped with GPS positioning equipment and a database to calculate the train’s exact position. The pressure-sealed doors on each car can only be opened with an exact alignment to the platform.

daws779 wrote:I think this is really very nice train. The train will be equipped with GPS positioning equipment and a database to calculate the train’s exact position. The pressure-sealed doors on each car can only be opened with an exact alignment to the platform.

There are still doubts about the cost of tickets and the numbers of people who will want to go to St Pancras. Sometimes I want to go to the ferry. Will the Javelin service be my choice? We shall see.

The Class 91 was supposed to be operating at 140 mph.

Then the Class 390 Pendolino was.

Will the Javelin also be held down to 125 mph, like those other two?

PullmanCo wrote:The Class 91 was supposed to be operating at 140 mph.

Then the Class 390 Pendolino was.

Will the Javelin also be held down to 125 mph, like those other two?

While it is on High Speed One - the formerly named Channel Tunnel Rail Line - it will go at line speed. This line is signalled for, and designed for full TGV speeds.

I remember reading a few years ago that England was buying some sort of Shinkansen from Japan that would run at 140 mph. Guess this is it!

Matt Johnson wrote:I remember reading a few years ago that England was buying some sort of Shinkansen from Japan that would run at 140 mph. Guess this is it!

Until last year Eurostar trains, built to take advantage of high speed lines in France, had to travel part of their way using the 750 volt third rail DC of the commuter lines south of London. At that time president Mitterrand sarcastically observed that passengers would have plenty of time to admire the Kent countryside.

Then, after a delay of ten years a high speed line was completed from St Pancras to the tunnel, opened last year. This line was in fact constructed with public money (as you can see if you hack your your way through the financial obscurities) and needed to be justified . There is plenty of spare capacity as Eurostars are only about one an hour. The spare slots need to be used. A domestic train is needed to bring commuters from Kent to London. This train is now being tested. It will run on the third rail from such towns as Dover, then join the High Speed One route at Ashford and whizz into London, stopping at Ebbsfleet (north Kent), Stratford east and St Pancras.

The fares will be higher than the present fares. Will people use it? No-one knows. We shall see when it begins operating next year (Not sure of the opening date).

The commuters of Kent have a slower service than people on other lines exiting London, for example Great Western to Reading, Great Northern to Peterborough and others, which are on fast lines - though not as fast as this one.

The same trains will be used for carrying passengers to the Olympic site at Stratford, mainly from St Pancras as a frequent shuttle.

so they will be 186 mph trains???

David Benton wrote:so they will be 186 mph trains???

I am not sure of the details but they won't want to have trains slower than Eurostars on the track.

I was over in England in September. I would have traveled aboard the new Eurostar high speed link from London, but the Channel Tunnel fire changed our plans! We ended up taking a ferry from Dover. I did get to travel on a Eurostar trainset between Paris and Calais, though!

David Benton wrote:so they will be 186 mph trains???

High Speed 1 has a maximum line speed of 230km/h (143mph) in the open until about 22 miles out of London, the maximum line speed then varies from 270km/h (168mph) to 300 km/h (186mph) until the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostars have an operational maximum of 270km/h unless running late when 300km/h is achieved.

The 30 odd miles where both Javelins (140mph max) and Eurostars (168-186mph max) will run at their maximum speeds (Ebbsfleet to Ashford) will be able to accommodate both.

The current issue of Rail magazine has an article suggesting the Javelins may come into use earlier than currently proposed - Decemer 2009. However, this depends on there being enough drivers quaified for the new route.

It also states they will travel at 140 mph.

The journey time from Canterury West should be cut from 109 minutes to 62.

No mention in the article of fares.

I'll believe the 140-mph operation when I see it. Two different train sets preceded the Javelin with the promise of 140-mph running. Both of them never exceeded 125 mph in revenue service, due to various excuses.