[Doug]

I've just seen some images on TV of the new Javelin trains, soon to be delivered to the UK. Made by Hitachi with a high level of secrecy. Photos of the real deal are hard to come by. The one that the mayor of London presented last year was a 1:1 model.

Some info on the new £5.8bn Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL):

The link between Ebbsfleet in North Kent to St Pancras station in London will cut around 20 minutes off Eurostar journeys from London to Paris.

In 2009, domestic services on high-speed trains will also be using part of the CTRL - reducing journey times in and out of London.

Then in 2012, spectators will be whisked from St Pancras to the Olympic site in Stratford, east London, on "javelin" trains.

The completed 68-mile Folkestone to St Pancras CTRL is to be renamed High Speed 1.

The first phase - from Folkestone to Ebbsfleet - was opened in September 2003, shaving about 20 minutes off London to Paris and Brussels journey times.

Eurostar trains, which began services in 1994, will continue running into the present Channel Tunnel terminal at Waterloo station in London right up to November 13, 2007.

"This move will be the most significant event in Eurostar's history since we started running passenger services 12 years ago today," Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown said.

"It will mark the start of a new era in travel between the UK and mainland Europe, making high-speed rail an even faster, more reliable and less environmentally damaging alternative to flying."

The international terminal at Waterloo will be returned to the Government, which has promised to re-use the platforms to reduce congestion for domestic commuter trains.

Eurostar will also be launching services from Ebbsfleet International, a new station just off junction 2 of the M25, close to the Bluewater shopping centre near Dartford in Kent.

The Javelin:

The new Hitachi 'A Train' electric multiple units that will provide the Olympic Javelin service.

A total of 28 Hitachi Olympic Javelin 'A Train' electric multiple units capable of 140mph were ordered for the high-speed domestic commuter services on the CTRL and intensive Javelin service.

The trains, which are worth £250m, are being built using Japanese 'Bullet train' technology and are due to be delivered by 2009. The Olympic Park will be served by one of these trains every 15 seconds, providing space for 25,000 passengers from the city centre.

 

[neil_s_wood]

Those look nice. I sincerely hope that Bachmann make a model of this.

 

[goedel]

QUOTE (Doug @ 7 Aug 2007, 23:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The Olympic Park will be served by one of these trains every 15 seconds, providing space for 25,000 passengers from the city centre.
Every 15 minutes surely?

Goedel

 

[Dan Hamblin]

I have high hopes for these new trains - Hitachi have worked extremely hard to try and make them run very reliably 'out of the box' so to speak. The first 6-car set should be with us later this month so that testing can begin. A further 4 sets will be delivered in order to get as much data as possible in order to improve the production batch.

Regards,

Dan

 

[7113]

QUOTE (Doug @ 7 Aug 2007, 23:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've just seen some images on TV of the new Javelin trains, soon to be delivered to the UK. Made by Hitachi with a high level of secrecy. Photos of the real deal are hard to come by.

Caught this myself last night on Meridian. They certainly look very impressive but I'm not sure about the premium fare that was being mentioned.

Regards

 

[7113]

Forgot to ask but does anyone know if they are dual voltage (750v DC and 25Kv AC)? I was assuming they will be in case of diversionary need.

Regards

 

[Dan Hamblin]

They will be dual voltage as they will operate over the Kent classic lines every day as part of their normal routes.

Regards,

Dan

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 8 Aug 2007, 13:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>but I'm not sure about the premium fare that was being mentioned.

Regards

Should keep the riff raff out - after all they won't want passengers making their nice new trains dirty

.

 

[M8 INTERNET]

QUOTE (Doug @ 7 Aug 2007, 23:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've just seen some images on TV of the new Javelin trains, soon to be delivered to the UK. Made by Hitachi with a high level of secrecy. Photos of the real deal are hard to come by.
Not that difficult to find :
http://www.itvlocal.com/meridian/news/?pla...&void=87116

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (M8 INTERNET @ 9 Aug 2007, 00:00) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Not that difficult to find :
http://www.itvlocal.com/meridian/news/?pla...&void=87116

Thanks for the link.

Nice looking - I wonder who will be the first (if any) to make them in model form.

Regarding the quoted 35% fare premium I don't think that's too bad for the time saving - for a commuter the saving in property prices moving a bit further out will more than compensate, until of course the property prices catch up !

 

[Doug]

QUOTE (M8 INTERNET @ 9 Aug 2007, 01:00) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Not that difficult to find :
http://www.itvlocal.com/meridian/news/?pla...&void=87116

I saw that site, but I can't see videos as they block European access. Clicking on the link you give, I can listen though to the report. Cheers.

 

[Ravenser]

QUOTE Nice looking - I wonder who will be the first (if any) to make them in model form.

It could be a very long wait.

The 4-CEP is the first ever electric item from Bachmann. So I wouldn't really hold my breath for them to do it .

The only company who've a track record of making electrics, and doing high speed units and 3 rail units is Hornby , who are local. At the same time , this does look a pretty long shot commercially. You could run it with their Eurostar and 92 , but I haven't heard of anyone actually modelling CTRL , (though I suppose its high time someone did). With a very limited range , and the usual habit of looking at electrics as esoteric marginal subjects...

Probably too much of a leap in the dark for either Heljan or Vi-Trains at this stage

I can't see either of the kit manufacturers with serious EMU interests doing it as a kit. Charlie Petty at DC kits has declared loudly he won't do any contemporary units as he sees too much of a commercial risk that RTR models will appear - and it hardly fits with DC Kits modular compents approach. Bratchill is rather more of a shoestring operation, and his moulds are for Mk3 derivitive second-generation units.

While Alistair Rolfe at NNK is fully tied up attempting to deal with the usuable bits of the MTK legacy and his own new kitrs have been very few recently. He'd be infinitely more likely to do a 4-SUB than a Javelin

 

[7113]

I heard today that some of the units may be stabled at Ramsgate - that should give them an interesting livery variation.

Regards

 

[M8 INTERNET]

QUOTE (dbclass50 @ 9 Aug 2007, 07:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Regarding the quoted 35% fare premium I don't think that's too bad for the time saving - for a commuter the saving in property prices moving a bit further out will more than compensate, until of course the property prices catch up !
The maths on that don't really add up...
If you assume the farebox revenue increases by 15% (as does with most TOCs), then with an increase in the number of trains per hour, the actual increase is near on 80%
The TOC will be laughing all the way to the bank!

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 9 Aug 2007, 17:00) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I heard today that some of the units may be stabled at Ramsgate - that should give them an interesting livery variation.

Regards

Like the seagull droppings effect !

 

[Dan Hamblin]

QUOTE (M8 INTERNET @ 9 Aug 2007, 19:04) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The maths on that don't really add up...
If you assume the farebox revenue increases by 15% (as does with most TOCs), then with an increase in the number of trains per hour, the actual increase is near on 80%
The TOC will be laughing all the way to the bank!
Don't forget that the 395's will be more expensive to operate than the current Electrostars due to their higher top speed on the CTRL. This will absorb some of that premium fare.

Regards,

Dan

 

[Oakydoke]

The Hornby "Olympic Javelin train set" will be launched ahead of the games.
Modellers preferences matter little; it will be aimed at the popular toy market.

Just a guess, but I'm sure it will happen.
Hornby will want to cash-in on the Olympics, like every other bu**er and his aunt!

 

[Oakydoke]

QUOTE (Doug @ 7 Aug 2007, 23:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've just seen some images on TV of the new Javelin trains, soon to be delivered to the UK. Made by Hitachi with a high level of secrecy. Photos of the real deal are hard to come by.

Well there haven't been many photos yet, but I'd hardly call this a secret.
The Javelins have been reported on extensively in the railway press over the last 2 years, especially in this final year in the run up to the opening of St Pancras International station.
There have been recent photos of the first trains being loaded onto a ship in Japan.

These are the only ones I can find at the moment, but there were some closer shots around from Rail magazine.

http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/07/new_h...ed_javelin.html
http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/news....&u=news.php

The livery appears to be dark blue now and not the current South Eastern scheme.

 

[Oakydoke]

QUOTE (goedel @ 8 Aug 2007, 01:56) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Every 15 minutes surely?

Goedel
There are 3 Olympic stations serving 10 lines.
A train will arrive at these stations every 15 seconds (not just referring to the Javelin).
At Stratford International, a Javelin train will arrive every 3 minutes from either Kent or Central London (St. Pancras).

I hope that clears that up?

 

[7113]

QUOTE (Oakydoke @ 10 Aug 2007, 08:53) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The livery appears to be dark blue now and not the current South Eastern scheme.

I thought it reminiscent of GNER livery, and don't forget that the South Eastern scheme is the old Connex one.

Regards