Auto-exposure!
Hello! Platform 11, it's a Class 3 - 4 - 5 train
until recently, about two weeks ago
you could only get the PurpleTrains out as far as Hayes & Harlington
the class 360's, there was one over there earlier
on a previous service, only they were going to Heathrow as part of TfL Rail every half an hour
two weeks ago though, they started running
class 345, PurpleTrains ... to Heathrow so i thought we'd catch one
Also! ... this is carriage one
a Hayles and Harlington train has been seven carriages long
so this now carriage two
they've added on the additional ... entering carriage three
they've become nine car trains which is what they were always
originally meant to be but for a while the were running seven car formations
but now they're running them as nine car formations
i've just entered number four
it goes a long way down!
that is going from four ... into number five
into ... six! I've run out of fingers
and this is seven two more carriages
and that's seven to eight
and this is number nine
*PA* the next station is Heathrow Terminal 5 *PA*
they said the next station was Terminal 5
is going to be, either Acton Mainline or Ealing Broadway
i don't think it's fast to Heathrow! *laughs*
that's what the express does, this is not the Express
the PA just came on and said that the train destionation
had changed to Terminal 5, but that's what it was
i don't know what's happening! so let's wait and see where we stop first
'cause, the screen that were blank, we're saying
that the next stop was Heathrow T5
surely it's got to stop? the map even say so The Map ...
now includes, i note Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 and 4
and that's slightly wrong!
because of the current sitation
nothing it stopping at Terminal 4, because the actual Heathrow Terminal itself, is currently closed
and not open, so i think ...
these trains would have normally gone to Terminal 4 but instead
they're sending them to Terminal 5, that maybe ...
what some of the confusion is about
err, i feel like we should be stopping at Acton Main Line
you know, and, and all the others
Ealing Broadway ... West Ealing
we appear to be slowing
OK! we're on the move, two things
real quick, before the P.A. interuppts me
firstly, is that you need to read the London Reconnections article
about why this is phase two, of five phases
of geting Cross - Eliz - Purp, up and running
they've written a brilliant example which explains everything
in a lot more detail about what's been going on and why it's taken so long
also, there's this diagram here
which is actually from a Crossrail video
which in on THEIR youtube website, which explains about
the THREE different types of signalling systems
that these trains have had to contend with
and that's what's been the delay, there's been like software problems
getting these Class 345's to deal with the signalling out of Shenfield
which is different to the signalling system in the Core section
which is different to the signalling system, which runs out here out west
beyond Hayes & Harlington, going through the tunnel
that takes you down, into Heathrow
again, diagram on screen and then there's a link
below, you should go and watch that video too.
TfL .. these trains, there are just too many .. annonucements, like the audio pollution
on these 345's is like, you couldn't have a nap, and have a
have a snooze, because you're being
plagued every 60 seconds
by something, ooh! there's a brand new sign at Southall
So that over there, is the bay platform
at Hayles & Harlington, which up until a couple of weeks ago
was as far as the Class 345's were going
*PA* This is a TfL Rail services to Heathrow Terminal 5, next station is Terminals 2 and 3 *PA*
that is correct!
so we'll come off the mainline, round the curve, and then down into the tunnel
and our next station will be one of the Heathrows
that's the curve
here's the cutting
here comes the tunnel
so that's a nice car
train, in at the platform on 2 and 3
that is sooo long
ahead of schedule!
i'm just thinking ... is the first time i've been on a nice car?
this might be the first time i've been on a nine-car purple train
all the others have been seven
ok, we've left Terminal 2 & station
i may be the only person on this train
i mean it goes .. the 9 car train, you can see all the way down
oh no, there's one other person down there
i mean it's good for social distancing!
you can really distance yourself, on a 9-car train
and we're approaching Terminal 5, so my first time
to Terminal 5, on a purple train
so i've walked down
to the front of this platform, Expresses ...
come in on the other side, TfL Rail
come in on this side, and we just need the glorious shot of looking
all the way down ... the platform
i always do this thing about saying, chat to staff
because staff know best, i've been chatting to a gentleman i don't wanna name him
he's given me some awesome info a little while ago, i tried to
and it's on screen now, and there's a link to my download page to my website
i tried to work out what the Class 345, PurpleTrain
Elizabeth line, service pattern might be
and i still don't know if that's right or not but what the gentleman here is telling me
is that what'll happen in the future
what they think is gonna be the case
is that there'll be three Purple Trains from Paddington going to Terminal 4
(obviously none at the moment)
and then two ...
Purple Trains to here to T5, in addition to that
there'll be 4 Heathrow Express trains also, Heathrow Express is now being
operated by GWR
and GWR might actually bring in new
rolling stock, so instead of those right now instead of the Heathrow Express
but that'll mean six train an hour, to T5
three train an hour to T4, which means that back up at 2, 3
which they sometimes call Heathrow Central
they'll have NINE trains an hour from Paddington, which is, well served!
so, a quick shot of it leaving
and I think we're almost done!
*Relaxning music plays to fade out*