First Automatic Thameslink Train in Passenger Service
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- ATO (Automatic Train Operation) is already working on five London Underground lines, but it's now come to the National Rail network too.
As part of the Thameslink Programme, to get 24 trains per hour through the 'Core' section between St Pancras and Blackfriars (to be extended to London Bridge), the trains now drive themselves, and we too a ride on the first ever one ...
Thanks to Christ Denham from Network Rail, and Matt Street - the voice of Thameslink! - from GTR.
For more information have a look at the Railplan2020 website: www.railplan20...
Please mind the intelligence gap, between the video and the comments.
Nicely done!
Best comment award.
This is a RUclips comment service to nowhere.
159 !
Yeah, like the people who put unnecessary commas in their comments.
2:52 "ETCS" stands for "European Train Control System" it's what high speed trains such as Eurostar, and tgv etc.. use.
The Eurostar use TVM-430 which is a French system (TVM stands for transmission voie machine which means track to train transmission)
I am serious... and don't call me Shirley!
I truly hope that someone made that response on the video... why would you cut that out?
John Peat The Cheetah. Next?
Jan T Given that the train is driving on instruments, I'd also expect to hear a bit of Saint James Infirmary or Jazz Me Blues coming from the cab...
Joseph Karl Depends how far off course they are. Benny Goodman would be better than option C!
Jan T In the movie, its Dixieland jazz, hence my choices :-)
I had no idea I was a train nerd. Found you through the Londonist now I’m loving all the nerdy train information. Your videos are great, informative, and really enjoyable. Thank you Geoff.
literally the same as me
"Surely, you can't be serious?"
Nicely done Richard Messingham
Mark Harper Don't call me Shirley!
Please DO NOT do the video of the emergency procedure required if the inflatable train driver begins to deflate.
Nigel Oulton ahahahahahahhaha, I love airplane
This makes me sad that the Washington Metro has had this for years but it's been disabled because of poor maintenance and operation and design flaws. Congrats to Thameslink for showing that it can still be done.
I think the annoying thing about the music was that your volume when you speak and the music was different.... maybe in post you could adjust the levels to the same...
And yeah I agree C is the better choice.
Ryan Lind THIS when I watch late at night I turn up the volume to understand Geoff and then the music comes on much louder and I wake everybody up!
I was watching the Crossrail one yesterday (can't remember what station) the one with 18 degree tiles on the floor... and I had it semi loud then the music comes BOOOM!
Ryan Lind I rather have no music
Yeah, personally I think the music should be quieter than speech. I find myself adjusting the volume all the time because it's just too loud!
love the music....the dialogue was clear as a bell. but i would say that, i'm a TV music editor...ha
There is nothing worse on the phone than hearing yourself telling yourself how important your own call is whilst your on hold, when it's your voice used for all the announcements for your organisation...
"Doors will open automatically at the next station" is what I heard approaching Blackfriars for the first time yesterday (although I haven't been through that way for a few months).
Hello Geoff my name is Samuel I am 10 years old and I love you channel also today I went on a Thameslink cab ride from Haywards Heath to Finsbury Park and back and we went throw the tunnels were the train goes automatic and it looks so wired when the driver is not touching the handle but at the same time it looks so cool and it also looks like the underground a bit when you go throw the tunnels and it is also looks cool when they switch over to the over head wire.
Can we suggest what type of music to put in your video?. What about, when you're running for a train or a bus, you play the Benny Hill theme tune!
I dont get why people say the class 700 looks really bad its defently better than the class 319
they look nice,but the seats are dreadful
and much better than the class 385 too. (I know the 385 is a bit out of nowhere)
I agree the seat is probably the worst thing about it
It doesn't look bad, they're quite good looking imo, but the seats and lack of tables and power outside of first class are what most people complain about (especially seeing that the 387s had them).
I'm from Baldock Hertfordshire and I have travel on the Class 700 at Hitchin by boarding the 9:51am train at Baldock for Hitchin to change for the 10:30am service to the Thameslink core through the canal tunnel to London Bridge and the passengers complaint is more to do with the ironing board sits rather than the train, i think these new Class 700 trains are great, I do not have a problems with these sits,
It's been a while since I've heard GSM buzz. Ahh, brings back the memories.
Chris!!! WE love Chris!!! More Chris please!!!
They make a great double act!
Yes! 👍
Every time I see some good news/milestone in London's transport network I think "yay another Geoff video soon"
I prefer the new Casey Neistat music.
Best explanation I’ve seen so far of how the system works + all the hardworking folks behind the scenes (!!) The real people of the Railway
Heard Matt on one of the welwyn garden city station announcements the other day.
ATO drives very smoothly. Comfortable for passengers.
Yes Geoff, the music used in recent videos (especially the last one about Custom House) was extremely annoying. Any music that involves those horrid high pitched synthesized vocals does my head in. Ended up muting those parts in your last video, which is a shame because i normally enjoy every minute of your great videos. So please don't go down the Casey Neistat route when it come to music. Track 'C' in today's collection was good from what i heard of it. :-)
Ah, I told Geoff that it is not possible to please everybody, music wise! I hang in, as I like his videos. . . . . but quite often, I stop viewing a movie if the music is annoying! My videos never have music. . . so check them out!
I've enjoyed the music choices in your recent videos. It suits your style, and it's not so distinctive or busy that it detracts from what's going on in the video.
Sincerely,
The Silent Majority
7:28 Don´t call me Shirley!
We're going to automate ourselves out of jobs by the end of this. Take away the conductor, fair enough, but at least leave one person in control... with a means of income.
The driver is still monitoring the train
"So if you see an inflatable driver don't be alarmed"
"Surely you can't be serious"
Whooooosh
Whooosh
I know I'm 6 months late but your comment is soo ironic 😂
It was a quote from the movie
I say music C but I'm so excited about the clocks going forward too woohoo🙌🏻🙌🏻
Unfortunately they've also let your friend "Matt" loose on station announcements too, complete with lots of mispronounced stations!
Geoff, your music sounds cool its one of the best bits #alltheiritatingmusic
Caught a train from Farringdon to London last night. This explains why the driver was resting chin in his hands and leaning on the dashboard as the train pulled in! I did think it odd that he didn't have any hands on the controls...
The subway line here in New York that I ride to work is automated and I swear I once saw the train operator eating something as the train came in.
@@metropod those are only found on 7 and L trains soon the Queens Boulevard line E F M and R trains system for it is the Siemens CBTC so that you can give 8313-8376 to the M train
EpicThe112 I know. It was the L train. I was trying to avoid going into details to prevent anyone getting in trouble.
5:31
That K looks like an entirely different character...
Geoff you don't need any music on your videos, they are interesting enough without background irritation!!
Yeah Chris, Yeah Music C
They pass through the closed Kings Cross Thameslink station at 7:36 . The narrow platform can be seen. No wonder it could not continue in use - today's passenger volume could never have been handled there safely.
Wow! 'How my rush-hour revolution will turn rail hell to heaven' by Charles Horton turned out to be exactly the opposite.
It was so bad, Horton had to resign from his post as CEO at GTR.
Are GTR also in charge at Southern? Or am I just imagining that?
GTR are in charge of Southern
Firstly, I do love your videos... but you literally filmed yourself putting a single-use coffee cup in the bin - did it occur to you then how many you must use? Pret offer a 50p discount for bringing your own reusable cup (search Pokito on Amazon or KeepCup on Google for some great ones). Think how much money you'd save and the impact you would have!
We need an #AllTheStations reusable coffee cup.
Bore off, stop telling people how to run their live's.
C was my choice too....love your music..
Lots of how but not a lot of why... What is the advantage of this over a driver doing it? Presumably some kind of test run so train companies can get rid of pesky drivers altogether at some point?
The ATO system allows more trains to be run closer together than conventional block signalling, was surprised this wasn't mentioned in the video, too much planet destroying coffee
koopification Faster reactions and closer spacing of trains between signals.
73skyrat Yes, it says this in the description.
Get rid of staff = lower costs = more profits!
Run more trains per hour on busiest rail area in Britain = more profit. But yeah, reducing staff isn’t going to hurt their profits either.
Geoff is the new London Underground Casey Neistat
I remember commuting on the Victoria line in the early 80’s when trains would arrive at Finsbury Park with the “driver” feet up, reading a newspaper, the Victoria line having been designed to be driverless, subsequently commuted on truly driverless trains on the Dubai metro and currently Doha metro were you can grab the “drivers eye view” seat looking out of the front of the train, mind boggling technology
We need Chris back in more videos. He's great. :p
so I just have to give up the dream of driving trains
askefant You’re fine, ATO is only going to be on metro sections for the next couple of decades.
You’ll just have to volunteer on a heritage railway!
Love watching your vids..
However,I have a few questions.
It seems to me that NR is just another subway system that overlaps the London Underground,but travels to the suburban areas.
Is there much difference between the Subway Surface lines, the Tube lines... and the inner National Rail lines?
It's so hilarious when I put up the automatic caption and instead of saying, ” Change here for Piccadilly. Line,” it says ” to eat here who died,”
You should put it through multiple layers of google translate :)
Entertaining and informative, as ever.
Always found it odd (and still do) that Farringdon has the three letter National Rail code ZFD - most people think it's FAR which is what was drawn on the diagram.
Only thing is that those Class 700s have rock hard "ironing board" seats in standard class, and it's only in first class where the seats are comfortable (so don't blame you one bit for taking a seat in there) - not to mention the heating issues...
Stations owned by London Underground all have Z-prefixes. Farringdon - the original terminus of the Metropolitan Railway, has always been owned by the Underground.
Are there other automated rail systems in the UK ? Our "Skytrain" here in Vancouver has been automated since 1986, some have said it is still running on the same PC lol - hopefully not.
DLR (Docklands Light Railway) is fully automatic, no driver, no driving cab, but there is an operator for safety checks, revenue inspection. 5 LU (London Underground) lines are also automatic, but the trains have driving cabs and drivers for door closing, safety checks and emergency situations. Some airports has fully automated people movers, Gatwick, Birmingham for example.
very cool Geoff :-D great to see Chris again as well!
How about trying out some Jazz for a change?
So the canal tunnels are brand new train tunnels that go beneath the canal, rather than tunnels that originally carried a canal, later upcycled to carry train tracks instead?
I just don't understand the point of having the trains automated for a section of line, and not all of it. Is this a testing phase, to work out the kinks before committing to making the whole line automated?
It cost a massive amount of money just to do that one stretch of line. ATO on the whole line is a distant fantasy at the moment, and wholly unnecessary.
Music C is Keep On Going by Joakim Kariud.
Music C!
Cool video Geoff, Nice to see you at one of my local stations. I really need to get on a Thameslink train from Finsbury Park. ATO trains should be good. The class 313s will be replaced by class 717s in December. I always thought that the branch of track into the tunnel by Kings cross was for Crossrail but it's for Thameslink lol.
the RMT won't be liking this !!!!
woodhouse122 probably more of an ASLEF issue, and it was agreed upon as acceptable a couple of years ago.
Its so stupid. Unions are already threatening action if they try to introduce ATO outside London. My best mate drives these trains for Thameslink. That action isn't on his behalf. If anything, the ATO lightens his workload, the same way an autopilot does for a pilot.
David it would take someone with their head in the sand to not realise where this is going...
koopification you just described the RMT and ASLEF. They’re desperate to keep themselves relevant. My mate says their constant calls to strike are making his job harder as public opinion isn’t just turning against the unions, but all drivers too, whether it was them striking or not. No one is currently talking of removing the human element anymore than they do in aircraft. But already the threats and intimidation tactics have been made.
Quote from Telegraph:
Unions have urged caution on the project, warning they will not support any rollout beyond London and stressing that a driver must be retained on all services. Mick Cash, the RMT general secretary, said: “Not content with throwing the guards off their trains Govia Thameslink Railway is now determined to diminish the role of the driver when the service enters the ATO zone.
“It is clear that the company have every intention of spreading full automation as far and wide as they possibly can in a move that takes us another step along the road to a faceless railway.
“This isn’t about improving reliability and service quality for the public, it’s about maximising the profits of the private rail operator.”
Aslef, the train drivers' union, has supported the use of the system as long as a driver is retained on all services but warned against using the technology on parts of the Victorian network outside central London.
Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary has said: “Trains have to be driven; they don't drive themselves, whatever science-fiction writers think. Even with increased automation, we will still want, and need, a trained driver at the pointy end of the train."
+koopification you just described the RMT and ASLEF. They’re desperate to keep themselves relevant. My mate says their constant calls to strike are making his job harder as public opinion isn’t just turning against the unions, but all drivers too, whether it was them striking or not. No one is currently talking of removing the human element anymore than they do in aircraft. But already the threats and intimidation tactics have been made.
Quote from Telegraph:
Unions have urged caution on the project, warning they will not support any rollout beyond London and stressing that a driver must be retained on all services. Mick Cash, the RMT general secretary, said: “Not content with throwing the guards off their trains Govia Thameslink Railway is now determined to diminish the role of the driver when the service enters the ATO zone.
“It is clear that the company have every intention of spreading full automation as far and wide as they possibly can in a move that takes us another step along the road to a faceless railway.
“This isn’t about improving reliability and service quality for the public, it’s about maximising the profits of the private rail operator.”
Aslef, the train drivers' union, has supported the use of the system as long as a driver is retained on all services but warned against using the technology on parts of the Victorian network outside central London.
Mick Whelan, Aslef’s general secretary has said: “Trains have to be driven; they don't drive themselves, whatever science-fiction writers think. Even with increased automation, we will still want, and need, a trained driver at the pointy end of the train."
Is it just me or is this video really Casey Neistat esk
This man makes me want to move to Great Britain
I'd say B for the music choice. you should have a poll (pole?) in the video aswell
I'm rather confused by all the fanfare over this particular train being the first to use ATO through the core because Chrome on my phone served me a story the other day which says "Working with Network Rail and Siemens,commuter operator Govia Thameslink Railway has successfully operated its first passenger-carrying train using ATO over ETCS Level 2. On March 17 a southbound eight-car Thameslink train to Three Bridges operated automatically through the cross-city core"
Anyone have any ideas why this Peterborough train was "special"?
www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/thameslink-first-with-ato-over-etcs.html
I liked all the music selections except choice A. Where can I find the full track of choices B, C, and D? Whenever I watch your videos, I generally like the music choice you use in your videos.
There is a similar System in the RER A in Paris, the whole central part of the RER A (Between Nanterre Université and Vincennes) is fully automated to allow more trains per hours, called SACEM, so it pilots the train automatically so one can wait like 2 or 3 meters behind the train at the platform. And full automatic operation of the train will come early 2019 on the line to allow again more trains and a 5km/h speed increase
It will be renewed during the 2019-2022 period to work along with NExTEO that operates on other lines.
Excellent video Geoff and Happy Birthday! Very Casey with the music!
i remember Geoff Marshall in a episode of the tube in 2003 called Race Around The Underground trying to break the world record to get round all 275 tube stations in the fastest time possible.
And please don't forget to tap in and tap out with your oyster card before you watch this video first ATO on the rail network or is it the start of Skynet trying to take over LOL
Can't we just hear the sound of the railway in motion like on some of your older videos? :)
At least the Pacers were built in Britain. If I was a politician I would hang my head in shame, promoting the Northern Power House in one breath, then kicking the North in teeth by procuring trains from Spain in the next breath. I am an engineer who once worked with pride on parts for trains built in Britain.
My comment is about the CAF built trains for the so called Northern Power house I am aware the trains featured here are from Germany, I also remember the EU stepping in and forcing the government to procure them from Germany rather the preferred option from Bombardier. It takes 10 to 15 years to train a good engineer, it takes less than a day to export his job and throw him on the dole, yet that is what is happening. I support the idea of the Northern Power House, but it is an empty promise if it is not backed up with action.
Yet another souless plastic train with ironing board seats, and looks only its builder could love. Can't see it lasting as well as the BREL 319s have somehow. Not even built here I don't suppose either. As for the ATO, if it's anything like Ashford Signal Centre, one lightning storm and the whole lot'll go pop LOL. Please mind the gap between the timetable and reality...White's a bad colour for rolling stock. Shows up all the dirt unless kept up.
Music C
Did anybody’s audio go all fuzzy as they passed out through abandoned kings cross?
In first class again - still no word on the terribly uncomfortable, knee crushing, ironing board standard class seats?
connoryoung1993 oh god yeah, I take the train every day and it's a nightmare
I was also going to say the same thing about the music! I'm glad you took it into account.
Fascinating video. Are there any plans to expand ATO to Crossrail in the future?
What is music choice C called
Thanks for explaining the canal tunnels. Any chance of a "Secrets of the Canal" video?
I'm confused. Just seen this video in 2023. Just looked at Thameslink official map. It doesn't show any services through London Bridge, only terminating there from the south. And it doesn't show Cambridge. Perhaps I'm just mad.
BTW I love Thameslink as I live 5 minutes from Haydons Road , on the Wimbledon/Sutton loop.
About that "some of the choices of music were getting annoying" thing... yeah, I felt that way, but I was just going to be polite and put up with it. But now that it's out of the bag, yes.... some of the selected music was annoying. I see the purpose for which the music is used, but the sampled, repeated sounds in the music are what people (like me, at least) find annoying. The music itself (minus the annoying repeated sample sounds) usually isn't that bad. Sometimes I wonder if Geoff and his Casio keyboard couldn't come up with something better. At least there's always great content to carry the entire video should the musical choice be an "annoying" one.
Maybe the 8-Bit Guy can help out? :P
I do love that movie Airplane! :) nice piece of an historic video Geoff
1. Isn't Finsbury Park on GNR not Thameslink?
2. Trains leaving one minute early from stations? Only in Great Britain, where passengers are for TOC's not the other way round.
3. Let the other person finish before speaking FFS!
It would have been handy to see the old York Road tunnels on the diagram, because they ostensibly did the same job - linking the Thameslink core (aka City Widened Lines) with the line out of Kings Cross. Those went through KX station and bypassed St Pancras though I suppose, so weren't suitable for the modern link?
No, because the old Kings Cross Thameslink/Midland/Metropolitan station's platforms were too narrow and too short.
What did the inflatable manager say to the inflatable driver who took a pin to work on his inflatable train full of inflatable people? 'You've let me down, you've let the railway down, you've let the passengers down, but worst of all, you've let yourself down.'
looks like a weaning exercise to the point where there will be no drivers or guards. They can't just come out and say it. So, slowly slowly, catchee etc etc. DLR Nationwide.
Good video, music annoying, but what an awful design of a train. With all the designer talent available in the UK they come up with endcaps like this. I give up.
What’s the music?
Music choice : B
yeah but Thameslink now have a new timetable and you can barely get a train into London!
You and Chris are totally hilarious...... loved the video.
Better music than before, but still a little annoying! 🙉
What happens if the inflatable train driver deflates?? Same procedure as 'Airplane'?!!!
I am really curious to see the geographical map of where the views are from on this channel and the londonist
because im from the us and just watch these videos because I like the way you make videos and I kinda want to know how many of us there are
In hong kong(China) there is a train tunnel FULLY AUTOMATIC with no driver AT ALL!
I was only in London for a few days, and I can't believe that I actually saw Geoff Marshall in person at the London Transport Museum! (I live in North America, so it's a pretty rare event). Happy birthday, by the way!
Darn... lucky guy. I'm 1 year early.
An go make up with Chris so we can see him again
I really liked the "old", funky music. :(
"Play that funky music, Geofftech!"
This kept throwing me for a loop because "Press to ATO" is a very specific term used in Space Shuttle launches... I've heard it so many times, it's seems odd in the reference of trains! For those interested... ATO means Abort To Orbit. When you hear the callout "Press to ATO" it means the Shuttle has enough speed and height that if an engine went out they could make it to a stable orbit.
Music choice C
Music c
bit of a bold headline statement. where I live on the east Midlands Leicester to London line these improvements have been causing havoc! Trains down to only 1 every hour, most routes replaced with a bus that you still have to pay for.
Do you think more money should be going into investment in other parts of the country (such as Oxfordshire) as oppossed to just the London commuter belt?
A
For anyone who does not know what ATO is it means Automatic Train Operation
Personally, I think Chris chose the WORST music.
Please mind the gap between the video play area and the comment section