The New Siemens Class 717 

I love the smell of new rolling stock. I remember getting on board a new train in London, before it smelt of humanity.

I see they still haven't learnt how human backs work, using the same terrible seat design as on the Thameslink trains.

Persönliche Schutzausrüstung! Keine Schokolade bitte!

Geoff, the reason LT stopped having plain aluminium bodies can be summed up in one word: graffiti. Once tagged or sprayed by the "artists", no amount of cleaning would return the painted area to its previous state - hence the decision to paint. Easier to clean, and failing that, can be repainted.

At least you didn't have to say "tschechisches streichholzschächtelchen"

Still got ironing board seats. This needs to change!!

Can we find a way to get you to the Stadler factory to see the new Greater Anglia fleet?

I hope that train that gets class number "737", is going to be the most widespread in UK. And 747 should go to train with maximum capacity.

I'm going to miss the 313s, how a few seconds after they start moving they go "rrrrrrr...RRRRRRMMMmmmm" & jolt slightly, like they're breaking into some sort of canter.

Are the northern city line platforms going to be cleaned up because this train will look very out of place on say the platform at Highbury & Islington😂

Why UK trains are often without WC? I think it could be a problem for passengers. I have been in UK on this summer ,and i rode an old Southern train without WC from Worthing to Brigton and it was terrible because.... I had need a toilet! Sorry for my unperfect English

Geoff, Did the driving the train link get launched, as your 717 Bildenrach press day video (now 2 years old) says you'll update the description?

I love your channel, Geoff. it's great. you're truly so interesting. it's funny because I'm 18 and was born in London and moved up north for a bit, I watched your videos to keep the Londoner in me alive haha. thank you​ for your content :)

The lovely unpopular ironing board seats.

They look really nice. Wish they still required yellow fronts though.

I feel sorry for passengers having to sit on ironing boards longer than 5 minutes.

Thanks Geoff, great to see the new trains. Hopefully will reduce the sardine crush and frequent train faults for my Ally Pally to Moorgate run everyday

5:32 couldn't help but laugh it looks exactly like Star Wars😂😂

I can just hear the complaints that are going to arise (possibly) due to the lack of Toilets on board; that should've been a priority :I

While I totally understand the need for the emergency stairs I'm sad that they do somewhat ruin the look of the front of the train.

So they've fitted charging sockets to all the Standard Class seats in these 717's and the 707's, but not in the Thameslink 700's, which travel by far the greater distances, e.g. Brighton to Bedford/Cambridge or Horsham to Peterborough, etc. The 387 Electrostars which were being used as an interim measure on the Brighton - Bedford route before the 700's took over also had them, so passengers on that route got used to having that facility briefly before being taken away. I just don't get that at all, especially as the 700 series appear to be variants of the same basic design family.

Silly question, but how do they get the train to the UK? Does it go on a boat? Through the Chunnel?

The Thameslink-spec Siemens trains look very nice inside and out, but man the seats are uncomfortable, and the legroom is a joke! Cannot fault the refinement though.

How old are the current trains running on the northern city line. And when are the Bakerloo and picc line trains getting replaced

Can someone tell Siemens to put some cushioning on the bloody seats unlike the 700???

5:33, that is a great idea! Although, if I was at Hadley wood and that happened and the driver came out like “Heddo” I would be confused 😐 🤔

GEOFF! You forgot to link the video of you driving the train!!

1:06 raises an interesting topic, how are these usually transported? Might make an interesting video.

Anyone know how they actually get delivered? Do they run them on rails through Europe and through the channel tunnel or do they get delivered by road?

iRoNiNg bOaRd sEaTs

Link Not there

Geoff: The 717 'Desiro Me: Arent the 700, 707 and 717 'Desiro City'?

Clearly that wasn't the configuration for maximum passengers. For that you would need some nets or ropes or something for people to be stored horizontally under the ceiling of the car too.

Hey im from Krefeld and i see somtimes these trains

Why are all of Siemens trains so ugly these days? The 700's, 707's, and these 717's are hideous machines

I confess: When the emergency steps came out I did hum the imperial Death March to myself.

3:15 Casey really looks different in this vlog.

desiro I pronounced dee-zi-row 😅

ITS TIME TO STOP SIEMENS WITH UR IRON BOARD SEATS

New sub here Geoff. Love your vlogging style, tip top! Looking forward to catching up on many more.

Ironing board seats still though

Do you find all the 700 seats the most uncomfortable ever. There is no cushion. Just firmness.

When will we get more choo choo chat? Looking forward to more great content, keep it up 😁

It looks very similar to the fairly new thameslink trains through stevanege to King's cross, where there were complaints about the seats being very uncomfortable because of a lack of padding

Where is the driving vedio

Lets just hope you never learn what the word "wix" in German actually means...

Hiiiiiiiii i Like your videos so much!!! (From Germany) ;)

How the ladders come out the front of the train is crazy but kinda cool. These new trains are pretty smart looking too, good to replace the 313's but I will miss them.

Trains without toilets piss me off so much. Like, there are plenty of people that need restrooms because they have a medical condition without knowing when they will need them. And I doubt that not having them saves any significant amount of money.

I'm not sure if it's a coincidence or not, but at 8:21 you captured something pretty unique in the railway world to the Wildenrath Test Track in your drone shot. That thing might be worth a video on it's own when you visit next time.

Same solid seats

1:55 Maximum passengers ahhh yes Japan should consider this for their busiest routes 😂

I wish I could edit video's like that. Fantastic post sir!

Oh man I can't wait for these trains! I'm a huge fan of the Northern City Line and have been very excited for these trains ever since I found out they were coming! Seeing them in action as well as just pictures of them has fuelled my excitement for them even more!

when you listed the tunnel stations you missed out highbury and islington!!! worst video ever! :P

How do they make them so much wider than some other trains? It's amazing.

Ok, Cab, 6 carriages, 3? Correction: Cab, 6 carriages then Cab

Mr Marshall, now this is random, and apologies if you’ve been asked already but I kinda get the feeling your kinda tall but I noticed you ducking as you walked under the information screens, is that because of a lowerceiling/roof height on the 717s (so they fit the moorgate tunnels) ooor is it because your really tall (at a guess 6’3 ish)

The ad at the start of this video, the one that Geoff is watching on RU-vid in his hotel room in germany, is for Driscoll's fruit. They are a huge name for fruit in Canada as well! An international conglomerate, obviously!

Like many German things they're very grey inside, wasn't impressed by the inside of equally bland Siemens Thameslink 7?? either.

Class 700s have the hardest most uncomfy seats ever. Not good if you’re doing the Bedford - St Pancras run frequently.

Ok...same old styling problems: door frames too wide and consequently the glass in the doors to small. Then side windows: they need to have continuous externally glazed ribbon windows. The rounded edge frames with too much metal is sooooo dated.

Maybe the technology behind this model is great, but it sure does not look like anything special. Quite odd in fact. What is the point of the location of that ladder? The seats don't look very comfy either. And no toilets??

Isn’t the lack of a loo a breach of the disability act facility’s requirement or are the 717 just short trip only?

I think Disney and Lucasfilm had sponsored Siemens for their train for Great Northern

I don’t understand why pass coms are behind glass panel. You don’t want the public pulling egress handles since doors can be opened on the second attempt once the train stops. This creates a lot of problems in terms of safety. Pass com only applies brakes but you still have door interlock.

Yes the Wix advert is annoying...and the German word play isn't good as well 😂 I've seen it a lot...

Why can’t , we in the uk get those above ground double deck trains like they have in holland..would suit the major lines better than what we have now?

Seats look out of proportion. Looks like people in UK are slim and tall.

is this going to be on the alexandra palace, hornsey, harringay, finsbury park, dreyton park, highbury and islington line? if so i have been waiting for ages for new trains, the old ones are hideous

Why did they make it with no plug sockets only in first class for thamslink and no toilets on great northern but plug sockets on them

Glad someone else hates the Wix ads. As for the new trains, I could totally see them being used by the Empire.

The whole comments section is just on about the ironing board seats haha Does anyone actually know why Siemens make their seats so uncomfortable? Is it cheaper or something? and also the leg room I can understand because they want to fit as many seats in as possible

I am of a age were It looks like Thunderbirds are Go !!! Play the theam music over the steps coming out Geoff !

Tbh they should replace this with the old Thameslink with this new class 717

Nothing against the Germans but why can’t us Brits design and manufacture our own trains?!?

That sax playing makes me think of Yakkety Sax for some reason......

Why are train doors on a number of new trains now recessed rather than flush with the body of the carriages? Surely less aerodynamic?

Makes me feel old to realise that the Class 313s are on the way out!

They should have a couple of carriages with no seats for capacity, for those people who are only going one or two stops like the tube.

you know the only reason they're installing seats is that they legally have too. I'm sure they would leave them all out if they could!

Just reading through a few comments and is no one else bothered by the front not being yellow 😐 like it's not normal *it not British*

Geoff if you like videos of buses you should subscribe to double decker Anton's channel he talks alot about buses he does

3:51 I saw a seat facing horizontally. They don't have that on thameslink 707

Did the guy at the door try to give you three ear-plugs. What sort of freaks was he expecting?

I guess persön-schutz could also be regarded as PPE and it has the same syllables.

Germeficcient designed train with no optimization for comfort or peace and quiet.

Wanna read something hilarious? I'm watching this in Germany but after an english ad.

Great video - thank you. Trainee Royal Navy officers travelling on GWR services to Totnes (for Dartmouth) carry their own ironing boards. Perhaps they nicked them from Thameslink?!

1. Toilets are needed on these trains. 2. The trains may get dirty on the outside because the tunnels seem still to be sooty.

It looks a lot like the class 700 from thameslink

Richard trying to pretend he's nice and comofrtable at 7:11 ...

Loved working on this project!

why have they made the decision not to include the desks on the back of the chairs?

The light blue doors look like it's been around for ages and faded in the sun. I'm not a fan

there are no plugs or wifi on london city thameslink. not even on first class

no armrests, no tables in standard, ironing board seats and now no toilets! At least we will get sockets

Interesting video! I'm looking forward to my first trip on a class 717!

I'm not a fan of the class 700,707,717

Geoff welcome to my world. Watching English videos, living in France all the adverts are in French !