Some nice photos in the article of the old St Helen's station which you cannot see from the road.

https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/24545580.former-isle-wight-train-station-st-helens-sale-1-5-million/

 
That's fine with us, RichardLong.

It fits within our Coffee Shop forum's definition of limiting 'advertising'.

Good luck with your latest publication!

CfN 

 
Hope it’s OK to share this here?  My new book about the Island Line upgrade has just been published and is available to order from Pen & Sword: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Upgrading-the-Isle-of-Wights-Railway-Hardback/p/51054

Should be available from other suppliers soon.

 
According to the BBC there were 0 operational trains at one point yesterday:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-69026642

Looking at the departure boards this morning (Sunday 19/05/24) services are running so the train must have been resuscitated sufficiently.

 
From the Isle of Wight Observer

 
which I think you can now find one at the Hovercraft Museum at Lee-on-the-Solent https://www.hovercraft-museum.org/collections/, on the site of what was HMS Daedalus. Mention of the Interservice Hovercraft Trials Unit, reminds of when I was a youngster living on Hayling Island and they used to use the area in Chichester Harbour just south of Thorney Island.

 

As mentioned the footbridge is still there - my ability to climb it has diminished over the intervening period however.

The catamaran runs hourly on weekdays departing at XX:45.  Alternate Island Line services serve the pier head arriving at XX:39.  I was aware while I was on the island that it either arrived late and the passengers had an hour's wait for the next or, as on my arrival, the catamaran is slightly late and you arrive on the platform to see the train halfway down the pier.

It is not so bad at weekends when the crossings are half hourly.

 
The Esplanade Hotel webcam periodically focuses on the bus stands, so it’s possible to see how the new road layout works, you can also scroll back up to 12 hours earlier:

https://www.youtube.com/live/R1P9v9bEtuk?feature=share

 
The footbridge to the Hovertravel terminal is definitely still there. The hovercraft was how I got on and off the island when I joined bobm there for a few days.

 
Hmm. I would have thought the old sawtooth(?) arrangement coped better with a larger number of buses and made it far easier to get close to the kerb so I'm surprised they've changed it. Reversing off the stand perhaps isn't ideal but fine if public access to the roadway behind is avoided by good design of pedestrian routes.

The 2018 photo was presumably taken from the footbridge to the hovercraft terminal. I hope the different viewpoint doesn't mean it's no longer there; I have many happy memories of watching the rather more impressive (ie noisier) SRN6 arriving and leaving in my yoof.

Time for a trip to the IoW now the pier, bus station and railway upgrade work has finished, though I still here of occasional problems with the new trains.

 

Pleased to say the work is now largely complete and the situation is a lot better

2018



2023



The stops have now been arranged so buses can simply pull away and not need to reverse.  The most frequent service - the 9 to Newport - now leaves from a layby adjacent to the main road.   Those buses which formerly had to run to the roundabout by the Castle and double back can now access George Street directly via a filter lane.

A new railway ticket office has also been constructed.   If the currently proposals go ahead it may have a short life.

 
Here's a nice piece from Paul Clifton on tonight's BBC South Today about Beeching and the Isle of Wight.  From 12mins.  Only available until 18 57 tomorrow.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001klb4/south-today-evening-news-29032023

 
I'm currently on the Isle of Wight.

The rail and bus station frontage at Ryde Esplanade is an absolute mess at the moment.

 
Probably similar at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-64899656

 
I've just seen a piece on BBC local news (South) by Paul Clifton. Apparently the Ryde Pier works are well behind schedule with Network Rail unwilling to give a new completion date. Presumably it will be repeated after the 10 o'clock news for those who missed it.

 
"Network Rail Wessex route director Mark Killick said: “We’re pleased to finally start work on Ryde Pier, which after 142 years of service needs a lot of maintenance to support SWR’s Island Line services going forward."...........

................but not going backwards

 
There's an update in New Civil Engineer on the repairs to Ryde Pier which necessitates a winter closure of the service on the pier with a shuttle bus replacement between Pier Head and Esplanade.  More on this link:

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/historic-isle-of-wight-pier-rail-route-to-undergo-major-repairs-28-10-2022/

 
Two of the old class 483s have been preserved on the Island.

One is at Train Story at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway's headquarters at Havenstreet,  A rolling video tells the story of the units' service on the Island.



The other is at the Chilli Farm near Sandown where there are plans to turn it into a restaurant.

 
I noticed that the abovementioned weather screen was looking rather in need of replacement when I was there last month, with some of it missing and the rest appearing very worn out weather beaten.  There were a number of people in Hi Vis and hard hats going about their business at the time and I did wonder what they were doing.  Looks like it was an inspection team.

 
From Island Echo

 
Great news today - the last of the new units has arrived on the Island

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/other/news-and-media/news/2022/february/out-with-the-old-and-in-with-the-new

 
 Alterations to services between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin
Due to a member of traincrew being unavailable between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin fewer trains are able to run.
What's Going On:
Train services running to and from these stations will be reduced. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 18/02/22.
What We're Doing About It:
We have been informed that a member of train crew is unavailable, as a result the Island Line will be reduced to an hourly service.

 
Apparently the last of the old 483s is due to leave the island tomorrow. 

 
The last unit, 484005, was taken over to the island today.

 
South Western Railway has announced that two trains per hour will start running on the Island Line during peak periods from Monday, 20 December.

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/other/news-and-media/news/2021/december/swr-announces-two-island-line-trains-per-hour-during-peak-periods

 
There are a number of detailed planning applications on the IOW council website for the platform alterations, I’m sure there’ll be evidence there about what the intention was. 

I’m sure I read the figures for the pier head and the increase was in the order of about 400mm,  I’d be surprised if that wasn’t described as being level.  IIRC it was also considered a high enough difference to be unsafe for the old stock.

Ryde Esplanade - IOW Planning ref 20/02182/LBC:

1.3 The LBC application is for “the lightweight platform overlay of No.1 platform only for level access boarding to class 484 and other associated works at Ryde Esplanade Station”

Ryde Pier Head -  IOW Planning ref 20/02161/LBC:

1.3 The LBC application is for “the lightweight platform overlay of No.1 platform only for level access boarding to class 484 and other associated works at Ryde Pier Head station”

Paul

 
It seems that some disabled users are disappointed that the promised level access has not been provided.


https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/rail-company-breaks-level-access-pledge-then-rewrites-history/

 
Slightly after the Lord Mayor's show, given that bignosemac was there on day two, but I spent a couple of days on the island at the start of this week.

Here are a collection of photos from the trip

Ryde Pier Head

The starting (and ending) point for many visiting the island.





Not much has changed at the end of the pier except for the raising of the platform height.   There is currently an hourly service on the line and Wightlink are also running hourly.  The trains are due to arrive six minutes before the ferry goes and they have been struggling to keep time.  I noticed my train from Ryde Esplanade was due to be two minutes late when I was returning to the mainland but luckily I had enough time to amble down the pier.  I was sitting on the catamaran when the train did arrive.  I think those on the train made the ferry - but I couldn't be sure.

Ryde Esplanade

Raised platforms, of course, and a coat of paint.   For years there has been a sign warning people not to lean against part of the railings because they were treated with pigeon repellent.  The sign has gone, but I didn't test if the coating had gone too!



There was already a departure board on the platform at Esplanade.  There is now a more comprehensive one opposite the travel centre.   There is a similar one at Shanklin which also includes bus departures.  I didn't spot any at Brading or Sandown.



Ryde St Johns Road

This has always been the heart of the Island Line with the train depot and sole signalbox.



There are currently four two car units on the island with the fifth and final one due to cross the Solent in the next fortnight.  After the initial interest following the launch the service is being run with a single two car unit - indeed during my stay I only saw 484 003 in service.

Although the line has been re-signalled some semaphore signals remain...



...but the majority are LED colour light



Brading

Brading has seen the most infrastructure work under the project.   The passing loop has been reinstated after being lifted in 1988.  I often wondered why the loop here was removed rather than the one at Sandown.  It meant it was no longer possible to run a half hourly service but rather an even 40/20 one.

Although the loop is back it is not currently in use with the hourly service in operation.   All trains are using the up platform.   The new footbridge is nearing completion and there is also level access via a foot crossing.  I assume this is a necessity as the second platform is being brought back into use and so current accessibility rules apply.












New stock means new ramps for those who need assistance boarding.  I didn't see one in use so not sure why there is the diagonal edge to the ramp.



Lake

This was the one station I didn't visit (apart of course from Smallbrook Junction which is only open when the steam railway is in operation).

However there is a nearby foot crossing which affords views of the trains at track level





There is a road overbridge a short distance to the south which used to allow views over the line but it now has a new safety screen which prevents such photography going forward.

Sandown

The passing loop remains at Sandown and is being used, I assume because the two lines are not bi-directionally signalled.



The old Class 483 units have either been scrapped, gone to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway as a static exhibit, or found new life as cafes.   One remains on the Island Line in the engineers' siding at Sandown awaiting transport to Wales.



Meanwhile outside the station there is a reminder of the old and new.



Shanklin

The platforms at all the stations now provide easy access to the trains - as can be seen here.   The only one with any issues is Ryde Esplanade where the curved platform does make some larger than usual gaps.







There are now ticket machines at Shanklin and Ryde St Johns Road and wifi at all stations.

The ride is certainly smoother than before the work to upgrade the line.  As mentioned timekeeping is a concern, particularly with ferry connections in mind.  It is planned to start a half hourly service from the timetable change in December.  It will be interesting to see how that fares.  While I was on the trains none were particularly busy.  Of course it is out of season but I do wonder how much of an effect the long lay-off coupled with the hourly service has had on patronage.

 

Apologies. I've fixed it now.

 

Updated - does this work:?

 
That it a very weird link that doesn’t work for me?

 
Geoff Marshall has uploaded his Island Line trip report to YouTube.

 
The platforms have all been raised and now have non slip surfaces. I only visited Sandown, Ryde Esplanade and Ryde Pier Head. All looked clean and tidy. There appear to be new high visibility handrails in relevant places too. I understand that Brading in particular has had a lot of work done, including a new barrow crossing. This is in preparation for the reopening of the down platform. When the new full timetable starts running services will be scheduled to pass at Brading.

Finn didn't seem to mind the platform surface at Sandown.

 
Do many of the stations look like they've received a bit of TLC?  The last time that I visited the line some of them looked a bit better than others....that was a good decade ago though.

 
Day two of the operation of the 'new' (cf. Trigger's Broom) Class 484 trains on Island Line, Isle of Wight.

Finn and I stayed overnight at the Fountain Inn, Cowes. I can highly recommend this hotel to anyone travelling with dogs and looking for somewhere to stay on the island. Finn was spoilt rotten. There's now a Poloroid of him in the bar and his picture has been added to the hotel's new dedicated doggy Instagram page. https://instagram.com/furryfriendsofthefountain

A clear crisp morning saw us take the bus from Cowes to Ryde to play with the trains.

Departing Ryde Esplanade


Ryde Pier Head


USB charging at every seat. There's also WiFi aboard


Clean and comfortable interior


Planter at Sandown







I was impressed by the ride quality. A vast improvement on the Class 483s. The last time I rode the line I thought I might lose fillings! When it was announced that former District Line D78 stock was headed to the Isle of Wight I was admittedly skeptical. I was of the opinion that new build was the way forward. However, Vivarail have done an excellent job converting the D78s. Someone not in the know could easily believe these are indeed brand new trains.

I also spotted YouTuber Geoff Marshall out and about on the Island Line today. So he'll no doubt be uploading a video blog of his exploits shortly.

Finally, a little bonus video. Not a train. I do enjoy watching the hovercrafts take off.

 
South Western Services Data Manager message:

I've renamed this topic to turn it into a one stop shop for all things Island Line. I'll search later for other Island Line threads and move and merge them here if they fit into a general discussion.

bignosemac

PS. Pictures and videos of the 'new' Class 484 trains from my visit today, 2nd November 2021, will follow later this evening.

 
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:RYD/2021-11-01/1957

more problems this evening. Lineside fire

 
Most of the earlier “false dawns” at least as seen in realtimetrains, (now and again over the summer), showed an expected 2 tph service.

 

I suspect that the vast majority of passengers travelling today will be enthusiasts, reporters and dignataries who probably won't be too concerned with the frequency.

 

But what proportion of passengers on the train are travelling to connect to / from the ferry? 

I am so used to being told that buses can't divert past stations, and that train connections cannot be held, because the proportion changing between them would be or is only a tiny proportion of the total passenger numbers, and  would expect (but may be wrong) that passengers making internal IoW journeys would outweigh the interisland ones

 
I'm headed over to Isla Wigit today. Overnight stay. Will post pictures and observations here tonight and tomorrow.

As I said elsewhere I'm taking a very roundabout journey to get to Southampton for Red Funnel to Cowes. I decided I'd go 1st Class on the way out as it was only £30.45 from Templecombe to Cowes East with my Railcard. Knowing I was going to be using GWR from Exeter to Reading and CrossCountry from Reading to Southampton made the decision to chose 1st Class a no brainer at that price.

Glad I chose to. The 1115 from Exeter to Reading is heaving in Standard.

 
My understanding is the hourly service is because the Wightlink ferry is only hourly at this time of year. Not sure what was promised before launch?

 
Running as a four car apparently, as seen on FB.  So the hourly service can’t be due to lack of stock?

 
It looks like the service has got off to a bit of a shaky start:

 

No but it will be an even better reason to retry my previously failed attempt, due to bad weather, at doing the IoW Hovercraft service back in 2019.

 
According to the Island Echo, it's been confirmed that the Island Line will reopen on Monday (1/11/21).


https://www.islandecho.co.uk/confirmed-island-line-trains-to-return-from-monday-morning/

Any members here going to be there for the first run?

 
Here is a video of a class 484 pushing the last of the class 483s to Sandown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCOi-Ykf_ik

Is that coupling adapter ever likely to be used anywhere else in the future, or is it just too specialized?

 
Here is a recent video of a class 484 doing test runs through Ryde Esplanade and on the pier. Despite the various rumours, it looks like there are no problems going through the tunnel at normal speeds 

https://youtu.be/ZSqiT1RdfiQ

 
There’s a recent video of four car testing:
https://youtu.be/87H4E_ReJ_4

Paul

 
Trains “set” to return on 1st November.

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/other/news-and-media/news/2021/september/island-line-set-to-reopen-on-1-november

 
From Rail Advent


I know we planned to adopt one (more) greyhound and ended up with two, but doing it with trains is on an all together different level!

 
I stayed there last weekend, was gutted not to get on the new trains, especially as you could see them there ready to go

 
As I write, (1542 Thur 9th), there’s a 484 on the pier, stopped short of the station.

https://youtu.be/UkmhN7P8U-4

Paul

 
Another of the 484s has arrived on the island.

https://twitter.com/SW_Help/status/1430186767014109190

 
At least two of the three at Eastleigh have been out and about recently, often overnight although not every path has necessarily been used.

I suppose it’s possible that all 5 can actually move…

Paul

 
The fact there are still only two of the five 484 units on the Island might also be a factor.

 
There's an article on the BBC website about the recent flooding that affected the Island Line.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-58097095

 
Not the best thought-out explanation!  It now says the buses are delayed, not unable to run.  It's hard to see how flooding would have prevented all sections of the route being covered by buses, unless the flooding is particularly widespread or affects the bus depot, in which case why not say so? The Pier Head-Esplanade section would presumably have been a separate minibus, or even a locally-sourced 8 seater minicab, which you'd hope would have been unaffected.

 

 

There was a final report, which I found a while back, but I don't think it anything got onto the forum. I've posted something on the main IPEMU trial thread. That post also explains that the report is available on SPARK, which is accessible to anyone who goes through the registration process.

 
I had forgotten about that trial, now some years ago. Sounds as though it went well, perhaps something similar could be used on the GWR line from Paddington, to some place just beyond the present limit of the OHLE, and then further afield as confidence is gained.

 
There has already been a 'practical test' of a battery-powered train, and this article on the IPEMU trial with a converted class 379 suggests it was even used in passenger service. I'm not sure if it was ever tried out on a non-electrified route though.

 

...or from an electrified line onto a pier where maintaining a live third rail is distinctly challenging?

 
For a short and relatively low performance battery train providing a through service from an electrified man line onto a branch, the battery charging demand is probably a small addition to the otherwise existing traction demand, certainly needs considering though.

Future electrification should certainly have some spare capacity built in, for either extensions, or for charging battery trains.

 

The internal meetings I have been involved in regarding battery powered trains revolves around the impact charging has on existing electrification infrastructure. 

Traction power systems are designed with specific duty cycles based on traction loading of classic UK locomotives and EMU's   Some of the charging currents are mostly within the current capabilities of the system but the demand exceeds the duty cycle especially when a battery train comes off of a non electrified line into an electrified station / siding where the train turns round quite quickly.

This charging demand has to be added to the traction power demand for the existing timetable.

It is not impossible to resolve engineering wise, its just convincing the proponents of battery trains that addition investment and modifications need to be done to the existing traction power system, often a cost factor they had not considered

 

I am a little more optimistic about battery trains for both branch lines and for sections of main lines where electrification is problematic.
Whilst a practical test would be best, an ACCURATE forecast of the performance and usefulness of a battery train may be achieved as follows.
Take an existing EMU,  used on a route similar in line speed and gradient profile, to that proposed for battery power. Fit a KWH meter to measure the total energy used over a days operation. Assess the size of battery required to supply that many KWH, with a safety margin.
Allow for brief top up charges at the terminus.
Example the metered consumption of the EMU over a typical day was 1000 KWH.
Without any charging during the day, a battery able to supply 1000 KWH is needed in theory. In practice 150% of that figure would be prudent.

More complex example.
A days work consists of 5 return trips on a branch line. Each return trip uses 200 KWH. After each return trip there is a 6 minute layover with charging available at 250 kw.
Total energy used per day is 1000 KWH. But each  of the four 6 minute layovers gives a 25 KWH charge so the battery discharge is 900 KWH.

Even better would be to use for test purposes an existing DMU with ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION on the actual route proposed for battery operation. Fit KWH meters to measure the KWH used in a days work.

A purpose designed battery train should do better than a conversion.

 
JCB would appear to be getting some very good results with a more efficient percentage.

 
Using hydrogen in an internal combustion engine is even less efficient than using a fuel cell. You would be lucky to get 20% of your energy back.

 
Things are looking up for Hydrogen, and without the need for a fuel cell,great performance from ice fuelled by gas alone,being developed beyond prototype by a British company that we've all heard of JCB.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wDKLoLUQgH0&t=14s

 

It is worse than that, Hydrogen for transport use needs to be compressed, and this also uses appreciable energy. Or possibly cooled to a super cold liquid which uses even more energy.

 
Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse.

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/flood-warning-in-force-as-a-months-worth-of-rain-falls-in-just-hours/

 
Hydrogen  may have a role, but its fans seldom mention that ~60% electrolysis efficiency x ~60% fuel cell efficiency means you are losing nearly two thirds of your energy.  There has to be a lot of "spare " renewable energy around to make that make sense. The technology should improve,  but is it really going to get up to say 80% for  both steps so that overall losses are lower than what you end up with?

 

My wife has a battery fan, which I think cost €1.99, and is practically useless.

On the matter of battery powered trains, I keenly await the entry into service of something battery powered, so we can see how it works in real life. Perhaps then, we can forget all about it, other than maybe for very short gaps in electrical feed, and move on to proving that hydrogen is no use for railway vehicles. I may very well be wrong, and will accept that with my customary good grace if and when it happens.

 
I was thinking of suggestions a few years back in various places it would almost certainly be removed. Probably by battery fans, determined to force a prototype into use where it wasn’t needed…

 

It was certainly in need of a lot of work doing to it, which it has now had

 

It’s odd, but the whole project seems to have been a “pessimism magnet” for years. How many times have we read that the track is shot, the entire third rail power system is life expired, the trains won’t fit the tunnels, and lastly that the pier is about to fall over... 

Paul

 

It isn't often that an inspection by anybody, let alone NR, reveals that the condition of the item being examined isn't as bad as was assumed. Usually, there is a sharp intake of breath...

 
Copied from other island line thread, as we seen to have a duplicate discussion:


The “on the Wight” website has a completely different story about the pier (compared to the earlier news in reply #118 of the other thread)  - based on questions to Network Rail this time, and much more positive:

https://onthewight.com/ryde-piers-railway-line-is-having-work-carried-out-on-it-heres-what-weve-found-out/

Paul

 
The “on the Wight” website has a completely different story about the pier (compared to the earlier news in reply #118)  - based on questions to Network Rail this time, and much more positive:

https://onthewight.com/ryde-piers-railway-line-is-having-work-carried-out-on-it-heres-what-weve-found-out/

Paul

 
Still pathed as a class 483 mins!   

 

According to the ticketing system at  0635, St John's Rd to Pier Head, on 1st Aug 2021 !! 

 

Within the next year 

 
Any news yet on when it's expected to reopen?

 
Might be a 2+2 = 5 situation, from what I’ve read before the present contract only covers the platform overlay work at Pier Head, there is a separately funded NR project to overhaul the pier structure itself that was always planned to happen later.  So maybe there is another separate closure period planned - unless they can generally work from below…

Paul

 
From the possibly unreliable memory of my younger days the (non-railway) pier used to be primarily for pedestrians, with just the occasional staff member's car.  Pedestrians gained access via the Esplanade station platform and I think the pier toll may even have matched the rail fare so you either walked or caught the train for the same price depending on timing. My family walked 4 abreast along the pier, excited to be arriving on the island. The gradual shift to encouraging vehicle access has resulted in pedestrians being made to feel quite unwelcome, confined to a narrow marked strip so that vehicles could drive faster, and even the seats/shelters along the pier barriered off.   This has unfortunately happened in tandem with the rail service gradually being run down so I suspect most locals now drive or are driven, a vicious circle that is likely to go round a second time if the convenience of catching the train straight to the ferry from other Island Line stations is lacking for much longer.

 
Now rumours of another problem.

Suggestions the new trains won't run past the Esplanade and onto Ryde Pier

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/ryde-pier-toll-to-be-abolished-this-week-but-50p-added-to-fastcat-journeys/

 

I did not say it would fix all the problems .......................

 
Wednesday and Thursday last week saw a number of daytime runs on the Fareham - Eastleigh line.  A number of videos have appeared on YouTube:

Fareham:
https://youtu.be/3wIrkqN73lg

Eastleigh/Hedge End:
https://youtu.be/mKgLOD30lzY

Eastleigh:
https://youtu.be/siHlmHV_P6k

 

Ah - just the one problem, is there? If only ...

 
Vivarail apparently have located the problem in the software on the trains and applied a fix ....................... testing will no doubt prove if they have or not

 
This week 484001 made its first test run from Ryde St Johns Road to Shanklin.

Although I didn't get to see it on the move, I did spot it just outside the depot the following day possibly preparing for another trip



The test run was not universally welcomed as in the hours leading up to it several foot crossings were locked out of use.

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/railway-crossings-to-remain-padlocked-for-up-to-4-weeks/

All the station platforms are out of bounds, so getting a view of the work which has been carried out is not easy


Shanklin


Ryde St Johns Road

A half hourly road replacement bus service is running.  Admittedly I was travelling just before lunchtime but there were only two of us on the bus from Shanklin.  We picked up two more en route.  The bus only stops close to stations at Shanklin, Ryde St Johns Road and Ryde Esplanade.  It is a bit of walk to connect with the bus at Sandown, Lake and Brading.  Tickets are not sold on the bus so many people are expected to buy their ticket when they reach the Esplanade if not joining at Shanklin and I am not sure how many do.



There is also an hourly bus from Ryde Esplanade to Havenstreet to connect with the steam railway - you need to buy a Ryde to Smallbrook Junction ticket for that!

 
484001 has  being trialled through Ryde tunnel, being towed by a Unimog. It did get through!

See link below which will also lead to Facebook posts


https://twitter.com/martin466004/status/1402964242094084100?s=21

 
I have heard that part of the reason is Vivarail did not fully understand the nature of third rail traction current 

 

Almost as bad as for new ones! I remember hearing a head technical guy at Bombardier saying pretty much the same thing about their software taking much longer to get finished than they had expected.

 
An honest and frank apology from Adrian Shooter in that article.  Another example of where repurposing old trains is proving very problematic.

 
A little bit more info
https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2021/04/complex-software-issue-means-delay-to-new-trains-for-the-isle-of-wight.html

 

Perhaps they are just going to put a trough in there  

 
The people who originally designed those trains would be scratching their heads over this. "Software? What's that? What does it do that's useful? If it takes so long, is it worth all the trouble? It's not as if they are doing any of their other tricks like adding an engine or batteries. And we could have done both of those as well without all this messing about! ... ..."

 

Yes, that was a very interesting report. The shot of the raised platform leaving a large step down through the toilet door made me wonder how much headroom was left for taller people to get through!

 
If you're quick, you can catch this really good report by Paul Clifton on BBC South Today - just after 12 mins into the programme.  Lots of great footage.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000vml1/south-today-evening-news-27042021