bramling
Veteran Member
Does anyone know why the current stock ticked all the boxes to be used as replacement stock on the Island Line? I didn’t pay much attention to the tendering process but I am aware that earlier LT stock provided service until the refurbishment. Having had a few journeys on the ‘new’ stock, I began to wonder if at a possible ‘bargain basement’ price this economy has come at the expense of reliability?
Surely also more appropriate traction with a wheel set that matched the existing platform heights and save on panels to raise the platforms of every station would have been the pragmatic approach, than have to shoe-horn a replacement train and build infrastructure around that?
Since services are again disrupted it is starting to gain the exasperation of the older stock in record time, a Shanklin resident told me she’s given up on the IL and now uses buses exclusively (due to their reliability and frequency). VivaRail’s demise kinda points to a ‘heritage’ solution that didn’t work, and I don’t think IoW residents need another one - and there won’t be any money to start again.
It’s doubtful any other stock could realistically have been procured. Perhaps something bespoke from Stadler, though there’s no guarantee that would have been plain sailing - look at Merseyrail for a comparison!
Otherwise wait for the 73 stock, but would this really have been any better than the D stock. Older, and had a harder life.
I have always wondered to what extent the 38 stock could have been overhauled for further service. A lot of money no doubt, but a known quantity.