Substantial gap in new train deliveries

[HSTEd]

This DfT letter is complete and utter piffle - they are not stateing anything that is not already known and they are advising the industrtry to see "export opportunities", what exactly to they think the industry does anyway ? I just can not beleive how condisending, aloof and removed from reality they can be - it beggers belief !!

It is the rail industry equivalent of the Rescript of Honorius, there will be no major crash orders to keep plants alive.

The simple reality is Britain has enough demand to sustain one production line, perhaps two at a push. It has no chance at all of sustaining four and no chance of creating a meaningful "market" in rolling stock.
There will be no major forthcoming export orders because none of the British sites are capable of the scale to make that sensible, they exist only because of political insistence on UK train manufacturing.

 

[Neilo09]

Could Alsthom manufacture the new Irish X’trapolis BEMU in the uk ? The order is for up to 750 units over 10 years.

 

[Speed43125]

Could Alsthom manufacture the new Irish X’trapolis BEMU in the uk ? The order is for up to 750 units over 10 years.

Given they're already going to be built in Poland, I think that's unlikely.

 

[Mollman]

Mayoral candidate is calling for new TPE stock to be built by Hitachi. I don't think she understands how public procurement rules work

Transpennine Express has been told it should rebuild its reputation in the north by bringing train production to Durham. Mayoral candidate, Kim McGuinness, has called on the government-controlled train operator to seriously consider awarding its upcoming contract for new rolling stock to North East-based Hitachi.

https://northeastbylines.co.uk/gove...trains-urged-to-build-new-fleet-in-the-north/

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Theres also the little matter of 30 x 379's stored the fact that GA have openly stated they have 20 x 720's too many and soon we will see 37 x 350's parked up and thats before you question where all those 701's are going let alone whats happening with the 458's. In my view there should be urgent efforts to convert as many of these to BEMUs so they can deployed to routes where significant under the wire running happens with the 15x units. Mind you I would also in tell CAF to continue to build more 196/7's but unlike other countries we don't order with options to allow continuity of builds so this isn't allowable. On top of this the industries ability to get new trains into service has been lamentable so no wonder politicians aren't exactly enthusiastic.

 

[Speed43125]

Theres also the little matter of 30 x 379's stored the fact that GA have openly stated they have 20 x 720's too many and soon we will see 37 x 350's parked up and thats before you question where all those 701's are going let alone whats happening with the 458's. In my view there should be urgent efforts to convert as many of these to BEMUs so they can deployed to routes where significant under the wire running happens with the 15x units. Mind you I would also in tell CAF to continue to build more 196/7's but unlike other countries we don't order with options to allow continuity of builds so this isn't allowable. On top of this the industries ability to get new trains into service has been lamentable so no wonder politicians aren't exactly enthusiastic.

I recall reading about the use of redundant boat train/early 80s reduction in service rolling stock to bolster the business case for electrification on the Southern in the 1980s.
Even without the integration and state owned rolling stock of that era, one would think these surpluses would encourage electrification projects.
Apart from the North Wales Coast proposal, nothing of the sort seems forthcoming though. TRU and MML work all have new build stock penciled for them, so I really don't see how we can, in the short/medium term, find work for this extra electric stock.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I recall reading about the use of redundant boat train/early 80s reduction in service rolling stock to bolster the business case for electrification on the Southern in the 1980s.
Even without the integration and state owned rolling stock of that era, one would think these surpluses would encourage electrification projects.
Apart from the North Wales Coast proposal, nothing of the sort seems forthcoming though. TRU and MML work all have new build stock penciled for them, so I really don't see how we can, in the short/medium term, find work for this extra electric stock.

Hence my suggestion that conversion to BEMUs.

 

[HSTEd]

I recall reading about the use of redundant boat train/early 80s reduction in service rolling stock to bolster the business case for electrification on the Southern in the 1980s.
Even without the integration and state owned rolling stock of that era, one would think these surpluses would encourage electrification projects.

The major issue here is that we have reached the point where trains aren't a huge part of the cost of electrification projects, because the cost of the latter has risen far more rapidly than the former.

 

[AM9]

Theres also the little matter of 30 x 379's stored the fact that GA have openly stated they have 20 x 720's too many and soon we will see 37 x 350's parked up and thats before you question where all those 701's are going let alone whats happening with the 458's. In my view there should be urgent efforts to convert as many of these to BEMUs so they can deployed to routes where significant under the wire running happens with the 15x units. Mind you I would also in tell CAF to continue to build more 196/7's but unlike other countries we don't order with options to allow continuity of builds so this isn't allowable. On top of this the industries ability to get new trains into service has been lamentable so no wonder politicians aren't exactly enthusiastic.

Foget the 379s, they will eventually be turned into razor blades. Every other week sombody here posts a suggestion about their revival from decay for some novel role (in reality, probably because they like their seats compared with most other Electrostar types).

 

[778]

Foget the 379s, they will eventually be turned into razor blades. Every other week sombody here posts a suggestion about their revival from decay for some novel role (in reality, probably because they like their seats compared with most other Electrostar types).

Will the 350/2s and 458s become razor bades as well?

 

[AM9]

Will the 350/2s and 458s become razor bades as well?

I have no idea, - Porterbrook is talking about a BEMU conversion for the /2s so maybe they will be the next phase of their Flex EMU objectives.