Agreed, but I think it's more likely to be a TOC. What do others think?
Other industry players could be, without prejudice, the DfT, TfL, ORR, RSSB, NR, LUL, Track Maintenance contractors, Electrical equipment suppliers and so on. I would have expected TOCs to be very keen on their fast-charging technology, and unlikely to be messing Vivarail around.
It's been mentioned further up thread that SWR own the 484s and SWR maintain them. The only issue may be with the supply of spares in the future. A problem, but solvable. The Ryde Pier and power supply issues are infrastructure based, and would be the same no matter what stock was run.
I imagine that all the Vivarail units (LNR, TfW and IoW) have some bespoke control system software, developed in-house by Vivarail. Being relatively new, it seems unlikely that such software is yet fully mature. If the Vivarail design engineers and software developers are no longer available, it could be problematic for the TOCs to get software updates developed and certified, even if they have qualified maintenance engineers in-house.
It could also mean ROSCOs.
I didn't list them because I was under the impression Vivarail own the stock they're modifying, but yes there's lots of people not mentioned in my list. Similarly with the Treasury, Commerical Banks, Hitachi, Wabtec, etc, etc.
SWR don't own the 484 they are leased from Lombard North Finance. TfW bought their 230s outright.
I think, broadly speaking, we can divide these entities into:
Maybe both sides wanted a way out of the diesel 230s on Marston Vale.
It is possible that DfT have been intransigent.
The staff might have upped and left for another job while one was available - I would.
SWR own the Isle of Wight 484s don't they. They have also been maintaining ex London Underground stock for most of a century. I think they will keep the 484s come hell or high water.
I think the DfT was very keen to support the battery trial of the 230 on the Greenford line, so the 230s may not be dead yet. Will be interesting to see who does pick them up though, if anybody does.
https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/t...-vivarail-enters-administration/63071.article
Seems very obvious - LNR!
They’ve withdrawn the units because the maintenance staff have been laid off by Vivarail! No one to maintain them means the units can not operate. How is that LNRs fault?
That is an intresting take!
And presumably if the the operator wanted to take on Vivarail's maintenance staff, the DfT would say no.
Well, they'd certainly not give them any more money to do so, but presumably if LNR found a way to do it without needing extra funding, I don't see why they'd automatically say no
I think you've got that backwards there.
LNWR only withdrew the units *after* the administration took effect, unless you are talking about the initial troubles introducing the units which was certainly not micky-taking by the TOC.
I'd say WMT are actually the injured party. They've invested in a business which has now run out of money and has had to sell up. I don't see how London Northwestern Railway can be blamed for that. If anything, by taking a chance on their rather peculiar idea to convert 70s 3rd rail Tube stock into DMUs, LNR were those who got production started!
The administrators decide what to do why would VivaRail have made the redundancies given they had an operating lease for the trains.
I’m only writing what I have heard, what I have seen, what I have been told from several sources.
Because a business with no money can’t pay their staff…
