Posted 20th September 2010 | 4 Comments
Japanese PM trying to save Intercity Express
THE prime minister of Japan is reported to be making a last-ditch attempt to retrieve the £7.5 billion Intercity Express Programme, by urging David Cameron to intervene.
The preferred bidder for the contract to design and supply the fleet is a consortium, Agility Trains, whose lead member is the Japanese train builder Hitachi.
Naoto Kan, who was the Japanese finance minister until he was promoted in June this year, is apparently hoping that the British prime minister will influence the direction of Department for Transport policy, which appears to be veering away from new long distance trains in favour of a less costly alternative, such as rebuilding the Mk3 fleet with automatic doors and retention toilets.
Such a major upgrade would affect at least 600 vehicles currently in service with First Great Western, East Midlands Trains, East Coast and National Express East Anglia. The revitalised coaches could be then be hauled by new, possibly bi-modal locomotives as replacements for the present HST Class 43 power cars.
The DfT's thinking is being guided by Sir Andrew Foster, a former chief executive of the Audit Commission, who has already reported that less expensive alternatives to IEP deserve more detailed consideration.
A decision is not expected until the Spending Review is unveiled on 20 October.
Meanwhile, MPs in South Yorkshire are attempting to keep Sheffield on the list of potential sites for an IEP assembly plant, should such a facility prove to be necessary.
Hitachi originally shortlisted the site of the former Tinsley Yard last year, but this option has now been ruled out in favour of Newton Aycliffe in north east England or Deeside in North Wales. The company said that these sites had ‘scored higher’ than Sheffield, and were considered to be ‘more appropriate for our business purposes’.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Dave, Derby, UK
Bombardier and Siemens came up with a good design. It met the requirements - closer to the requirements than the winning Hitachi design I heard. But the Labour government picked Hitachi as they were cheaper, even though it was less compliant and will be designed and build abroad. If the Bombardier/Siemens bid was chosen, some of the design and much of the build would have been based in Derby.
Warren, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
A single class is possible, as long as it's designed carefully, to include multiple fuel/propulsion types.
Also lets not make the same mistakes again and learn from the designs of previous High Speed Trains. Hitachi are likely to miss all the experience this country has already, and this would be short sighted and arrogant.
How many times have clever designers ignored the very staff that will maintain and run these trains, only to end up retro fitting the vehicles later. Sound familiar to anyone????
Paul, London, England
Joel, capacity on trunk routes is running out, thats the real driver of the need for HS2. And as for the HST replacement, it's the Class 43's that will soon be life expired. A single class is not possible unless you electrify the GWML, MML and infill routes.
Joel Kosminsky, London, Britain
Why so long to kill capital spend? Just ignore that we need new high speed trains and routes, just say no... However, we still need one national marque of High Speed Train, adaptable for all UK main lines, designed for forty years' working life, as future-proofed as possible and capable of working through the Channel Tunnel. Sourced and built here too please...