Posted 25th November 2010 | 11 Comments
Hammond’s 'rolling programme' gets mixed reaction
Passenger growth has resumed after the recent downturn, but the DfT said the investment would boost capacity by 17%
THE government has announced that 2,100 new vehicles are to be ordered for the National Rail network, including 1,200 for Thameslink.
It's part of an £8 billion package announced this morning which the transport secretary Philip Hammond described as ‘a rolling programme’ of rail investment to increase passenger capacity by 17 per cent.
Although some of the projects will not be completed for almost a decade, Mr Hammond said passengers would be seeing some benefits within months.
He has recently announced that fares are to rise more sharply, to help fund additional railway investment, and ATOC has calculated that the average rise in January will be 6.2 per cent, although some critics maintain that this figure could be hiding much steeper increases for some journeys.
Various train operators will receive 300 of the new vehicles after negotiations with the Department, and the rest of the new rolling stock will apparently be for Crossrail.
Bombardier and Siemens have been shortlisted to build the Thameslink fleet, and the preferred bidder will be announced in the spring.
Electrification is to be extended on the Great Western Main Line to Oxford and Newbury, and it's also been revealed that the options for Intercity Express have been narrowed down to just two.
These are a revised bid from Agility Trains, the consortium led by Hitachi, and an alternative for a fleet of all-electric trains which could be hauled by new diesel locomotives on non-electrified sections.
The 1,200 new Thameslink vehicles which have been confirmed today will allow the existing Thameslink Class 319 fleet to be cascaded to Great Western as well as newly-electrified lines in the north west, which had already been included in the Chancellor's Comprehensive Spending Review, but the new Thameslink fleet will not be delivered in full until 2019.
Watchdog Passenger Focus welcomed the announcement, with some reservations.
Chief executive Anthony Smith said: “Passengers using crowded trains today and soon paying more for the privilege will want to understand what this means for their train service. This is just what rail passengers want to see – long term, sustained investment. It also gives passengers a clue where some of their fare rise money will be going. However, for those passengers who are not going to benefit from these new investments the industry is going to have to continue to work hard to deliver a value for money service.”
Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union, called the plans ‘classic political smoke and mirrors’.
He added: “The reality is that the inflation-busting fare increases kick in within weeks while the infrastructure and upgrade works we need to drag the UK's railways out of the slow lane are light years away.”
The announcement will also cause some disappointment in the East Midlands, where there had been hopes that the Midland Main Line would be electrified north of Bedford, but the forthcoming contracts will provide opportunities for many of the railway industry suppliers in Derbyshire.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
John Gilbert, Cradley, EnglandFearnis
Two points. 1. When the north-western electrification comes on stream then let us have no nonsense about outer-suburban EMUs being "adequate" for NW to Scotland services; these routes should be served by Pendolinos - there is no moral difference between NW services to Scotland and those already running to London, except perhaps in the minds of the London-centric politicians and civil servants.
2. Without any further delay and procrastination, the Voyager/Meridian fleet should be converted to bi-mode by the addition of an extra pantograph/transformer coach. This will at a stroke bring to an end the absurd amount of "under the wires" diesel running currently taking place. A little common sense wouldn't come amiss - though it's a commodity which is normally in short supply in the UK
nick, windermere
Dx, the electrification scheme for NW is going ahead at a cost of £1 billion apparently. Admittedly the trains will not be new but a refurbished 100 mph class 319 is somewhat better than a pacer !
Also remember the large extensions of Metrolink that are going ahead already.
In the future HS2 will connect and hopefully the Northern Hub will become a reality along with more electrification
Derek, Brighton, UK
I definitely do not agree to restricting suppliers to design and build in the UK.
Politically, I think the only country that we should be wary of buying anything from is the US.
Mike Breslin, Liverpool, UK
So the overhead wires in North West are finally going up, which is good news, but it seems that Northern is once again overlooked when it comes to deciding which franchises are to get new trains. The new electric services will be operated by refurbished Class 319s cascaded from Thameslink and there appears to be no definite plans to replace the ageing diesel fleet of Pacers and Sprinters. Will we continue to get the unwanted cast-offs from elsewhere?
Rob, Derby, UK
The only thing that this announcement says is:
"We have not canceled the Thameslink contract, but have not decided who we will order them from".
"We have not canceled the Intercity Express Project, but we have not decided who we will order them from"
They need to pull their fingers out and make some decisions, perhaps they could consider buying from someone who would design and build in the UK?
Dom, Manchester
Dx "Has the North West of England been forgotten yet again?!"
In all fairness the NW has probably come out of this pretty well. We are still awaiting progress on Manchester Victoria refurb, Preston Station is also pretty desperately in need of improvements and the Northern Hub does not seem to be getting much of a mention. Nevertheless Liverpool-Manchester and Preston-Blackpool electrification is very good news (although basically going ahead with a previous announcement).
I agree that not going for full GWML electrification is crazy; and the big losers are those passengers waiting for a high quality replacement for the IC125 fleet
David Spencer, Bolton, Lancashire, UK
There is no point in a carefully worded comment here. The following words do apply - get on with it. Start buying off the shelf trains NOW. Buy Hitachi Class As or CSR Polaris or Pendolinos but get them bought. It will alsways be cheaper to GET ON WITH IT.
DfT should simply specify "standard design nationwide". AOTC should buy on behalf of TOCs from a standard design. Then you get economy of scale in manufacture. A electric version of HST 125 built at Derby!
Craig Ward, BLACKBURN, UK
How many new carriages will be alloted to the north west of England or will we receive the same old cast-offs from elsewhere?
Rob, Leeds
Typical Tory spin. Sounds impressive but nowhere near what is needed. Labour had already announced this and a lot more besides.
It's crazy waiting for full GWML electrification and HST replacement. Ignoring the MML is a bad move too.
The good news-at least something is being done. Bad news is not enough, too slowl and at cost to an already ripped off passenger. Well done to the Tory spin department-that's who has done the best job here!
Lorentz, London
What is Crow on about? There is a moderate delay to the expediture plans to plug the gaps in Labour's unfunded projects (about two years). There will also be a net increase in the number of vehicles being purchased over previous plans.
Dx, Manchester
Has the North West of England been forgotten yet again?!