When then transport secretary Douglas Alexander first announced, last March, the Department for Transport’s plan for 1,000 extra coaches the dearth of detailed information led to more than a little scepticism about it.
Now that much more – though not all – of the detail has been released it seems that it really is good news, and indeed is even better than Mr Alexander first announced.
The figure is now an extra 1,300 coaches and that doesn’t cover the whole railway. Nor does it include reinstatement of some withdrawn stock or potential new fleets for Thameslink or Crossrail. Capacity may be increased too with new replacement vehicles (such as the Intercity Express Project) which have a greater seating capacity.
There have been those who have tried to accuse the DfT of double-counting (the cascade process and trying to keep similar fleets together can lead the unwary into this trap). And certainly there are still some interesting questions to be answered – like how many franchises will need renegotiation and just how will Virgin West Coast get its extra Pendolino vehicles?
There are good signs, though, of thinking ahead and beyond the obvious – from remembering that more trains will need more depots and sidings to trying to avoid manufacturing peaks and troughs which lead to boom and bust for suppliers. The report is realistic about new technology and fuels; allowing for its potential use but without a blind faith that something is bound to happen.
And, capacity apart, the biggest bonus in the eyes of many will be the potential to justify more electrification.
Now, as the Association of Train Operating Companies suggests, let’s get on with it.