Britain prepares for £4 billion upgrade

[Datafever]

The Guardian - UK / March 9, 2007

High speed intercity train fleet could cost up to £4bn

The Intercity 125, the workhorse of Britain's long-distance rail network, will cost at least £1bn to replace after the government yesterday revealed plans for a new generation of high-speed trains.

The new trains will be introduced from 2014, the Department for Transport said. At least 500 carriages are needed to replace the 30-year-old fleet but the final order could be for up to 2,000, which would value the deal at between £1bn and £4bn, with each carriage costing up to £2m.

The 125 is being phased out in preparation for a 30% rise in train usage over the next decade. The national passenger watchdog warned that the trains should not duplicate the cramped conditions that are a feature of many rail services. Colin Foxall, chairman of the rail watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "We will not get people switching from cars to the train unless a reasonable experience is provided, one that people are prepared to tolerate."

Full story here

[tatans]

4 Billion for new trains, why not buy every  one in Britain a new Jag?

[conrailman]

Them Countrys over Seas Know how to Spends Billion and Billions on their Train System and LD trains, but here in USA we can't find Billion or more for poor old Amtrak trains.

[TH&B]

That would cost 40 billion Pounds.

[al-in-chgo]

That's almost eight billion of our Dollars and no matter what people say, I'm impressed.  -  a.s.

[Tulyar15]

Because trains last a lot longer. The existing diesel High Speed trains are now 30 years old (and they had a design life of about 20 years, though the passengers were designed with a 35 year life expectancy) and are being rebuilt with new engines to keep them going for another 10 years.

They have been talking about designing a "son of HST" for the last few years now. In principle it should be fairly straightforward. The diesel HST's were designed for 125mph operation but also with the possibility that they would be upgraded for 140 mph where the power cars (locomotives) were replaced. Indeed when the the East Coast Main Line electrification project was authorised in 1984, the original intention was to convert the HST power cars (locomotives) to electrics. Instead they built new 140mph electric trains so that the diesel HST's could be transferred to other routes to replace older diesel locos and passenger cars.

£4 billion may sound a lot but if the "sons of HST" are as successful in winning business for Britain's railways as the HSTs were back in the 1970's and last as long it will be money well spent. Besides, it a poulty sum compared with the £11 billion a year subsid air lines get by not having to pay tax on aviation fuel. (To his credit, the new Conservative leader, Mr. David Cameron, has had the courage to suggest that this hidden subsidy should be scrapped. For this act of political courage he deserves credit, and I say that as some one who's never voted Conservative in his life!).