New HS2 fleet - short on detail
■ Train weight and seating claims confused
■ UK gauge ETR1000 likely
■ Mystery pantograph highlighted
Operators face ongoing new train woes
■ Alstom: Class 701 joins record lateness club
■ CAF: trams suffer weld failures
■ Hitachi: low availability compounds cracking issues
■ Stadler: passenger’s favourite tries maintainers
Passenger traffic recovery - LNER shows the way
■ 20 points clear of next franchised long-distance TOC
■ ECML open access operators also recovered strongly
■ Greater freedom of action with OLR?
Table-toppers improving
Reliability growth in New Train TIN-watch is slow, but there are more graduates on the horizon
ROGER FORD
Process delays £4m fleet sanding pilot
■ Salisbury highlights lack of urgency
■ Dual Variable Rate Sander offers adhesion-agnostic braking
■ Four months spent haggling over Class 323 fitment contract
■ Earlier ScotRail bid rejected
ECML upgrade: DfT jumps the shark
◾ IRP forecasts imply London to Edinburgh 3hr 35min timing
◾ Other timings equally improbable
◾ Benefits of 140mph overstated
◾ Final infrastructure upgrades completed by 2037
Signalling – competition review hits market reality
◾ ETCS focused
◾ Siemens the dominant player
◾ Limited new entrants available to challenge incumbents
◾ Hitachi sweeps up alternative potential ETCS suppliers
DfT outlines future role for operators
■ First PSC tendered next year – let in 2024
■ Includes responsibility for train procurement
Siemens challenges HS2 train contract award
▄ Preferred Joint Venture bid failed on technical assessment
▄ Injunction sought to halt ministerial approval
▄ Third legal challenge after CAF and Talgo
ELECTRIFICATION U-TURN - Taken to task on central direction
■ Centralisation deprecated all round
■ Industry proposes turnkey contracts
■ Informed sources put me straight