Should GBR set up a Traction and Rolling Stock maintenance outfit?

[Dr Hoo]

I have started to wonder, with the obvious need to keep a large slice of the ageing British fleet in full service for a number of years yet, despite ever-increasing challenges of obsolescence, parts shortages, climate change, need for upgrades for ETCS and so on GBR will want to bring the overhaul, refurbishment and accident repair industry ‘into the tent’.

 

[Northerngirl]

I have started to wonder, with the obvious need to keep a large slice of the ageing British fleet in full service for a number of years yet, despite ever-increasing challenges of obsolescence, parts shortages, climate change, need for upgrades for ETCS and so on GBR will want to bring the overhaul, refurbishment and accident repair industry ‘into the tent’.

A sort of Great British engineering company perhaps

 

[43096]

A sort of Great British engineering company perhaps

We could name it Great British Rail Engineering Ltd...

 

[SynthD]

Does this involve licensing the blueprints from the original train builders? Some of these trains are platforms that are used worldwide, so the original builders have better economies of scale for making new parts and employing the talent to diagnose issues.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Does this involve licensing the blueprints from the original train builders? Some of these trains are platforms that are used worldwide, so the original builders have better economies of scale for making new parts and employing the talent to diagnose issues.

(I’m grateful to the Moderators for taking the opportunity to convert my rhetorical question into a new thread.)

So, if the original builders, designers and suppliers are so keen to roll up their sleeves to help sustain and refresh 20+ year-old kit from previous generations of platforms why does this process seem to be turning out to be an extended and uncertain bottleneck? E.g. the Class 360 refresh for EMR or keeping the Class 159s going for Southwestern?

 

[FinsburyPark]

What happens to Maintenence facilities where the manufacturer has a "stake" for want of a better word.

I know Siemens has some kind of thing related to Three Bridges TMD and possibly Bedford TMD when it comes to the 700's.

I am sure Hitachi has some kind of 'arrangement' going on when it comes to the new units on GWR. Sorry can't remember BR Class number. Its the Bi mode intercity one.

 

[Dr Hoo]

What happens to Maintenence facilities where the manufacturer has a "stake" for want of a better word.

I know Siemens has some kind of thing related to Three Bridges TMD and possibly Bedford TMD when it comes to the 700's.

I am sure Hitachi has some kind of 'arrangement' going on when it comes to the new units on GWR. Sorry can't remember BR Class number. Its the Bi mode intercity one.

I was imagining that where long-term maintenance is undertaken by the original manufacturer that the problems of obsolescence, parts shortages, etc. wouldn't be a major issue. I was more thinking in terms of overhaul, refurbishment and accident repair of older and slightly 'orphaned' stock. If, say, Siemens were champing at the bit to perform an effective mid-life refurbishment of EMR's Class 360s I don't understand why this seems to be proving so intractable. There are also issues where the original manufacturer, such as Hunslet for the Class 323s, is no longer around.

To be clear, I wasn't really thinking of day-to-day "maintenance'; rather overhaul, refurbishment and accident repair. Unfortunately, as the thread was created by the Forum Admin I don't think that I can change the title.