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The tiny shift in behaviour isn't as simple as made out to be as it could actually increase the demand for subsidy if too large as new infrastructure would be needed to cope with extra demand. The logic that there is spare capacity is sound but the idea that extra passengers would mostly travel...

This plus the way government finance works means consultants are capex where as employees are opex so even if it costs substantially more, in the treasurys eyes it's cheaper/ 1 off expense.

Yes for testing but upside down is a bit odd/ careless by the installer

It's not like there's any spare anyway

I noticed a change in that recently 170s are all the rage in Norwich Station as opposed to the 158s, intact I haven't seen a 158 for quite a few weeks.

In the autumn particularly, the smell at Norwich Station of the 37s starting for the measurement train is beautiful

Surely to deliver the Norwich Cambridge service improvements is simply the Ely area improvements, that has to be done anyway for freight, Ipswich Peterborough, Norwich Cambridge and potential east west rail

That's an argument you could have across a number of lines in 10 to 15 years time as a number are pretty full now and adding services isn't an option

You have to remember the driving motors are under the floor as they're basically EMUs with a generator car in the middle providing the electric power, with the low floors I don't suppose there's room underneath for electric motor and engines. Big advantages if GA decided to change it out for...

Yes the big advantage of airport services is they don't have peaks in the same way other services do, revenue from it helps other services as there is a limited market for a midday services from Cambridge to London for example. Having said that GA trains are all generally not empty any time of...

Never going to happen but the best answer is for GBR to order new stadlers to replace the 158s on EMR and add 5 more IC 745s onto that. Solves the problem at a likely reasonable cost per a unit

Yes , it's all of a least bad option to pick, as you say what they're doing at the moment isn't sustainable long term as the 745 fleet ages.

Probably not really a peak to get to or from Stansted in the same way as commuters

The requirement to even open the doors would be subject very local conditions, a pendolino with a 'comfortable' number of passengers in a nice Aircon train in the middle of summer (or heated train in the winter) is very different from a packed commuter train on a hot summers day and only really...

It will be a long time before a majority trains are full, that's not to say individual trains won't be full though as on all other parts of the railway. The next likely step in potentially 10 years time is to have another new fleet of trains - at that point I suspect there will be mostly 720s...

Peak loading on GA is getting crowded on West Anglia and GE services. (18:30 to Norwich is now standing room only). My feeling is that this has been Noticed and given that growth is wanted, only way would be to offer extra services and given there isn't going to be 720 going to Norwich/ no new...

Not convinced that's anything other than the Treasury taking their bit of flesh in the fight over defence spending having probably lost the battle. That said, I suspect to pay for the higher defence spending, it will come from other budgets and DFT is a prime candidate as Welfare and Health...

If I remember correctly they had a big task convincing people the 745 were proper intercity trains (bearing in mind the Norwich passengers were used to loco hauled mark 3s) so I think it would have been a step too far to go to Aventuras. Many debates on here if the 745s are genuine IC trains...

I'd be sceptical too but I can see reasons for it to happen: As the units get order (they're 6 to 7 years old already don't forget) and the 745s being worked very hard due to not having spares, their maintenance time will need to be increased and therefore available units on a particular day...

I don't think I'd be overly worried about the slow down in growth, given the economic environment and the likelihood that the timetabled trains where the growth is available are now probably getting full to the point that people are not going to choose the train. There will be a point where...