East Coast IEPs Ordered - Class 800

[Captain Chaos]

a. The final interior layouts, catering set-up, etc are still subject to agreement with the TOCs.
b. If a crew office is so vital, why do FGW's train managers on the trains I use seem to spend precisely zero time in their office in the TGS, apart from an odd visit to make an announcement on the PA if they happen to be at that end of the train? The trains are going to be equipped for driver-only operation anyway but as to what routes they may operate in this mode, no one knows at the moment. I expect train managers will still be on board on many services, whether or not they have a cubbyhole all of their own.

A. Apologies. I was under the impression that the table in the document was the final layout. I wasn't aware this was still being decided.

B. I'm not sure it is vital so to speak. It's omission just seems odd to me. Maybe it's just because I am used to seeing the way HST's are worked and just expect the crew office to be there. I'd have thought that having a central location on the train where the TM could be found if not patrolling the train would make sense to me. I guess that's just a personal opinion though really. As you said though, I cannot see them getting rid of TM's. I guess there is just a lot of uncertainty at the minute with regards to the future of the role and I am trying to read too much into things such as this. The document mentions train crew as well as drivers quite often so it appears that everyone is being catered for which is a good thing I guess. I suppose time will tell.

 

[Martin222002]

Im not one for maths! I got £236,511 per coach per year through dividing the total cost of the contract (£2.4bn) by contract length (27.5 years) and by total coach number within the GW contract (21x801s and 36x800s - 369 coaches)

I'm not doubting your maths at all. I was just wondering where you had got the £2.4 billion figure from?

 

[jon0844]

Yep and before IEP it was known as HST2

Just as well it still isn't called that now, or it might have been associated with HS2!

 

[159220]

I'm not doubting your maths at all. I was just wondering where you had got the £2.4 billion figure from?

There is a puzzle here. I re-read Modern Railways and the £74,500 per month figure has been reduced to £61,000 per coach per month.

Im puzzled at this figure.

As £2.4bn comes from the original DfT press release of the 27.5 year contract lease of 369 SET vehicles. (This is part of the £5.8bn total contract of 2.4bn for GW, 2.2bn for Phase 1 EC and 1.2bn for Phase 2 EC)

Smoke and mirrors i believe!

 

[Pure BR]

Remember, First Group own 6 HST sets outright. No leasing charges on them.

 

[The Ham]

Remember, First Group own 6 HST sets outright. No leasing charges on them.

True, but then if there are any works done to them they have to pay for them rather than the RSOCO taking that risk. Which then means that they will need to look at their scrap value compared with how much leasing improved Mark 3's would cost and compared with paying to have the works done themselves (given that it would likely cost them more per coach than the RSOCO as the numbers involved are likely to be lower).

 

[anthony263]

I wouldnt mind FGW refurbishing those hst's they own and reducing them to 5 carriage sets for use on the Cardiff - Taunton route especially since fitment of powered doors would reduce dwell times and the faster acceleration and top speed of the hst's would allow them to take advantage of higher linespeeds

 

[D365]

Depends if First keep hold of GW. Most likely scrap tbh.