Electrical Obsolescence on rolling stock, getting worse or better?

[HSTEd]

In the long run this idea is unworkable, the oem's need to development new components and get companies to buy the new parts, long production runs and component with long availability would do little for technological innovation.

And?
Since almost all manufacturers are based overseas anyway. It doesn't really matter if technical innovation is ongoing on the British railways.

If innovation has brought such enormous savings to railway operations in the last 20 years - why do we still have 40 year old rolling stock running around, if it was so much more expensive to operate surely it would have all been replaced without enormous incentives/subsidies from the taxpayer?
It is entirely possible that more modern, lower maintenance designs infact increase the overall maintenance budget by causing problems for obtainability of parts for the rest of the fleet - this effect will grow more marked as the balkanisation of designs increases.

 

[Servotech Rail]

And?
Since almost all manufacturers are based overseas anyway. It doesn't really matter if technical innovation is ongoing on the British railways.

If innovation has brought such enormous savings to railway operations in the last 20 years - why do we still have 40 year old rolling stock running around, if it was so much more expensive to operate surely it would have all been replaced without enormous incentives/subsidies from the taxpayer?
It is entirely possible that more modern, lower maintenance designs infact increase the overall maintenance budget by causing problems for obtainability of parts for the rest of the fleet - this effect will grow more marked as the balkanisation of designs increases.

I can't quite follow your thinking on this, yes most manufacturers are overseas but do you think that if the vehicles were made in the UK the electrical parts from KBRS, Faiveley, IFE would also be made here?
Also thinking that "enormous savings" are uppermost in the thoughts of rail executives is well wide of the mark, if it were I would be sailing around the Med on my yacht.

 

[HSTEd]

I can't quite follow your thinking on this, yes most manufacturers are overseas but do you think that if the vehicles were made in the UK the electrical parts from KBRS, Faiveley, IFE would also be made here?

Parts for old trains are not easily obtainable because they are not still in production - because newer designs do not use them.
So by adopting newer designs you increase maintenance costs of older designs, so it is entirely possible that the total maintenance budget increases.

 

[Servotech Rail]

Parts for old trains are not easily obtainable because they are not still in production - because newer designs do not use them.
So by adopting newer designs you increase maintenance costs of older designs, so it is entirely possible that the total maintenance budget increases.

That's correct, many parts on older trains are now obsolete, but that's where we are helping the rail sector as we offer a repair and overhaul solution for electrical parts that no longer have a clear supply chain solution via the oem.
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Parts for old trains are not easily obtainable because they are not still in production - because newer designs do not use them.
So by adopting newer designs you increase maintenance costs of older designs, so it is entirely possible that the total maintenance budget increases.

Do you work on the HST's?