Siemens for Eurostar

[charlesn132]

1) No idea. Numbering follows no rhyme nor reason much of the time (witness the Electrostars mainly cramming into 375-379- plus 357- whilst the AC Desiros are 350, 360 and 380).

2) Pretty sure the answer is "no"- think the International and High Speed platforms at St P use a French domestic signalling system.

Thanks But does Ashford station have TVM?

 

[TGV]

I wonder:
2) Whether they will need AWS/TPWS

The only place en route that needs it is Ashford Int.

 

[WatcherZero]

France has made her move to block.

Françoise Deygout has been replaced by Michel Aymeric, formerly an official at France’s national rail safety regulator, as head of the French delegation to the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, people involved said

Ms Deygout, who was appointed in June, appears to have angered French ministers by co-operating with her British counterpart Richard Clifton, head of the UK delegation to the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, in writing comfort letters to potential financiers of Eurostar’s €600m ($837m) order. The French government has warned lenders off the project by suggesting it will not be allowed to go ahead.

The European Commission wrote to Alstom over the weekend to say it could not ascertain “any serious breach of the European Union’s public procurement rules” in Eurostar’s handling of the order.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/55c4ffd4-dc76-11df-a0b9-00144feabdc0.html

Also The French government has declined to submit its own objection to Siemens to the EC as Alstom did as its arguing that its a domestic issue of safety not competition.

 

[jopsuk]

Eurostar did do something very odd with the tendering process- they may well be in a dodgy situation here. From what I've picked up, the first anyone outside Eurostar and Siemens knew was when the announcement was made- the likes of journalists and this forum's Kingfisher would normally have known ages ago, not least that normally tendering would be done through the OJEU.

 

[gordonthemoron]

considering the major **** up with the Alstom built Eurostars in the tunnel earlier this year, I trust that Eurostar will never buy another trainset from them

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Now hang on a minute, it was public information over a year ago that Eurostar was issuing a tender for some new trains wasn't it?

The fact that they used an approved suppliers list is perfectly legitimate surely?

 

[EWS 58038]

Believe me Eurostar did it by the book. Why else would any rail firm employ at least one lawyer. I can imagine Eurostar must have at least four of them.

Personally I think Eurostar did an exceptionally good move by tender the trains via the "back door". In other words... Here you got what we want... how much is that gonna cost us? Oh... and we have never been here... so don't let anyone know and never talk about it".

Do that with a few manufactures and your safe.

And last week it turned out French ministers did knew Eurostar was tendering as they were contacted by Alstom. And guess what... for months "Articulated trains were no problem at all" as Alstom offered the AGV platform.

Sadly for Alstom.... Siemens offer was better, and the soap began.


Yes I am really interested in what the European court will say about this, and If I know where and when the judges will decide... I assure you I'll be there in the public to see the French government to go on its face... Yeah... cant wait for that day....

 

[The Engineer]

I'm so at a loss to see what good Alstom think that taking legal action will do. It just smacks of being "bad loosers". It will hardly get Eurostar to say "Oh, you're so right - we'll buy compliant trains from you instead". More like - "How dare you! We'll never do business with you again......."

 

[Goldfish62]

I'm so at a loss to see what good Alstom think that taking legal action will do. It just smacks of being "bad loosers". It will hardly get Eurostar to say "Oh, you're so right - we'll buy compliant trains from you instead". More like - "How dare you! We'll never do business with you again......."

What I'd love to see, but of course it will never happen, is all railway operators boycotting Alstom.

 

[asylumxl]

What I'd love to see, but of course it will never happen, is all railway operators boycotting Alstom.

Well, I don't think that's far off. Just got to look at the history of the current Alstom units to see that.

 

[jopsuk]

Only really in this country- though they are far from having a monopoly in France.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Thalys are **** too, as are the new Alstom EMUs that DB have bought

 

[EWS 58038]

Thalys are **** too, as are the new Alstom EMUs that DB have bought

How dare Deutsche Bahn order trains from a French company when we have the most state of the art rail manufacture Siemens in town!!!! Quickly we must state that Anything not Siemens build is not safe to be used in Germany.

Furthermore the tendering contract is invalid and we should immediately fire the bloke who said Alstom trains are safe to be used.

 

[gordonthemoron]

DB also have bombardier trains and ones that are built by Siemens/Alston/Bambardier (or two out of three)

 

[EWS 58038]

DB also have bombardier trains and ones that are built by Siemens/Alston/Bambardier (or two out of three)

How dare they

 

[gordonthemoron]

I guess that Siemens don't have the capacity to build all the trains required in Germany.

We get one TGV a day into Munich, it looks **** next to any ICE

 

[jopsuk]

Of course, Siemens and Alstom did have a brief collaboration to try to sell high speed trains to Taiwan- consisted of ICE 2 power cars on a Duplex carriage rake, with the TGV livery extending a short way on to the power cars- more here

 

[gordonthemoron]

that train looks ridiculous (I'm typing this only a short distance, max 2km, from where the photo was taken)

 

[TGV]

I guess that Siemens don't have the capacity to build all the trains required in Germany.

We get one TGV a day into Munich, it looks **** next to any ICE

Only because SNCF don't bother cleaning their trains... at least not as well as DB admittedly. I just don't like the look of ICE trains - they all look too much like a giant dildo with tiny wheels attached!

 

[LE Greys]

Of course, Siemens and Alstom did have a brief collaboration to try to sell high speed trains to Taiwan- consisted of ICE 2 power cars on a Duplex carriage rake, with the TGV livery extending a short way on to the power cars- more here

Well, it looked like a TGV had broken down and there was no option but to bring in a pair of German power cars.

 

[TGV]

It looks bloody awful.

 

[starrymarkb]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11655460

Looks like Alstom have lost round one in the UK.