Spare Mk 3 vehicles for XC HSTs?

[Morpethcurve]

There has been much wondering online about why the above apparently obvious solution isn’t happening, to relieve congestion. Or combine Voyagers into longer trains and adopt some redundant HSTs.

What I haven’t read about is the reasons why it’s not done. What are the practical obstacles to such a plan?

 

[The Prisoner]

I’m not an expert, but I assume the mark IIIs in storage are mostly not PRM compliant and/or goosed?

 

[hexagon789]

There has been much wondering online about why the above apparently obvious solution isn’t happening, to relieve congestion. Or combine Voyagers into longer trains and adopt some redundant HSTs.

What I haven’t read about is the reasons why it’s not done. What are the practical obstacles to such a plan?

Any stored Mk3s would need fitting with sliding doors as with XC's other Mk3 trailers. If you introduced full sets, then you'd need to fit them with PRM-compliant toilets and so on as well.

 

[sprinterguy]

Mark 3s need to be fitted with powered doors and a range of other modifications to make them disability compliant in order to continue operating. Wabtec are the only ones undertaking such work and are currently fully committed to upgrading mark 3s to this standard for Crosscountry, Scotrail and GWR. It takes around 4 months to convert a 7-car HST set.

Long HSTs have poorer performance characteristics compared to Voyagers on services timed for the latter.

Taking on additional rolling stock incurs increased leasing, track access and maintenance costs that would affect the premium/subsidy profile of the current direct award franchise agreed with the DfT. In general, short direct award agreements are not conducive to aiding long term rolling stock strategy.