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New train carriages on Brighton line delayed (From The Argus)
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New train carriages on Brighton line delayed
4:00pm Wednesday 8th August 2012 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter
Brighton commuters will have to wait even longer for new train carriages.
Contracts for a fleet of 1,200 new train carriages for the Brighton to Bedford line are not set to be signed until the autumn, meaning Sussex commuters will have to wait even longer to see new carriages and longer trains.
The new carriages were originally planned to be in use by 2018.
Last month Rail Minister Theresa Villiers announced plans to build new carriages and run longer trains, increasing capacity on the Thameslink route, which is one of the most overcrowded in the country.
A consortium led by Siemens was named as the preferred bidder, in a deal expected to create hundreds of construction and maintenance jobs at the firm’s Crawley base.
However, the company may now have to wait until the autumn for final approval of the deal, which was expected to have been completed before the start of the Olympics .
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are making progress with Siemens and their consortium and expect to reach financial close by early autumn.”
Steve Scrimshaw, head of Siemens’ UK train division, told a national newspaper that the firm was already making “good progress on the trains” and said some “preliminary engineering and manufacturing work” was already taking place.
If the deal goes ahead as planned, Siemens plans to set up a new maintenance depot at Three Bridges, in Crawley, but still needs to seek planning permission from Crawley Borough Council.
The first stage of the Thameslink programme has already started, including longer 12-carriage trains on the Bedford to Brighton route.
Crawley MP Henry Smith has been a major supporter of the plans, which are expected to bring more than 650 jobs to the town.
He said: “It demonstrates that Crawley has a skilled workforce, great communications and is a good place to live.”
The first carriages were due to be completed by 2015, with the full fleet in use by 2018.
Existing Thameslink carriages will be used to relieve overcrowding on rail routes in other parts of the country.
Comments(19)
Sussex jim
says...
5:11pm Wed 8 Aug 12
I haven't tried the new diesels yet (Uckfield, Hastings-Ashford) , but they are probably not as good as the old "thumpers".
Dr.Draconian
says...
5:58pm Wed 8 Aug 12
gmgc81
says...
6:56pm Wed 8 Aug 12
CatoTheCat wrote:The crazy thing is, they're using trains destined for Southern on the Thameslink line because they've been lengthening the trains already. And the Class 377s they had used on the coastway are in suburban London. No consideration for us in Sussex. :/
"Existing Thameslink carriages will be used to relieve overcrowding on rail routes in other parts of the country"
Perhaps they could get rid of the shoddy ex-Tube trains on the coastal lines? No, didn't think so.
Hove Actually
says...
7:05pm Wed 8 Aug 12
As we don't they treat the travelling public like cattle, NO scratch that, cattle have rights when travelling by train
Hoarder12345444
says...
7:08pm Wed 8 Aug 12
keswick
says...
8:31pm Wed 8 Aug 12
rolivan
says...
8:39pm Wed 8 Aug 12
puddings3112
says...
9:16pm Wed 8 Aug 12
Sussex jim wrote:Strangely enough these are the only decent trains on the whole Sussex network - well designed seats which actually have leg room.
Let's hope this new stock has more comfortable seating. New trains over the last twenty years or so seem to have smaller seats compared to the good old second-generation slam door stock.
I haven't tried the new diesels yet (Uckfield, Hastings-Ashford) , but they are probably not as good as the old "thumpers".
The single biggest issue I have with all of the rolling stock used by Southern and FCC is that there is nowhere nearly enough leg room if you are over 5ft 5 and size 6 or above feet (and don't for a minute assume that it is better in 1st Class - if anything it is worse because the seats are bigger but closer together)
Aspect8
says...
10:22pm Wed 8 Aug 12
CatoTheCat wrote:I made a trip from Brighton to Portsmouth recently on one of those trains you are referring to, and then again on the return trip. Not the most comfortable of journey's I must say, and the trains make such a noise as well. Can't believe that old trains like these are allowed to be used on a route between 2 important cities, with a journey that takes nearly 1 and a half hours, it really is a disgrace. There are no toilets, tables, first class or air conditioning.....you have to open the windows for cool air. They must be some of the oldest trains still running on the rail network, built in the 1970's I think, older than the Thameslink stock.
"Existing Thameslink carriages will be used to relieve overcrowding on rail routes in other parts of the country"
Perhaps they could get rid of the shoddy ex-Tube trains on the coastal lines? No, didn't think so.
Dr.Draconian
says...
10:46pm Wed 8 Aug 12
Hoarder12345444 wrote:No sympathy for commuters, they want to live on the coast but they also want london wages.
Pathetic in this day and age. I feel for the commuters. And yet the government still wants to get people to go and use public transport, pah, no wonder people still use cars all the time.
If you dont like commuting get a job here!
ourcoalition
says...
8:36am Thu 9 Aug 12
British Rail wasn't good, but the last 20 years are dreadful.
All these decisions are made for shareholders, the vast majority being corporations, not individuals.
So delaying paying for new stock, means a couple more years of bumper profits.
At least under BR, the Government could set the agenda, and the cost was 90% less than what we, the taxpayer, "give" to private rail firms. Whatever happened to Thatchers competition "is good"? Or was it "giving money to my mates, is even better"!!!!?????
The Heretic
says...
8:38am Thu 9 Aug 12
The dreadfully inappropriate class 313 units inflicted on the West Coastway - allegedly to increase seating - are ex-BR inner urban stock from about 35 years ago.
The situation on the line to London can't change - whoever runs the service - until we get our second route to the capital re-opened. That's why so many of us support BML2 to get the Brighton - Lewes - Uckfield - Londom line up and running asap.
The Department of Transport are currently consulting on the next Thameslink/Southern rail franchise. Dare I suggest spleens are more productively vented in that direction?
It's a lengthy read, but you've got until August 23rd to get through it and pass your thoughts on to our policy makers.
http://assets.dft.go
v.uk/consultations/d
ft-2012-23/consultat
ion-thameslink.pdf
Enjoy!!
HJarrs
says...
8:58am Thu 9 Aug 12
Dr.Draconian wrote:I don't know if you have noticed but there is a recession or is it a depression. Apparently, quite a few people in B&H have found themselves out of a local job in recent years and the main market for employment is London. I suppose you would prefer it that hundreds, perhaps thousands, should languish on the dole instead?
Hoarder12345444 wrote: Pathetic in this day and age. I feel for the commuters. And yet the government still wants to get people to go and use public transport, pah, no wonder people still use cars all the time.No sympathy for commuters, they want to live on the coast but they also want london wages. If you dont like commuting get a job here!
Enema of the peephole
says...
11:04am Thu 9 Aug 12
The only things that are never delayed are the rail bosses bonuses and their excuses for everything.
Aspect8
says...
11:42am Thu 9 Aug 12
The Heretic wrote:Sussex passengers really are getting a raw deal with these Class 313's, wouldn't be to bad if they were used only on shuttle type services e.g. Brighton to Hove, or Barnham to Bognor Regis, but the fact they are used on the longer distance Coastway services including the Brighton to Portsmouth service really isn't good.
For clapped out ex-tube stock, it is necessary to cross the Solent where the last 1938 ex- London Transport kit is stll rattling along between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin.
The dreadfully inappropriate class 313 units inflicted on the West Coastway - allegedly to increase seating - are ex-BR inner urban stock from about 35 years ago.
The situation on the line to London can't change - whoever runs the service - until we get our second route to the capital re-opened. That's why so many of us support BML2 to get the Brighton - Lewes - Uckfield - Londom line up and running asap.
The Department of Transport are currently consulting on the next Thameslink/Southern rail franchise. Dare I suggest spleens are more productively vented in that direction?
It's a lengthy read, but you've got until August 23rd to get through it and pass your thoughts on to our policy makers.
http://assets.dft.go
v.uk/consultations/d
ft-2012-23/consultat
ion-thameslink.pdf
Enjoy!!
BML2 I can't see happening myself, DfT aren't interested, will be too disruptive during the construction phase and will cost too much as well.
Hoarder12345444
says...
12:17pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Dr.Draconian wrote:Thats a pretty short sighted comment!! I dont commute myself but feel sympathy for them. They paid thousands a year to commute to London so why shouldnt it be a first class service with state of the art carriages?? Its because they are a private company and only really interested in profits and lining their own pockets first while the fat cat directors and shareholders get what they want too. Living in London is very expensive and Sussex is a lovely place to live, so of course people have the right to work in London to pay for that big mortgage.
Hoarder12345444 wrote: Pathetic in this day and age. I feel for the commuters. And yet the government still wants to get people to go and use public transport, pah, no wonder people still use cars all the time.No sympathy for commuters, they want to live on the coast but they also want london wages. If you dont like commuting get a job here!
Notthatbothered
says...
12:42pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Dr.Draconian wrote:Thats a pretty idiotic thing to say - I am one of those people who live on the coast and commute daily to London. For the past year I've looked for a job in Sussex but there weren't any in my field of expertise - I had no choice but to take a job in London, because of the amount of opportunities there. It had nothing to do with the wages.
Hoarder12345444 wrote:No sympathy for commuters, they want to live on the coast but they also want london wages.
Pathetic in this day and age. I feel for the commuters. And yet the government still wants to get people to go and use public transport, pah, no wonder people still use cars all the time.
If you dont like commuting get a job here!
The Heretic
says...
1:40pm Thu 9 Aug 12
"BML2 I can't see happening myself, DfT aren't interested, will be too disruptive during the construction phase and will cost too much as well.”
Wanna bet !! Actually, a recent announcement by the DfT goes:-
“It is conceivable that a visionary scheme such as the Canary Wharf one might just have such a case.”
Taking everything into account, from overcrowded cattle trucks to Gatwick Airport's need for a reliable railway, the pressure to do something is increasing constantly, and the awareness of the costs of doing nothing is beginning to tell in the corridors of power.
I'm not expecting the DfT to announce an opening date just yet, but the business case IS extremely robust. Looking 'over the fence into the next parish', there are serious problems on Anglian rail routes, and the London end of the BML2 proposals would work equally well in addressing those.
When you consider that an at-best marginally useful tube scheme is being touted in London with a £3½bln price tag, BML2 has a far better case, would benefit many more people and places - and you'd get change out of the eye watering figure mentioned for a couple of miles of tube line! Suddenly BML2 doesn't look as unacheivable.
Keep an eye on the BML2 website for updates.
CatoTheCat says...
5:05pm Wed 8 Aug 12
Perhaps they could get rid of the shoddy ex-Tube trains on the coastal lines? No, didn't think so.