The government has announced a shortlist of companies that will compete for the contract to build a new generation of inter-city express trains. The contract could be worth up to £4bn (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/08/bidders_line_up_for_4bn_train.html#moreThe new trains , which will be able to operate on electrified lines or using their own diesel power , will be lighter and more environmentally friendly , according to the Department for Transport.
The three shortlisted bidders are Alstom-Barclays , Express Rail Alliance - a consortium of Bombardier , Siemens , Angel Trains and Babcock & Brown - and Hitachi Europe.
The new trains will initially be introduced from 2012 between London and Scotland on the East Coast Main Line.
A full rollout will begin in 2015 , with the first trains introduced on the East Coast Main Line and Great Western.
The trains must be able to run on electricity , diesel power or both. They will replace stock that has been used , in some places , for more than three decades.
Shortlisted parties will receive an "invitation to tender" in the autumn, containing more details on what is required.
They will have until next summer to make their proposals , with the contract scheduled to be awarded next winter.
The contract will cover the design , construction and maintenance of between 500 and 2,000 carriages. No cost has been put on the deal but industry estimates suggest each carriage could cost between £1m and £2m.
The government said the new trains would be in addition to the 1,300 new carriages that have been promised in an attempt to reduce overcrowding on the rail network.
More on this in the links below.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/iep/iepshortlisthttp://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=307937&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False
Author
Logged
