07.09.12
Government answers questions over IEP carriage numbers
The Government has said a “more efficient deployment of rolling stock” is what allowed the reduction in carriage numbers under the Intercity Express Programme (IEP).
In a Parliamentary question, Labour’s shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle asked “for what reason the projected carriage numbers for the Intercity Express Programme rolling stock contract have been reduced since May 2010”.
New transport minister Simon Burns replied: “The projected number of carriages for the Intercity Express Programme rolling stock contract fell from 950 to slightly more than 750 under the previous Administration, but has not decreased substantially since May 2010.
“A small number of carriages were reallocated in later phases of IEP, rather than in the first phase, and following ongoing reviews of how the train sets can be deployed, Agility Trains proposed delivering a similar level of service with a lower number of carriages as a result of more efficient deployment of rolling stock.”
For our interview with Hitachi Rail Europe MD Keith Jordan on the IEP, see the August/September 2012 edition of Rail Technology Magazine. Rail professionals can subscribe at www.railtechnologymagazine.com/subscribe
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