IEP’s farcical launch is indicative of DfT errors
I feel desperately sorry for Great Western Railway MD Mark Hopwood, regarding the farcical introduction of IEP trains following hard on the heels of the so-called emergency blockade by Network Rail at Reading the weekend before their introduction ( RAIL 838).
It was appropriate that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was on board, as he was able to experience first-hand the folly of allowing the DfT to specify what is needed for our railways.
No wonder Private Eye always refers to them as DafT, as their specification for the IEPs already shows these trains to be inferior to the HSTs they are replacing in terms of seat comfort in both Standard and First Class.
More’s the pity that the air-con problem didn’t drip on Grayling, thus pouring cold water on his erroneous assertions that bi-mode trains are the answer to the current ills of electrification when it is patently obvious that they are not and never will be.
Not that this will stop the rubbish statements he and his fellow Tories are spewing out to whoever is prepared to listen, in a vain attempt to justify cancelling electrification schemes. Oh, that we could have the positivity of the Scots applied to railways this side of the Border.
No doubt Hitachi Rail Europe Managing Director Karen Boswell will try to palm the crass start to IEP operations off as “initial teething problems”, but Hitachi, the Newton Aycliffe workers and Agility Trains must be deeply humiliated because it is crystal clear that testing of the new trains has been inadequate.
The lack of proper testing comes as no surprise, as it took months to even start training up GWR drivers and guards. They too must be as disappointed as Mark Hopwood that the launch day (and a subsequent failure of the doors on one of the units a few days later at Reading) has dealt a severe blow to GWR’s carefully built reputation, when the fault has nothing to do with Mark or his teams.
In reality, the buck stops at Grayling. He and his officials have foisted the most expensive trains ever on the British public, with the billions spent increased because of NR’s failure to get electrification done properly (and even that is now delayed even further).
These trains have also been foisted on Stagecoach/Virgin’s East Coast, and they must be worried that their Azumas might suffer similar problems.
Barry Doe’s comment on fares ( RAIL 838), where he stated that “the Government has never understood the issues”, is just as appropriate where the introduction of new trains, electrification and franchising arrangements are concerned. John Baxter, Bradford-on-Avon