Dispensation extension for EMR HSTs and Welsh Pacers
NON-COMPLIANT High Speed
Trains in the Midlands and Pacers in Wales have been granted further dispensation by Government to continue operating.
The original date for the withdrawal of fleets that failed to meet new accessibility regulations was December 31 2019.
Non-compliant East Midlands Railway HSTs then received dispensation to continue running to July 28 this year.
This has now been further extended for seven sets (56 coaches) plus five spare vehicles until December 31, although it is likely that HSTs will remain in traffic until May 2021 ( RAIL 910).
EMR confirmed its extension to RAIL on July 29, with the Department for Transport publishing the letter granting the dispensation the following day.
Meanwhile, 30 two-car Pacers
(15 Class 142s and 15 Class 143s) that had been granted an extension to July 28 will also remain in traffic with Transport for Wales.
Dispensation for the TfW fleet expired on July 31, but a letter (dated July 17) was published at 1750 on the final day granting an extension until 0200 on
December 31,
A document regarding dispensation, submitted by TfW to the DfT and dated September 20 2019 (and updated last month), reveals that Wales was originally due to have nine new Class 769
FLEX bi-modes in traffic from June 2018.
That plan also relied on 36
Class 150s, 24 Class 158s and 13 Class 153s being brought up to accessibility standards, as well as the delivery of not only the ‘769s’ but also five Class 230s, 12 Class 170s and three rakes of Mk 4 coaches.
However, when Transport for Wales replaced Arriva Trains
Wales on October 14 2018, only a quarter of its entire fleet was compliant.
Issues included unexpected corrosion levels on ‘150s’ and ‘153s’, capacity issues at companies able to carry out the modifications, and gauging works needed at a much larger scale than originally planned.
This meant that by January this year, Network Rail could only provide gauge clearance on a select number of routes, with the result that at least eight diagrams planned for the new fleets had to use existing trains that had not been upgraded.
The document said that had TfW withdrawn the trains that did not meet accessibility requirements, then 96 vehicles would have been replaced by 50, resulting in a shortfall of 46 vehicles (28 trains) and around a quarter of all diagrams not being covered.
As a result, TfW has worked to use non-compliant trains on shorter journeys, while on the Rhymney route it was planned that 95% of trains would be covered by at least one compliant train until six ‘769s’ were available. There are currently seven FLEX trains at Cardiff Canton - none of them are in passenger service.
The EMR HST fleet should by now have been replaced by electric multiple units that would have been ordered had the East Midlands franchise been re-let in 2014 as planned, rather than being the subject of a succession of Direct Awards.
It was during this period that former Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling cancelled electrification of the Midland Main Line north of Kettering in July 2017.
At the same time, he announced that bi-mode trains would not enter traffic in 2022, which threatened a shortfall of trains from December 2019 until the arrival of the bi-modes, with Grayling offering no suggestions as to an interim fleet.
Capacity at companies that could modify the HST fleet was taken up, and their owner Porterbrook said that the work would cost around £50 million, which it was loath to spend ( RAIL 850).
Eventually, despite being excluded from bidding for the
East Midlands franchise last year, Stagecoach was tasked by the DfT to find a solution. This eventually ended up with four Class 180 Adelantes being released from
Hull Trains and nine HSTs cascaded from LNER.
However, the ‘180s’ have yet to enter traffic, while only two full ex-LNER sets are in traffic, with the condition of the Mk 3s found to be worse than first thought.
The former LNER sets, while also not meeting disability regulations, are more accessible than the original EMR fleet.