Tuesday, 2 February 2010

IEP to become Tram-train! Official, no really!

Ixion - Railway Eye's resident louche traction and rolling stock engineer has just spotted this table in the InterCity East Coast franchise consultation document.

Table 5.1 SET Train configurations




Seating capacity


Type

Formation

Total

First

Standard

HST replacement

Bi-mode

Full

630

132

498

Class 365 replacement

Electric

Half

331

27

304

Class 313 replacement

Electric*

Third

250


250

Tram-train

Bi-mode

Quarter

150


150

Class 180 replacement

Bi-mode

Half

273

27

246

IC225 replacement

Electric

Full

688

132

556

Spares

Bi-mode

Full

630

132

498







*Dual voltage







It casts shocking new light on DfT Rail's aim of gaining economies of scale by maximising the range of applications for the Super Express Train...

UPDATE: This from Underground Ernest...

Can we get a variant to replace our Piccadilly line stock?

UPDATE: This from our man at 222 Marylebone Road...

Surely, if DfT is seeking economies of scale and IEP is seen as a Class 365 replacement, the new Thameslink stock would be a logical application for an ultra-high density variant?


With that massive acceleration 30 trains an hour would be possible...
probably...