UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles...
May I add a response to your interesting (and timely?) column on electrification?
Why
just Network Rail?
I understand Siemens has an interest in power
generation in another part of its empire and I’m sure others do too. Why
not offer a “design, build, maintain and power” contract for new
trains? The builder would be
obliged to either construct a power plant of some sort itself or join a
consortium that would include a power generation partner.
As
you suggest with NR – there’s nothing to stop them creating additional
capacity and selling it to other rail operators or the market at a good price….
Of
course had IEP been let on this basis would the bidding consortium
have been so happy to agree to build a load of trains which would
consume additional electricity to carry round those heavy diesel engines
or would they have come up
with an alternative solution?
