CrossCountry rejects use of IEP! - Shocker

Good point. Well made.

PWC appointed to advise on IEP

This from Our Man at 222 Marylebone Road...

I understand that DfT has just appointed Price WaterhouseCoopers as financial advisers for IEP.  

The announcement says that:

'DfT is looking to secure excellent value for money and the appointed firm will be required to provide proposals that offer cost reduction, efficiency and improvement opportunities throughout the contract term'.

Presumably it would be too much to expect PWC to say 'bin it'?

(Unlikely as PWC has form with the "biggest privately financed passenger rolling stock deal in history, anywhere in the world". Ed)

Hitachiballs - East Coast IEP contract signed!

Good news for fans of 'British built' trains!

This from Hitachi...

Hitachi Rail Europe Signs Contract with Merchant Place Developments for Construction of New UK Train Factory

NEWTON AYCLIFFE, May 14, 2013 – Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd. today announced that it has signed the contract with Merchant Place Developments for the construction and fit-out of a rolling stock manufacturing plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, UK. Merchant Place Developments therefore have now gone from preferred bidder status to full contract award.

The contract paves the way for the construction of Hitachi’s first train factory in Europe, which represents an investment of £82 million to create its state-of-the-art manufacturing hub in the North East of England. Hitachi Rail Europe receives a £4 million grant by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to support the build of the factory...

The factory will initially be used to build the Super Express Trains for the Great Western Main Line and the East Coast Main Line, with the potential to be used for other orders such as building Crossrail rolling stock in the facility, should Hitachi Rail Europe be the successful bidder. Hitachi places great emphasis on employing locally where possible and the factory will create long-term employment for 730 people. This figure includes a Research & Development department. It is expected that 200 jobs will be created during the construction phase of the factory. 

Good news indeed!

But what's this?

The release continues...

"The decision to build a manufacturing plant was taken after Hitachi Rail Europe won the contract with the Department for Transport (DfT) to replace the ageing fleet of diesel-powered Intercity trains currently running on the Great Western Main Line and the East Coast Main Line. The contract with the DfT was signed in July 2012."

Errr....

What contract to replace 'ageing' diesels on the East Coast Main Line?

Perhaps DfT might care to share?

UPDATE: This from the East Coast High Panjandrum...

The DfT's contract with Hitachi does indeed see the replacement of the HSTs with IEPs.

Of course the issue under debate is what happens with Phase 2 - replacing the 225 fleet or not.

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

There seems to be some confusion over IEP contracts. 

This is not surprising, given the byzantine structure created by DfT to replace IC125.

Here is an extract from the Janet & John guide to Today's Railway:

• DfT has signed a total train service provision contract with Agility Trains to replace IC125 sets on Great Western and East Coast.

• Agility trains is led by Hitachi which will supply the Super Express Trains and depots and maintain the fleet for the next 27.5 years.

• Where the confusion arises is that the two fleets are being replaced separately through separate subsidiaries of Agility Trains, each of which will have contracts with a train operator.

• Agility Trains West is responsible for the Great Western fleet and has reached financial close.

• Agility Trains East will provide the East Coast replacement fleet and this deal has yet to reach financial close. 

There is an option in this contract  to replace the EC IC225 fleet with IEP. DfT was due to have appointed a financial advisor to monitor this deal last month. 
 
Meanwhile, can I commend Nigel Harris' editorial in the latest RAIL on this very subject?

IEP announced - Parliament in recess

Good news for fans of Parliamentary scrutiny!

This from the DfT:

£4.5 billion investment in new trains creates new jobs

More than 900 jobs will be created and thousands more secured after Transport Secretary Justine Greening approved a £4.5bn contract to supply Britain with the next generation of intercity trains.

In a major boost to the UK’s manufacturing industry, 596 railway carriages will be built at a brand new train factory in the north east of England.

Agility Trains, a consortium made up of Hitachi and John Laing, has been awarded the contract to build and maintain the trains under the Intercity Express Programme (IEP), the project to replace Britain’s Intercity 125 trains with new higher capacity modern trains.

Hitachi will assemble an intercity fleet of 92 complete trains at a new purpose-built factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, in the process creating 730 skilled jobs with a further 200 jobs during construction of the factory itself and securing thousands more in the UK supply chain. The company will also locate its European rail research and development capabilities on the site which will further enhance the factory’s ability to win rail contracts across Europe.

As well as building the new state-of-the-art assembly facility, Hitachi will construct maintenance depots in Bristol, Swansea, west London and Doncaster, and will upgrade existing maintenance depots throughout Britain.

The announcement comes on the eve of the Global Investment Conference in London where the Government will kick off the largest series of trade and investment events ever held in the UK involving more than 3,000 business leaders, policy-makers and ministers from around the world, and half the companies in the FTSE 100.

Cont' p94...

Putting to one side the enormous cost is there anyone outside Marsham Street and the Japanese Embassy that actually wants this hybrid monster?

Therefore, time for an exciting new Eye survey... (see right)

UPDATE: This unusually bullish statement from ATOC...

Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said:

“This announcement is good news for passengers as it will mean faster, more comfortable journeys and many more seats.

“This DfT-led procurement, however, has been contentious. Some of the earlier scope of the project has been changed because of subsequent Government decisions to electrify parts of the rail network. 

“Train companies believe that the key to delivering better value for money is to ensure that they play a bigger role in shaping rolling stock solutions through the competitive franchising process.  It will help get things done more quickly and bring down costs, and we welcome the Government's support for this approach.”  

ENDS

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles... 

You are right - we have yet to find anyone working on the railways who wants the IEP.

DfT says £200m saving over the life of the trains - forgets to mention "set against £75m a year extra that fare payers on Great Western will pay to have these trains rather than a more conventional design." (data from R. Ford) - which wipes out that £200m within the first three years....

Clearly that paragraph got missed from the DfT press release.....

As was the line from GW passenger groups saying "We welcome the opportunity to pay well above inflation fare increases to fund these trains which will deliver the lower levels of comfort we have been calling for for several years."

J. Greening assisted by Mr Kipling, and along with her predecessors Adonis and Hammond, has rightly earned her place in history alongside Beeching.

Alongside 'The Beeching Cuts' we now have 'The Greening order' - long may we rue this day...

IEP - The saga drags on

This from Howard Wade...

A good question from the Railway Lord.

Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat)
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fewer bi-mode trains would be required to be built if the services between Paddington and Newbury and Paddington and Oxford were covered by electrical multiple unit trains and all services to the West of England via Newbury, beyond Oxford and those via Cheltenham continued to be life extended High Speed trains.

Earl Attlee (Whip, House of Lords; Conservative)
It is currently envisaged that rolling stock will be deployed as follows:

• a mixture of electric Intercity Express Programme (IEP) and electric multiple unit trains for services between Paddington and Newbury and Paddington and Oxford;
• new IEP bi-mode trains for services beyond Oxford, and those running via Cheltenham;
• and life-extended vehicles from the current high speed train fleet for services to the West of England, via Newbury.

But as for the answer, My Lord Attlee seems to be a chip off the old block.

As Douglas Jay once remarked of his father: 'His capacity for saying nothing was absolutely pre-eminent'.

Hitachi continues to fight for the IEP

Whilst Tony Mercado (the new Stuart Baker?) and team are busy playing The Fat Controller with Pendolini what news of the IEP?

Clearly DfT Rail's sudden enthusiasm for Alstom's finest has nothing to do with the near universal view that the IEP is dead in the water. Although Captain Deltic's waggish suggestion that the acronym now stands for 'Intercity Eastcoast Pendolino' may yet be officially adopted by Marsham Street, allowing some small degree of face saving in the Minster House bunker.

No matter

With DfT washing its hands of the IEP, now known as the Super Express, it now falls to Hitachi to keep the embers of the doomed project glowing.

Over the last few days there has been a flurry of desperate stories appearing in regional media promising jam tomorrow to local economies should an order for the trains ever be placed.

This from the Daily Post today...

NORTH Wales is on the short list for the site of a manufacturing plant for a new generation of ‘super express’ trains.

About 1,000 jobs could be created if Japanese firm Hitachi finally decides to build carriages for the trains on Deeside...

A spokesperson for Hitachi Europe confirmed that up to 200 people could be involved in the construction of the new plant and Deeside was among sites under consideration.

Whilst this appeared on the BBC Wear website on Monday...

County Durham 'first choice' for super trains

About 1,000 jobs could be created in County Durham if Japanese firm Hitachi decides to build carriages for "super express" trains in the area.

The firm said Newton Aycliffe was the "first choice". Another site in North Wales has also been short-listed.

A spokesperson for Hitachi said up to 200 people would be involved in the construction of the new plant.

A further 800 would be employed in manufacturing the trains - which could begin in 2013.

Presumably Hitachi is working on the basis that if you repeat something often enough it might actually happen?

You can't blame them for trying.

UPDATE: This from Kendo Nagasaki...

Hitachi have failed to explain a key change to their Red Castle project which aims to set up a UK manufacturing unit.

Emulating Chairman Mao's policy of a steel furnace in every village Hitachi will now have lots of factories.

Clearly this policy is simplified if the new locations can offer a pool of management with existing railway experience.

Priority sites include Iainland in Scotland and Adrian Shooter's country estate, which has the added advantage of a rail test track already in place (subject to re-gauging)...

IEP resurrected - Shocker

Telegrammed by Sir Humphrey Beeching
Although retired I still receive all the Departmental bumpf, including updated pages for the DfT officers handbook.

One replacement page in the post today foxed me, but my sharp eyed lady wife spotted the change

In the section on abbreviations and acronyms (there is a difference, you know), all the initials were the same, but IEP now stands for Intercity Extension Project now defined as 'Further life extension of IC125 high speed diesel trains, with re-engineering and reliability upgrades to 2025 or 2035'.

I look forward to seeing what my erstwhile colleagues will make of the SOFA (currently Statement of Funds Available) following October's Comprehensive Spending Review.

Ding dong the train is dead!

***Foster review of IEP expected 07:00 Tuesday morning***

More tomorrow...

UPDATE: This from Reuters...

A decision on whether to proceed with a programme to replace the Intercity Express trains will be taken alongside a wider review of government spending in October, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.

No shit Sherlock.

UPDATE: Foster report here...

And just a flavour to wet your appetite:

The Department for Transport’s strategic positions have appeared to some in the industry as susceptible to change and unpredictable. Questions are asked about the coherence of IEP, extended electrification, high speed rail and overall strategy.

The real issue here, I believe, is that there has been insufficient communication between the Department and the industry, including communication about IEP, and this has opened the way for significant negativity to develop. This is a key area for attention and further improvement.

This problem, particularly with IEP, appears to have been amplified by DfT’s procurement approach, which has placed heavy emphasis on commercial confidentiality and thus relied on independent advisers and consultants rather than industry expertise. This has engendered a sense of disengagement and disenchantment which I believe could and should largely have been avoided. I also ask a number of questions about arrangements for managing the costs and coherence of independent advice within the Department.

Smooth words fail to mask damning conclusions.

UPDATE: This from the Shunter...

Erm, so the review concludes by suggesting a further review?

I propose that Captain Deltic should be remitted to do it, but by Friday lunchtime, if he needs that long...

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

Whilst Sir Andrew has taken a notably gentle tone, I found this variant of the motorist seeking directions in Ireland, diverting.

"I must record here that if I had a reasonably blank sheet of paper I would not manage the programme like this"

As for the suggestion made by The Shunter - please accept my apologies, but owing to pressures of work the earliest I could do this is next Wednesday.

UPDATE: This from the Torygraph...

The announcement by Mr Hammond could also jeopardise as many as 12,500 jobs which the previous Government said would have been created or safeguarded by the project.

Indeed - in Japan.

UPDATE: This from @sharpsharp, via Twitter...

From p22:

Depending on the exact mixture of newly acquired, re-engineered and cascaded rolling stock, and the technical approach to the provision of services beyond the present electrified network, it seems likely that more than half of the benefit on the East Coast route, and probably around three quarters of it on the Great Western routes, could be captured for between 40% and 60% of the cost.

Eye congratulates the Department for Transport on its masterful understanding of Value for Money procurement.

"Will this waste of our money never stop?" - Telegraph

Telegrammed by our man at 222 Marylebone Road
Here is Philip Johnston writing in today's Torygraph:

All the familiar ingredients are there: the waste of taxpayers' money on an ocean-going scale, incompetent management, political naivete, wildly over-optimistic promises, IT failures, the liberal use of outside consultants and the refusal of anyone in Whitehall to listen to the experts.

Eye was looking forward to some weapon's grade pyrotechnics once Captain Deltic found out that this Johnston-Come-Lately had wandered on to his patch!

Alas.

Mr Johnston was fulminating about proposals to set up a network of national fire control centres, which in 2004 this was due to cost £72m and be ready by 2008. Now the final bill looks closer to being £240m.

Wonder if he knows about the IEP yet?

NR Western to go it alone on HST replacement?

Telegrammed by Sir William Pollitt
Good to see that NR's Swindon press office is still convinced that the Western can do its own thing.

Or so it would appear from this NR press release issued today:

The Great Western RUS - published by Network Rail - confirms an industry consensus that there is a compelling case for the railway to grow further by the end of the decade, enhancing the benefits from the capacity-boosting electrification scheme and new trains.

New trains?

Did NR miss Friday's announcement that the IEP is now unaffordable?

Perhaps the Great Western zone has secret plans to procure its own Hydraulic fleet to replace the HSTs?

UPDATE: This from The Archer, obviously in pedantic mode...

Given that today is the 1st of March, how are NR going to take delivery of said new trains by the end of the decade, which is of course just 10 months away?

Should they not have waited until the 1st of April to issue such a foolish press release?

UPDATE: This, surprisingly, from Christian Dior...

It's yet another example of people confusing trains, locos, units, coaches, vehicles etc.

It should have read 'new locomotives'.

These would be marshalled in place of an IC125 power car with a Driving Car at the other end.

As we fashionistas say Electric loco hauled Mk3s are the new IEP - how else can we continue to enjoy that divine ride.

Mwah, mwah!

IEP announcement delayed until after election?

This from @cbuchanancubed, via Twitter...

delays on HST replacement announced till after general election

More to follow...

UPDATE: This from PA...

Plans to replace the ageing fleet of intercity trains have been postponed, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis announced.

He said the multi-billion pound, 30-year intercity express procurement programme had run into difficulties.

No shit Sherlock!

UPDATE: This morning's DfT statement in full...

In order to replace Britain's ageing fleet of Intercity 125 Trains and to invest in capacity and passenger journey improvements on the East Coast and Great Western Main Lines, the Government began the Intercity Express Programme procurement in 2007. The Programme's key objective has been to achieve value for money across the lifetime of the trains, taking account of costs right across the rail industry.

Good progress has been made, including the announcement of Agility Trains as preferred bidder in February 2009. Over the course of the procurement, however, there has been a reduction in the capacity of the debt market to support the transaction as originally envisaged, and passenger growth has also slowed. In addition the Government and Network Rail have committed to electrify the Great Western Main Line from 2016. The Government has identified appropriate adjustments to the original programme to take account of these developments. This has inevitably extended the contractual negotiations, which are not yet complete and would not be so until mid-March at the earliest.

The negotiations are for a contract of nearly 30 years, a multi-billion pound spend over the course of many Parliaments. In all the circumstances, the Government does not believe it would be appropriate to enter into this particular contract in the immediate run up to a general election. To ensure that a decision is taken at the beginning of the next Parliament on the basis of the fullest evaluation, I have today asked Sir Andrew Foster, former controller of the Audit Commission, to provide an independent assessment of the value for money of the Programme and the credibility and the value for money of any alternatives which meet the Programme's objectives. It is critical for rail passengers that the right long-term decision is made about the next generation of inter-city trains, which will have a life of 30 years or more.

The existing rolling stock dates back to the 1970s and needs to be replaced. If Sir Andrew Foster reaffirms that the Intercity Express Programme is better than the alternatives, my intention would be to proceed with the project in the next Parliament, subject to satisfactory resolution of all the contractual issues.

Sir Andrew Foster will consult Agility Trains, the Department, the relevant Train Operating Companies, the Office of Rail Regulation, Network Rail, passenger groups and the devolved Scottish and Welsh administrations.

Sir Andrew Foster will report within three months. The report and the Government's response will be published and reported to Parliament.

Andrew Adonis, Transport Secretary

UPDATE:This from Sir Humphrey Beeching...

The appointment of Sir Andrew Foster to consider value for money suggests a classic attempt to head off expensive post cancellation claims for compensation.

UPDATE: This from Reginald Slicker...

Can I be the first to congratulate the Department for standing up to the train builders and the banks over IEP.

If the train builders can't even meet DfT's quite modest targets for lighter weight trains in the IEP specification, by which I mean the 'essential' maximum weight, not the wholly reasonable 'desirable' aspiration, and the banks are unwilling to fund the project then a pause for re-consideration is richly justified.

I must congratulate Lord Adonis on this wise decision which is a rebuff to those critics of DfT's new train procurement activities.

Yours etc.

R. Slicker

UPDATE: This just in from Captain Deltic...

According to this morning's statement from Lord Adonis: "The existing rolling stock dates back to the 1970s and needs to be replaced".

As an Informed Sources Extra in the March Modern Railways points out, life extension of IC125 to 2025 and beyond is the best value for money way forward.

The March Modern Railways goes on sale today priced at a very reasonab... (Eye reserves the right to shorten reader comments due to pressures of space. Ed)

Shortest lived train fleet in history to be announced tomorrow?

Exciting IEP news.

Eye understands that Gordon Brown, Lord Adonis and (by pure co-incidence) the president of Hitachi are all in Durham tomorrow.

Could this herald a purdah-beating, pre-election announcement on IEPs for the East Coast franchise?

Shame the Tory's are likely to cancel the project just weeks after the election.

UPDATE: This nonchalant observation from Captain Deltic...

Might I point out that subscribers to the electronic version of RAIL BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE will already know that tomorrow's Anglo Japanese conclave at Durham will announce that commercial close has been reached on the InterCity Express Programme.

RBI readers will also have read details of the planned initial deployment on the East Coast Main Line, plus a note on the evolving design of the train which seems to have put on weight over the last year.

What a coup to mark the 15th anniversary of the Orange Peril which emerged blinking into the daylight on my Birthday in 1995.

Although a doff of the chapeau to the inimitable Eye for being first with the news of the announcement.

UPDATE: This from Ithuriel....

Commercial close means only that DfT and Agility Trains have agreed what is to be supplied and at how much.

Does the Orange Oxymoron say when financial close is expected?

That's when the real money is likely to change hands... or not!

IEP lobbying explained

This just in from Jumbo...

Overheard on the Derby train: A man telling his travelling companions that he is shortly to meet Captain Deltic and convince him that the bi-mode extravaganza will save the world.

Shome mishtake shurely?

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

How intriguing.

I am indeed going to Ashford Depot tomorrow on a technical visit to find out how the Hitachi Class 395 fleet and the Class 465 re-powering is going and an SET update has been promised over a working lunch.

If Jumbo will provide details of the train I will ask which of those present was on it and actually admitting to talking to me.

They must be coming up to retirement.

UPDATE: Jumbo responds...

I thought that the IEP only had one supporter.

UPDATE: More from Captain Deltic...

Having fallen off his chair laughing the Captain gets his breath back and points out that Jumbo is being very naughty.

So which train from Euston to Rugby was it?

UPDATE: This from our International Correspondent...

What perfect symmetry.

Uncloaking industry secrets by ear-wigging over-talkative and indiscreet rolling stock engineers in the First Class end of anything leaving Derby was an intelligence gathering technique pioneered in the early 80s by one Captain Deltic, in between bouts of car-park watching (a practice now known more colloquially as 'Dogging').

Of course he was just a junior subaltern in those days.

UPDATE: Captain Deltic reminisces...

It was on a train to Derby that a foursome of Department of Transport civil servants were talking about closing the WCML north of Preston.

They didn't seem to notice that I was taking notes.

A minor stir, denials and a witch hunt ensued following publication.

Odd that while DfT is daft, we never referred to DoT as dotty.

It must have been the age of deference. Or perhaps in those dim and distant days the civil service had higher standards of competence.

UPDATE: Further cryptic details from Jumbo...

Definitely a train to Derby, well Sheffield to be strictly correct.

And a clue, it was not the noble Lord but another recently ennobled person, well gonged actually...

Reports of IEP demise much exaggerated?

Telegrammed by The Master
The Cassandra's of the railway are ever keen to predict the demise of the IEP (too bloody right. Ed).

However,if rumours circulating around the industry are to be believed, the project may have legs yet.

For no sooner had nationalised East Coast lost one IEP Project Director to Nexus than they immediately appointed another one!

Apparently it will be no less a figure than John Veitch, whose previous role was introducing another troublesome fleet - Virgin's Pendolini.

A welcome return to the industry for John, who starts at the state owned operator tomorrow.

Meanwhile Eye wonders who is picking up the tab for the post - East Coast or DfT?

Nexus drives another nail into the IEP coffin

Eye hears that DB Regio has managed to coax Richard McClean into becoming Managing Director of its new Nexus operating concession.

Stalwart of the intercity East Coast franchise, in many of its several guises, Richard's latest role was as nationalised East Coast's IEP Project Director.

Perhaps no surprise, therefore, that he has opted for a job with a future.

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

It is arguable that after wasting (oops, investing) £21 million on consultants for IEP, the second most scandalous feature of the new train was the appointment of one of our few remaining experienced project engineers/managers to such a non job.

UPDATE: This from Ibilola...

The Northern Echo ran the following story on Thursday:

A DECISION over whether the North-East will be the location for a train assembly plant – creating hundreds of jobs – has yet to be made, nearly a year after the original announcement.

Is there anyone who still believes that an order for IEP will ever be placed?

IEP future assured - Official

Exciting news from Hitachi!

Obviously despairing of ever signing a UK contract for the Frankenstein Train the inscrutable manufacturer has apparently sold the concept overseas.


Eye wonders if the Haramain High Speed Rail Project is being advised by the genii in our very own DfT?

Pssst - want to buy a Rosco, going cheap

So HSBC is still trying to flog its rolling stock leasing division (Rosco).

This from Project Finance Magazine:

Bidding consortia are forming for the sale of HSBC's UK rolling stock portfolio. The bank, which owns around a quarter of the UK's rolling stock, is said to be putting together a staple financing, where the seller offers a pre-packaged acquisition finance plan to potential buyers.

As HSBC Rail (nee Eversholt) was originally set up to be the electric train Rosco the decision to increase the number of route miles under the wires must add something to its potential value.

Although the greatest risk to HSBC's fleet portfolio was DafTs insane idea to seek early replacement of the highly reliable East Coast IC225 fleet with the Frankenstein Train.

But as the IEP is now hurtling to oblivion, bidders must be queuing up to take a punt.

IEP - 12,000 jobs missing

This from then Secretary of State for Transport, Geoff Hoon, in February this year:

"This announcement demonstrates that this Government is prepared to invest, even in difficult economic times, by improving our national infrastructure. It is good news for the British Economy that over 12,500 jobs will be created and safeguarded; good news for the regions that the Government is supporting significant inward investment; and good news for passengers that we are taking the steps necessary to improve their rail journeys."

Good news indeed.

But what's this?

According to Hitachi yesterday, as reported by Yahoo:

The deal, expected to be inked by March 2010, is worth one trillion yen (11.36 billion dollars) and will create up to 500 jobs, the official said, adding that the location of the assembly plant remained undecided.

So where are the rest coming from?

UPDATE: This from J Alfred Prufrock...

Since the Agility Trains consortium is struggling to raise £500 million of funding for IEP, Hitachi must be wondering whether under 200 vehicles are worth building in Japan, let alone in a new factory in the UK.

No wonder DfT Rail is actively discussing life extension of the FGW IC125 fleet to beyond 2030.

And that's before the austerity measures cut in after the election.

NR calls for electrification to Sheffield

Wise words from Network Rail...

Network Rail’s chief executive Iain Coucher said: “Passengers would see enormous benefits from further electrification with faster, quieter, smoother, greener journeys.

"The case for the Midland Main Line is extremely strong. Affordability and bringing down the cost of such projects are key if they're to get the green-light."

Of course were the Midland Main Line to be electrified sooner rather than later the IEP might even start to make sense...

UPDATE: This just in from Chris Milner via Faceache...

Nice to see the dunces at the back of the class have finally woken up.

Add Sheffield to Doncaster and Derby to Proof house jct and you have a decent electrified network.

UPDATE: This just in from Peter Mark Roget...

Sir - Can I point out that the conjunction of 'IEP' and 'Making sense' is an oxymoron

UPDATE: This just in from the Raver...

So the government says it wants two lines to be electrified but rules out Sheffield for the time being as too expensive, then Network rail presses for it, claiming the idea for the first two was all its own, when, in fact, John Armitt was adamantly opposed to electrification of the Great Western, using environmental arguments as well as cost.

NR seems to have a way of winding up the government which does not bode well for its long term future.

Time to put Frankenstein back in its box

Good news for fans of the IEP (Sid and Doris Bonkers).

This from Leasing Life...

A shortage of liquidity has meant that financing for one of Britain's largest ever rail projects, the Intercity Express Programme (IEP), will be sourced through five or six tranches of debt-raising rather than through one or two lump sum payments as had been originally planned.

While the delivery of the first batch of trains is likely to take place one year late (in 2014 rather than 2013 as was originally planned).

Isn't this all a bit previous?

The Department hasn't actually signed a contract for any of these trains yet.