Hitachiballs - The IEP's 'green' credentials

This from Ithuriel...

Quoted in the Greenwise Weekly e-Newsletter

"One of the things that our trains will do is they will use less energy per feet than existing trains, because they’re lighter," said Hitachi Europe spokeswoman Daniela Karthaus.

"We will also have more capacity on the trains, so more passengers can travel on them, so that is going to be an environmental benefit."

Karthaus said the lighter trains will lessen the amount of material used in repairs as well.

"They will do very little damage to the tracks because they are lighter, which in turn means less replacement of tracks, which makes them hopefully more sustainable," she said.

But, even Captain Deltic's uncharacteristically uncritical review of the Hitachi SET in the latest Modern Railways has to concede that the five car bi-mode - which represents 70% of the proposed fleet - weighs 800kg per seat compared with only 730kg per seat for the IC125 it is supposed to replace.

Or, to put it another way, the super lightweight train extolled by Ms Karthaus weighs the same as a Voyager or Adelante which are generally regarded as heavy and not exactly track friendly, compared with, say, a Class 158.

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

Ithuriel is unkind to Meridians.

They may be heavy but, according to Bombardier, based on current variable track access charges a Meridian causes 10% less track damage than an IC125, 25% less than a Pendolino and 35% less than an IC225.

UPDATE: This from the tediously self promoting Captain Deltic...

This low track wear must be attributed in large part to the Meridian's inside frame FLEXX Eco bogie.

An article on the history of this bogie from its conception by British Rail Research to its selection for DB's new ICx train appears in this month's Informed... (Boring, boring, boring - next please. Ed)

Hitachiballs - On opening up Japanese markets

Regular Eye readers will recall that UNIFE reacted with fury to Petrol-head's decision to award the IEP contract to Hitachi.

In particular the Euro rail group pointed out that:

Thanks to clear and transparent public procurement rules transport-related tenders in Europe are largely open to foreign companies, while the Japanese market remains completely inaccessible to European rolling stock suppliers. Indeed, only 2% of the Japanese rail equipment market is opened to foreign suppliers. This de facto market closure is achieved through the extensive use of the so-called “Operational Safety Clause” by which foreign bidders are brutally excluded.

Happily, Hitachi addressed these concerns head-on yesterday when it issued the following inscrutable statement:

UNIFE should not be so alarmed (in reference to its statement dated 3 March 2011) by the British Government’s award of the IEP (Intercity Express Programme) contract to Hitachi...

Hitachi believes in free market access between Europe and Japan in the rail industry and other sectors. We respect our European competitors, but we also think we have something unique to contribute to Europe. Hitachi Rail Europe is a European company led by Europeans, and Europe will gain, economically and competitively, from having a new quality player in the market.

So that's all right then!

UPDATE: This from Ithuriel...

So can we expect to see Hitachi inviting bids from European suppliers to fit out its trains for Japanese railway companies? (No, don't be silly! Ed)

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

You may (or not) know that the biggest brake supplier for Shinkansen is Knorr Bremse from Europe.

IEP job creation - Compare and Contrast

This from Hitachi on 12th February 2009...

London, February 12, 2009 --- The British-led Agility Trains consortium, comprising Barclays Private Equity, Hitachi Ltd. (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501, "Hitachi") and John Laing, was today announced as the preferred bidder for the UK Department for Transport's Intercity Express Programme.

The programme represents a substantial investment in the UK Railway Industry, and Agility Trains is committed to spending 70% of the contract value in the UK. Agility Trains is delighted to confirm that Hitachi and John Laing expect this programme to deliver 2,500 skilled engineering jobs in the UK, in train manufacturing, construction and maintenance. Specifically, the consortium is in active discussions with 20 carefully selected high-quality UK suppliers, which will have a knock-on effect of safeguarding jobs in the UK. In addition this long-term programme will help secure up to 12,500 direct and indirect jobs in the local supply and services industry and local supporting communities.

Compare the above with this from Hitachi today...

LONDON, UK, March 1, 2011 — Agility Trains Ltd. today announced that it is delighted by the Department for Transport's decision to proceed with the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) with Agility Trains, subject to financial close. Under the IEP Agility Trains will deliver train services to Train Operating Companies at a fixed price for approximately 30 years using the IEP family of trains.

In addition, Hitachi is pleased to announce that Newton Aycliffe in Co. Durham is the preferred site for its planned European rolling stock manufacturing and assembly centre (subject to finalising commercial agreements). This investment will generate at least 500 new jobs, and major opportunities for the UK and European supply chain. The company looks forward to working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, local authorities and a new workforce to create a world-class manufacturing facility.

Just fancy that!

UPDATE: This from The Archer...

Having just compared and contrasted the above I think I've got to the bottom of the difference in job numbers:

The February 2009 release talked of 2,500 skilled engineering jobs in the UK, in train manufacturing, construction and maintenance not to mention 12,500 knock-on jobs.

The March 2011 release talks of 500 new jobs, but no mention of where those jobs are or why they are not skilled engineering jobs.

Now, as any SoS know, 2,500 minus 500 = 2,000.

So are the 500 new jobs simply to build the Newton Aycliffe facility, which will then take delivery of the trains, after 2,000 skilled Japanese engineering workers complete them in Kasado?

Hitachi offends everyone with IEP comments

This cheeky nonsense via Yahoo News...

TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese high-tech giant Hitachi said Wednesday that a multi-billion-dollar deal in Britain to build railway cars could be partially cancelled due to a spending squeeze by a new government in London.

A Hitachi spokesman said the company is waiting for Britain's decision after a review of the project, which the company expects to receive in a matter of days.

"It's possible that there may be changes in the British transport ministry's plans," the official said. "But I don't think that our deal will be completely annulled because it's about replacing decrepit railway cars," he added.

Look here sunshine.

At least our British built, so called 'decrepit', HST's stop when required.

Unlike your crappy cars!

'Nuff said.

UPDATE: This from Tokyo Rose...

The Imperial High Command has already prepared a strategy to handle the publication of the Foster Review.

The Emperor and Takashi Kawamura, Chairman of Hitachi, will simultaneously broadcast that the IEP situation "has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage".

UPDATE: This from the late T C B Miller MBE...

Far from being "decrepit", my High Speed Diesel Trains are in such fine fettle that the Minister of Transport is currently seeking bids from Messrs Angel Trains and Porterbrook Leasing for life extension to 2025 or 2035.

Hitachi fires first PR salvo

This from today's FT....

Alistair Dormer, head of Hitachi's European rail operations, says he wants to involve a large number of UK-based suppliers in the contract for building about 1,400 intercity carriages.

The location of the new factory has been narrowed down to a shortlist of three: Sheffield, Gateshead and Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire.

The plant, expected to cost more than £100m, would eventually employ about 500 people, said Mr Dormer.

Good news indeed.

Only another 11,500 jobs to find.

Alas!

There is one fly in the ointment...

Dormer... "was unable to say when a decision would be made on the location".

Good to see Dormer taking Japanese manufacturing to heart.

This is the PR equivalent of a kaizen (small step) based very much on Lean principles!

Update: This just in from the Pink 'Un...

It's a pity the fact compiler lit only on this bit of the feature and not on the previous FT piece where Alistair Dormer talked about Hitachi's ambitions to supply European railways from the new British factory.

There seems to be a determination among British railway people that Bombardier should always be the only train factory in the UK.

What's wrong with a bit of competition?

Follow that cab!

Telegrammed by Our Independent Expert
Does the cab trade know something we don't?

Taxi drivers plying Preston railway station have reproduced images of the new IEP train on their business cards.

Railway hands with long memories will recall there's a great tradition of train-making in the city - with the prototype Deltic being built in English Electric's Strand Road works.

Perhaps this explains the Hitachi poster on show at Railtex earlier this month...

"Proudly made in Britain!"

Is this perhaps stretching the Trades Description Act a little too far?