Railway Forum - ECML future?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by The Railway Magazine

GNER's refurbished Mallrd fleet is expected to provide the mainstay of East Coast Mian Line services for the next decade,but the question of their replacements beyond that is a vexed one, which could cause an almost unthinkable scenario.
For, according to sources highly placed within the rail industry, one of the ioptions the DfT and GNER are examining is replacement of the ECML electric fleet with diesel HST2s.
The development of the HST2 is a priority at DfT Rail, but until now it had been assumed that the new train would replace only existing HST fleets, on such routes as Great Western and Midland Main Lines. The thought that they could also form the next generation of King's Cross - Edinburgh expresses could have extremely far-reaching repercussions, for with most freight operators and provincial passenger operators having already invested heavily in diesel traction, there would be insufficient demand for maintenence of electrification equipment along the 393 mile route.
Such a situation could actually be attractive to the government, as it would save the expense of upgrading the route, especially if the priojected all-new 'North-South' 200mph TGV style route (which would almost certainly have to be electrified) had been approved by then.
Unthinkable though it might seem, therefore, the ECML may end up being de-electrified.

From the Jan 2006 issue of The Railway Magazine

Your thoughts please

As long as the traction is suitable I can't see a problem? 66s are replacing pretty much everything at the moment... Only problem I can see are the electric suburban services operated by the 313s and 365s. There is also the problem with Liverpool Street empty coaching stock going into Hornsey from Finsbury Park.

This is, however, only the London end of the ECML, so only time will tell.

Sam

Virtually all the parts of HST-2 are in operation. It requires a Co-Co electro-diesel locomotive hauling a new build of Mark 4 coaches. These were built for 140mile/h as IC225 (km/h). There are plenty of Eurostar articulated sets.

There is a mass production factory available with all the necessary skills at Longbridge.

The only thing wrong with the Mark 3 are the slam doors (the solution is fitted to the Wessex Electrics), the dump-to-track lavatories and the absence of a door between the buffet counter and the gangway. There is no reason to abandon the droplight windows. As Virgin Voyagers painfully demonstrate "if it works don't fix it!"

The Class 43 locos, Class 91 locos, Mark 3 coaches and Mark 4 coaches are all plug-compatible, as amply demonstated during ECML electrification. The 43hauled where wires were dead or missing.

Let us now stand back and watch the Department for Road Congestion mandarins spend the budget and achieve nothing for the next five years. Then award the contract to a notoriously high-cost supplier.

Electrification is great if everything is working. A single fault in the overhead system and the entire section of track is out of action, often for several hours. Only very limited part of the main line trackage is electrified, diversions are usually impossible. The problem is that old British Rail electrified on the cheap. Given the poor service they offered, not many passengers were expected and freight traffic was assumed to be over. The overhead system used by British Rail was built to about the lowest specification in Europe. High winds or high temperature and it is likely to fail.
Diesel power is far more adaptable and therefore more reliable in everyday use. The only problem is that diesels need to be properly maintained and regularly replaced. The actual electric locomotives are almost imortal, it is the power supply system that is so bad in UK.

Fred