[Article] Contract signed on trains for NI

Victor

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7963296.stm

Contract signed on trains for NI

Northern Ireland Railways train
23 new trains arrived in Northern Ireland from Spain in 2004

A multi-million pound contract has been signed for 20 new Class 4000 trains from Spain for operation on the NI rail network.

The first of the new trains is scheduled to be delivered in 2011 and introduced to passenger service by the end of that year.

The final set will be in service by 2013.

Transport minister, Conor Murphy, described the contract as "a landmark occasion for railways in the north".

"The new trains will be used to increase capacity and frequency across the railways network and to replace all of the old trains still in operation on the network," he said.

"The success of the previous 23 new trains has been evident and passengers have experienced increased service reliability, improved accessibility and overall quality of the railways experience.

"I look forward to this experience continuing with the new trains. Northern Ireland Railways will similarly feel the benefit of having 20 more modern and efficient rolling stock to plan their services."

Mr Murphy, Translink and the Spanish rail manufacturer CAF officially signed the contract for the 20 new trains on Wednesday.

http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=91345

L1011

Class 4000? Would they not just order the same again, seeing as the C3K has been successful and it'd reduce mainto costs to have a standardised fleet?

Judgement Day

Why order the same again, we are talking engineers here with a fetish for modernity just like IE - must have the latest model!

covert

No, we're talking EU procurement law. If you haven't specifically retained options to buy more of the same fleet, or if the options in your contract have expired, then you are obliged to go to a new tender process, and select by the criteria set out in the tender process.

In fairness to IE, they started with 120 of the new Intercity fleet, and with options that increased to 150, then 183, and now 234 carriages.

L1011

"from Spain" suggests they've ordered them off the same crowd (CAF) though - would be a bit strange that their spec in the tender was different enough to have CAF sell them different trains?

Run_to_da_hills

Are these not the same crowd that pawned off the notorious 8200 Dart units to IR?

Judgement Day

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Are these not the same crowd that pawned off the notorious 8200 Dart units to IR?

Yes the same crowd who produced the awful 8200s but at least they are European rather than built in South Korea/Japan. It won't be long now before we start buying our rolling stock from China.

L1011

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Are these not the same crowd that pawned off the notorious 8200 Dart units to IR?

The 8200 was Alsthom; this is CAF - IE 29000 builders.

Alsthom also made the dodgy 2700 series; and the comparatively bulletproof Citadis units the Luas uses.

Judgement Day

MYOB - The 29000s - is that a recommendation? :rolleyes:

L1011

Judgement Day wrote: »

MYOB - The 29000s - is that a recommendation? :rolleyes:

In comparison to the 8200s!

They also did the Mk4 coaches/DVTs which haven't had long enough to die yet...

Run_to_da_hills

MYOB wrote: »

The 8200 was Alsthom; this is CAF - IE 29000 builders.

Alsthom also made the dodgy 2700 series; and the comparatively bulletproof Citadis units the Luas uses.

According to this the 8200's are CAF, ( I thought that it was a Joint Alstom /CAF operation)

http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Irish%20Railcars%20&%20DARTs/A&Bindex.html

KC61

The CAF built C3K series in Northern Ireland have been a tremendous success so why not go for a similar product, as indeed have the 29000s, being exceptionally reliable.

The 8200 series DART were built by GEC Alstom a completely different manufacturer (despite what other websites say).