Re: MML HST's to be stood down - per RAIL magazine

> >
> > And why do we need an electric HST when an electric Pendilino is
> > already available?
>
> IC225 will become due for replacement at around the same time.
> Pendolino? Available? Needed? No to all three.
>

It might be useful tilting north of Newcastle and even a non tilting
version would surely be cheaper than developing a whole new train that
would be no better than what it replaces.

> >
> > But what about London - Exeter and London - Plymouth surely these are
> > the major markets for WC and remember Exeter and Plymouth are served by
> > limited stop services unlike Penzance.
>
> Would still require massive expenditure to save even less time, total
> waste.
> >

There is no reason why a journey time improvement for Exeter and
Plymouth comparable to that for Manchester should not be possible. West
of Plymouth tilting would be a waste of time as there are too many
stops.

> > Also, what was so expensive about tilt between Oxford - Banbury?
>
> The balises, the lifetime maintenance costs, for what? 2-3 minutes? Add
> to that the fact that they kept failing. Tilt only works on the trains
> when the trackside equipment works as well.
> >

The point is surely that it was not very expensive.

OK not much point tilting for such a short distance.

> > Surely ,Exeter and Plymouth could benefit from the sort of journey time
> > (and revenue) improvement that's been possible for Manchester and for
> > that matter so could Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield.
>
> I'm sure it could, expensive tiny tilting trains won't do it though. 26
> metre, full width coaches with the acceleration matching the 22x dmu's
> could. Eventual electrification even better. Spending lots of money on
> a proven, unreliable system would be a terrible waste. Diesel tilters
> are notoriously unreliable, and even the Italian Pendos have to have a
> special maintenance regime for their tilting systems.
>

Why do you underestimate the success that the Pendilinos have been on
the Manchester services?

Similar journey time improvements should be posible with a build of say
nine car (not so tiny) tilting Voyagers. How could HST2 provide
anything comparable when it will still be restricted to 100/110 all the
way to Exeter, likewise on the MML.

Most WC services and half of MML services are limited stop, so
acceleration counts for little what would make a difference is a 125mph
capability over long stretches on non-stop sections but impossible for
HST2.

Only on Bristol and Cardiff services would HST2 be able to stretch its
legs and then what sort of improvement will it really be over HST1.

I see no reason why any perceived reliability issuses with Voyager
tilting cannot be addressed. Perhaps we are about to see, for the first
time, just what is possible on the WCML north of Crewe.

>
> No it will be the most cost effective, universal use long distance
> train in the UK.

Providing basically the same solution that HST1 provided twenty five
years ago when it was considered, even then, a stop gap solution.

.