New National Rail Contract for GWR - starting 26th June 2022

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

And I suspect "a comprehensive review of its diesel fleet" is code for "a one-way HST^▸ (High Speed Train) excursion to Booths" but time will tell...

Yes, I think that “comprehensive review” of the diesel fleet has already taken place with a trip to Newport or Rotherham on the agenda for the Castle Class HSTs.

My one wish, after what must be 15-16 years of First running the entire GW^▸ (Great Western) network, that they would finally sort out having enough crew at weekends to run the full timetable. Ridiculous that after all this time of First running the GW network, most if not all weekends still have cancellations due to shortage of traincrew.

[broadgage]

If any new rolling stock is being considered to replace the short HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) in use at present, hopefully lessons will be learnt from the failed IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) project.
Make certain that the new units are ALL delivered before scrapping the old stock.
Do not scrap the old stock until the new units have run with good reliability for at least 12 months.
Ensure that the new units are not too big a backward step in comfort and facilities.

I see no merit in replacing existing stock with new all diesel units. So that means in effect
100% battery power.
Diesel/battery hybrid.
Diesel/battery/25 kv hybrid.

Make certain that they work, even at Dawlish, and in other adverse conditions. Avoid anything too innovative.

Make certain that luggage and cycle space is sufficient for use in areas popular with holidaymakers.

[Electric train]

Can we stop calling it a contract 'extension' please? It's a completely different, new *management*contract.

Legally and technically, you are correct, to most it will appear as an extension.  Either way it is good news for the employees and passengers or in modern parlance team members and customers

If any new rolling stock is being considered to replace the short HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) in use at present, hopefully lessons will be learnt from the failed IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) project.
Make certain that the new units are ALL delivered before scrapping the old stock.
Do not scrap the old stock until the new units have run with good reliability for at least 12 months.
Ensure that the new units are not too big a backward step in comfort and facilities.

I see no merit in replacing existing stock with new all diesel units. So that means in effect
100% battery power.
Diesel/battery hybrid.
Diesel/battery/25 kv hybrid.

Make certain that they work, even at Dawlish, and in other adverse conditions. Avoid anything too innovative.

Make certain that luggage and cycle space is sufficient for use in areas popular with holidaymakers.

Given the recent announcement that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are looking for additional EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) for its fleet my guess is the 'Castles' will be replaced with 5 car 800's

[ellendune]

Given the recent announcement that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are looking for additional EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) for its fleet my guess is the 'Castles' will be replaced with 5 car 800's

Will that require servicing of 800's somewhere west of Stoke Gifford?

[broadgage]

If the Castles are to be replaced by 5 car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train), then what about main line services ?

It seems that insufficient IETs are available to run the present services, about a dozen half length services today for example.
How is an already often inadequate fleet to cope if several units are to be used elsewhere ?

[grahame]

Given the recent announcement that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are looking for additional EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) for its fleet my guess is the 'Castles' will be replaced with 5 car 800's

Will that require servicing of 800's somewhere west of Stoke Gifford?

Is there not already some servicing at Long Rock and at Maliphant?

If the Castles are to be replaced by 5 car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train), then what about main line services ?

It seems that insufficient IETs are available to run the present services, about a dozen half length services today for example.
How is an already often inadequate fleet to cope if several units are to be used elsewhere ?

Yes, but the 769s will be in service by Christmas (just not telling you which Christmas) and there should be units spare from not running the superfasts that many 5 car units were built for, and more by turning the Bedwyn service into a shuttle from Newbury, or using 769s and replacing the London destination of London (Paddington) with London (Gatwick). If that does not give you enough IETs on a daily basis to meet the timetable requirements, change the timetable to schedule some more trains as 5 cars in the first place.

That comment written to mix the sensible, the pragmatic, and the "don't be silly" - interesting question is to sort out which is which.

[Electric train]

If the Castles are to be replaced by 5 car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train), then what about main line services ?

It seems that insufficient IETs are available to run the present services, about a dozen half length services today for example.
How is an already often inadequate fleet to cope if several units are to be used elsewhere ?

In the medium term some of the Cardiff / Padd stopping services could be replaces with 110mph (387) EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit)'s the timings would not be far behind that of a class 800.  If the wires go up to Oxford then all the Oxford fasts could be replaced with 387's (or equivalent 110mph EMU)

[stuving]

A copy of the current GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) contract has now appeared in DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)'s public register of rail passenger contracts. Plenty to read there!

The main thing picked up so far is what Chapter 4.3 "The Rolling Stock" says about the 769s. That's in Appendix 1 (p 81), where there are two tables. The 769s appear on the first: Original Rolling Stock - with a lease expiry date of 1st April 2023 -  but not in the second: Specified Additional Rolling Stock.

But those tables are difficult to interpret. Apart from the 80x fleet, all items are shown as additional stock leased from their own original expiry date. But the columns that would show that replacement are not filled in. It really isn't clear what the finer points of this table mean - such as an omission.

This is, of course, a contract written by lawyers, and making obvious sense is not the top priority in its layout or wording. If you want proof of that, look at the note above the table explaining what an early redelivery date is (there's a column for those - it's empty):

Explanatory Note A: Where in Column 6 both a scheduled lease expiry date and an early redelivery date are specified in relation to one or more specified units (each being a “Specified Unit”) the lease expiry date for the Specified Units shall be the early redelivery date provided that where any unit shown in Table 2 or Table 3 below as replacing any Specified Unit from the early delivery date is delivered after the early redelivery date such Specified Unit shall remain in the Train Fleet until the relevant scheduled lease expiry date or such earlier date as the Secretary of State may agree.

The other important factor is that the whole contract is a bit of a farce anyway, as it can be altered (and they usually are); and it confers almost no rights on GWR/First since everything important is at the SoS's discretion. So if, at the time of making the contract, no-one was sure what would happen with the 769s, maybe they just decided to leave that bit out. There were (and still are) a few months to see what does happen and for talks among various parties to try and find a solution.

[eightonedee]

I think it simply means that if a replacement unit is not ready to be put into service when the unit to be replaced is due to be returned, you can keep the original unit until the replacement unit is ready - unless the Secretary of State agrees to an earlier release of the unit to be replaced.

As there seems to be no replacement units in Table 2, which seems to list some further leases for current stock when the current ones expire (and no Table 3) this seems to be a note that does not apply, presumably because it's in DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)'s standard document template and was not deleted as this template was edited for the GW^▸ (Great Western) agreement.

What is perhaps a little surprising (although I have not gone through all 583 pages to find the answer!) is that there seem to be no further leases agreed for the class 387/1s when the current leases expire on 1 April next year.

[stuving]

What is perhaps a little surprising (although I have not gone through all 583 pages to find the answer!) is that there seem to be no further leases agreed for the class 387/1s when the current leases expire on 1 April next year.

There's an ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender) out for that requirement (it's on the forum somewhere) - which explains the wording in the table.

[stuving]

There's an ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender) out for that requirement (it's on the forum somewhere) - which explains the wording in the table.

Or maybe it isn't, at least I can't find it. So, for the record, this - in what always looked like a benchmarking exercise demanded by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) - was the core of the tender notice:

Type         Contract (Supply)
Duration    6 year
Value         ___
Published   31 May 2022
Delivery     01 Aug 2022 to 29 May 2028
Deadline    30 Jun 2022 00:00

Description

Great Western Railway (GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) is seeking expressions of interest from suppliers for provision of a fleet of 30 x 4-car electric multiple units (EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit)) to deliver existing London Thames Valley services, to the current sectional running times (SRTs), with at least the same seated and crush laden capacity, from the 1st of April 2023 to the 29th May 2028.
Total Quantity or Scope

Provision of a fleet of 30 x 4-car electric multiple units (EMUs) to deliver existing London Thames Valley services, to the current sectional running times (SRTs), with at least the same seated and crush laden capacity, from the 1st of April 2023 to the 29th May 2028.

The EMUs must be capable of being powered by 25kV overhead lines, be capable and approved for use at speeds of up to 110mph prior to entering service, and operating in multiples, with a through gangway, of up to three units.

Our current fleet is maintained in house at Reading Depot, supported by a TSSSA. It is our intention that maintenance provision continues in this manner.

It's been reported that the result is most of the 387 fleet (30 of 33 units) is staying.

[stuving]

The main thing picked up so far is what Chapter 4.3 "The Rolling Stock" says about the 769s. That's in Appendix 1 (p 81), where there are two tables. The 769s appear on the first: Original Rolling Stock - with a lease expiry date of 1st April 2023 -  but not in the second: Specified Additional Rolling Stock.

Maybe they (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)) really were giving the 769s one last chance in June, or maybe they had already given up on them. Either way that has now become a plan.