My estimate 2025 for full introduction, they're still aiming for earlier. The cracks on Azumas required a review of the build, and showed that with modest revisions to castings they'll be strong enough with their slightly shorter bodies. That wasn't immediately apparent. Covid has also added in delay. All 3 bidders were optimistic on rolling stock, especially when including cascades over which they'd have limited control. Sadly the bidding process invites euphoric optimism from bidders about new units and services. Without it they wouldn't get an award from a DfT that seems unable to see that none of the bids really add up. It drives operating departments mad when they have to deliver. EMR is as trapped in the old system as all the others. Obviously very few on here will know all the bid details, particularly on finance, and if they do they shouldn't be saying.
I accept that but under the ERMAs the principle was that the operating companies (Abellio in this case) would have any shortfall covered and would be given a small margin (profit) on top. There is no way Abellio should be benefiting from the mess at EMR which, whichever way you cut it, is partly down to Abellio’s mis-bidding and mismanagement of the franchise. At least if Abellio was stripped of the franchise the margin would be retained by the Treasury and could be used elsewhere.
So why can't anyone provide actual information?
If it wasn't Abellio, it would be the DfT's appointed consultants who run their OLRs. Who, I am sure, will be making a very healthy profit on their work.
I don't think Abellio can be truly blamed for making an overoptimistic bid. The only bidder that could possibly have won would be one who submitted a bid like theirs.
Certainly that's not general knowledge within the business let alone outside it. An update all round would be nice. We've not had a detailed fleet update for a long time.
Commercially sensitive, constantly changing picture and yet another task for already hard pressed staff!
There maybe relevant underlying issues but a competent organisation wouldn't over commit. Also what I don't get is after the May 2018 fiasco the industry was supposed to have a created a cross Industry Programme Management Office (PMO) to manage risks for introduction of new timetables that should have tested EMR readiness to deliver what was being bid for. What was their assessment? But yet again the timetable was launched and it all fell apart and now it could several years to resolve is an indication of massive mgt failure or were they cajoled by the Dept of T to deliver it?
Before a rumour unintentionally starts and spreads, there is absolutely nothing to suggest Aurora is being delayed to 2025 - I believe it was Killingworth's way of musing that the railway has a nasty habit of running late, rather than that being a serious suggestion based on insider knowledge.
Correct. And thought I'd effectively said that in previous posts. Some will be in service alongside Meridians earlier than others. At this stage it's too early to tell precisely when the first and last will be in service and all Meridians gone. Construction is still in early stages with delivery, testing, training and introduction to come. As there are other examples of very similar trains already operating there should be fewer issues to resolve. Nevertheless intentions to recover seats in Meridians seems a prudent idea.
Looks like you will to put up with them for at least another four years
EMR are very very keen on telling people about changes due to the strike but are very quiet about changes caused by pEMR. To the extent stations without a Sunday service (therefore not effected by the strike) have posters about the strike but nothing about the "temporary" (six months and counting) timetable. The same is true on the EMR website.
I don't travel on EMR but i can empathise with you entirely having been a commuter in May 2018 fiasco on Thameslink about how frustrating it is. In my situation we had the benefit of huge political pressure being bought to bare and GTR were forced to chuck everything at it to get things restored to a reasonable level within a matter of weeks then get back to largely where they should have been within six months. Following this thread it appears that there is no political pressure locally and thus EMR are able to keep a low profile and are not being compelled to present a recovery plan. I suspect the dead hand of the DofT maybe in here as EMR looks like an expensive TOC to run looking at the payments made to them over the last 12 mths and thus EMR mgt have to keep stum to avoid an OLR takeover.
vague as usual no attempt to address why and when this maybe resolved but the local Tory covers himself.
derwentvalleyline.org.uk
Not good
I'm still not happy with as the direct Matlock to Nottingham isn't reinstated as my my local station Spondon has stops reduced, I relied on that weekday hourly stopping and 21 a day on Saturdays
Indeed, yes. And the Nottm-Matlock service is valuable for a lot of leisure related purposes too. It's a major cut back in my view and a significant loss.
very good points in my view.
