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Tyne & Wear Metro Fleet Replacement: Awarded to Stadler

MetroCar4058

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Are they looking at sharing the line with the freight traffic or constructing a new one? I didn’t realise how well used that Port of Tyne link was.

Sharing of the line. The line isn’t particularly well used (I think 2 a day) and was actually disused for a short period.
 
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ModernRailways

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You are looking at Port of Tyne which receives a large amount of freight each day. Those freight services already share the line with Metro and Northern as they enter the Port at Brockley Whins.

Jarrow Oil Terminal/Shell is totally different, and has 1 booked path per day from Lindsey Oil Refinery. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...19/08/05/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt
 

cosmo

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You are looking at Port of Tyne which receives a large amount of freight each day. Those freight services already share the line with Metro and Northern as they enter the Port at Brockley Whins.

Jarrow Oil Terminal/Shell is totally different, and has 1 booked path per day from Lindsey Oil Refinery. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...19/08/05/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Realised my mistake before you quoted me :P I should know and all, I pass it most days!
 
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Speaking of Brockley Whins, when is the track repair taking place that’ll lift the speed restriction? It’s seemed to have been in place all year!
 

danpick

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Speaking of Brockley Whins, when is the track repair taking place that’ll lift the speed restriction? It’s seemed to have been in place all year!
In place from the beginning of November towards Brockley Whins, but fixed a few months ago, been in place since middle/end of November towards Fellgate.
 

ainsworth74

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Hitachi have been knocked out of the running which has lead to some understandable anger locally:

Tyne and Wear Metro: Hitachi in County Durham fails to win new train contract

The Japanese train builder Hitachi has failed to win an order to supply 54 new trains for the Tyne and Wear metro.

The company was up against Spanish firm CAF and Swiss train manufacturer Stadler for the £500m contract.

Hitachi, which has a plant in County Durham, said it could not comment for legal reasons. Metro operator Nexus said it could not comment.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said it was an "appalling decision" that failed to protect a local business and jobs.

"The new Nexus trains will be built by a foreign company, rather than one just down the road," he said.

"We must stop this madness."

A Nexus spokesman said the procurement of the new fleet was "an ongoing process".

"The successful bidder will be officially announced in January," he said.

Hitachi's plant in Newton Aycliffe employs 700 people and built the East Coast Mainline's new Azuma trains.

It won a £400m order for new Midland main line carriages but failed to secure a £1.5bn London Underground contract and has no orders beyond spring next year.

Mr Houchen has called on the authorities awarding the contract to review their "perverse decision".

"Trains built locally by Hitachi Rail can be found on railways around the world but, because of this horrendous decision, this is being put at risk," he said.

Of the remaining contenders, CAF has plants in Spain, France, the US, Mexico, Brazil and Newport and Stadler has a factory in Liverpool.

The new trains are expected to have air conditioning, Tube-style linear seating to increase capacity, wider doors and aisles, and digital features such as Wi-Fi connectivity and charging points.

The winning firm will also maintain the fleet.

Link

So that leaves CAF and Stadler in the running for the new fleet.
 

MetroCar4058

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Hitachi have been knocked out of the running which has lead to some understandable anger locally:



Link

So that leaves CAF and Stadler in the running for the new fleet.


I don’t get this love for Hitachi, the chances are they wouldn’t be built in the NE anyway as the factory is maxed out. Stadler have some very good Metro products, please be them.
 

Swanny200

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I don’t get this love for Hitachi, the chances are they wouldn’t be built in the NE anyway as the factory is maxed out. Stadler have some very good Metro products, please be them.
Stadler obviously are doing the Merseyrail EMU's, I'm hoping for something similar to the Berlin U-Bahn IK trains that they are producing albeit without so many doors. I am not as clued up on what CAF can produce for metro stock, many people here are criticizing the system for not having Hitachi with the factory being so close by
 

Meerkat

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Hitachi have been knocked out of the running which has lead to some understandable anger locally:



Link

So that leaves CAF and Stadler in the running for the new fleet.

Stadler has a factory in Liverpool and the Hitachi plant has built trains running all over the world?
Have I been asleep for a long time?!
 

Tetchytyke

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I know Ben Houchen is a Tory arch-Brexitist so things like geography will addle his tiny mind, but should someone tell him that Hitachi are Japanese not Geordie, and that Japan is very definitely A Foreign Country?

The "factory" at Aycliffe was only ever an assembling plant, and was only ever a sop to get political objections to the Insanely Expensive Train out of the way.
 

DanNCL

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Nexus have now released a statement insisting that all three bidders (including Hitachi) are still in the running.
https://www.nexus.org.uk/news/item/nexus-plans-new-metro-train-fleet
Nexus said:
.
Nexus plans for a new Metro train fleet
Nexus, the public body which owns and manages the Tyne Wear Metro, today issued the following statement about its programme to order a £362m new train fleet.

The procurement of our new fleet is an ongoing process, and we have made no decision about who might be awarded the contract to design and build new trains. We will not comment on any details of the respective bids from the final three companies involved - Hitachi Rail, Stadler or CAF - at this stage. The successful bidder will be announced in the new year when we have completed detailed and thorough evaluation.

The successful bidder will design, build and maintain a fleet and maintenance facilities that will serve Metro for 35 years, as well as a new depot constructed at the existing site in Gosforth, Newcastle.

Our detailed specification takes account of consultation with more than 3,000 Metro passengers in 2016 and 2017, followed by market engagement with train builders to refine the plans.

The three shortlisted bidders are challenged to design trains which will operate efficiently and robustly, supplying a step change in Metro availability and performance, with a bright modern appearance.
 

Meerkat

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To be pedantic it doesn’t actually state that Hitachi are still in, it just says they aren't telling yet.
 

jkkne

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The small minded reaction on social media and in the local press pretty much sums up everything that has been wrong with the Metro plans over the past decade or so

I for one offer rare applause to Nexus for not following the obvious politically easy way out.
 

Tetchytyke

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The small minded reaction on social media and in the local press pretty much sums up everything that has been wrong with the Metro plans over the past decade or so

It sums up everything that's wrong with the north east and why so much of it is dead on its arse.
 

Chester1

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It sums up everything that's wrong with the north east and why so much of it is dead on its arse.

I am sympathetic to the argument that key industries need to be protected from disappearing completely in the whole of the UK e.g. steel making. However, its pathetic when this gets to the local level. Local politicians and newspapers etc are kicking off over Hitachi not getting a local order. Meanwhile Hitachi will be busy delivering the EMR order (which East Midlands politicians criticised being given to Hitachi rather than Bombardier).
 

jkkne

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Judging by the absolute shower of a performance of late, I’m sure fellow commuters will be thrilled with a driver let alone a train.
 

swt_passenger

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Is it possible or likely that Stadler’s offering for new TWM stock will be fairly similar to the class 777 for Merseyrail?
 

edwin_m

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Is it possible or likely that Stadler’s offering for new TWM stock will be fairly similar to the class 777 for Merseyrail?
Stadler obviously are doing the Merseyrail EMU's, I'm hoping for something similar to the Berlin U-Bahn IK trains that they are producing albeit without so many doors. I am not as clued up on what CAF can produce for metro stock, many people here are criticizing the system for not having Hitachi with the factory being so close by
I would have thought the 777 fits the bill pretty closely although there may be some adjustments due to tighter curves and possibly different platform dimensions, but Stadler is used to tweaking designs to cope with the vagaries of different Swiss mountain railways etc. As the Metro platforms are all straight they probably don't need the moving steps being fitted on Merseyrail - unless these are needed for the suggested heavy rail compatibility. According to Wikipedia the 777 is based on the same design platform as the Berlin U-bahn stock.

CAF has produced a lot of Metro cars for Spain, also some for Rome if I recall correctly.
 

DanNCL

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As the Metro platforms are all straight they probably don't need the moving steps being fitted on Merseyrail
Metro does have a few curved platforms - both platforms at Stadium of Light, platform 1 at Tynemouth, platform 2 at Kingston Park and platform 2 at Wansbeck Road are curved. Tynemouth platform 1 in particular would benefit from a moving step to fill the gap.
 

jh64

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Announcement soon according to this morning's local BBC news:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-tyne-51151577

9:25
New metro train fleet annoucement 'on track'
James Harrison

Local Democracy Reporter

Nexus is "on track" to unveil its £500m fleet of new trains within weeks, transport bosses have confirmed.

Negotiations are ongoing with three companies - Spanish firm CAF, Swiss manufacturer Stadler and Japanese Hitach - over which one will win the contract to overhaul the Tyne and Wear Metro's ageing network.

Nexus submitted its business case to the government in November, but a decision on funding worth £337m was delayed due to the general election.

However, news of the decision is expected to be publicised in coming weeks, "immediately following" the conclusion of negotiations with the Department for Transport.

upload_2020-1-22_14-30-28.gif
BBCCopyright: BBC
The trains are expected to be able to take more passengers than existing rolling stock and boast air conditioning and charging points, among other features.

Speaking at a meeting of the North East Joint Transport Committee, Tobyn Hughes, managing director at Nexus, said: “The process to award the contract for the successful bidder to build and maintain the new Metro fleet is on track to be announced before the end of the month.”
 

MetroCar4058

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To be fair, the project is rather behind schedule. Should’ve been announced at the beginning of this month and that’s after accounting for all of the delays at other stages.

I believe I saw a later year used for the introduction of the new stock as well. 2023 I believe? A total mess. It’s important to note that a lot of it is down to DfT taking their leisurely time with things.
 

Tetchytyke

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Big coincidence that fuss over Hitachi running out of work eh?

Hitachi, use their workforce as collateral damage in a political game? Say it ain't so!

This is the same Hitachi who were found by the NAO to be ripping us off with IEP.
 

Wolfie

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It sums up everything that's wrong with the north east and why so much of it is dead on its arse.
Yup. If other areas took the same view, and blocked Hitachi products from bids as not locally produced, the very same folk would moan like hell...
 

Tetchytyke

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Yup. If other areas took the same view, and blocked Hitachi products from bids as not locally produced, the very same folk would moan like hell...

I wouldn't* mind quite so much if Hitachi used a local supply chain, instead of making everything in sodding Japan and then getting Aycliffe to bolt it together like a giant Ikea flatpack.

(*I would really. Ben Houchen is a walking lobotomy)
 

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