Hitachi and Abellio sign contract for 70 trains

[West Ruislip]

It has been announced today (March 12) that Hitachi and Abellio have signed a contract for the construction and maintenance of 70 new AT200 trains for the new ScotRail franchise.

Consisting of 46 3-car and 24 4-car EMU sets, the new trains will run on the Glasgow to Edinburgh and Stirling-Alloa-Dunblane routes, with the first sets entering passenger service in late 2017.

The purchase of the fleet is being financed by Caledonian Rail Leasing Ltd.

 

[BananaRepublic]

Old news. First announced 5 months ago in October. This latest press release is reporting the finalising and signing of the contract.

 

[47802]

Old news. First announced 5 months ago in October. This latest press release is reporting the finalising and signing of the contract.

Why is it old news a deal isn't final until contracts are signed which is what is being reported.

 

[Darandio]

This latest press release is reporting the finalising and signing of the contract.

Which is new news, surely?

 

[NicholasNCE]

What's interesting is the £1 buy-back option after 25 years for the Scottish government, isn't this a first?
Also no poaching by other TOCs as their use is guarenteed for the same 25 years in Scotland.

 

[Bodiddly]

What's interesting is the £1 buy-back option after 25 years for the Scottish government, isn't this a first?
Also no poaching by other TOCs as their use is guarenteed for the same 25 years in Scotland.

They're Japanese so they might not even be worth a quid then!

 

[TheKnightWho]

They're Japanese so they might not even be worth a quid then!

I was under the impression that Japanese trains were some of the highest quality and best in the world..?

 

[The 4th Rail]

Maybe the trains value will suffer deflation like the Japanese economy

 

[The Ham]

They're Japanese so they might not even be worth a quid then!

As I understand it, it is £1 for the whole fleet of 70 trains, that then means that each train would be valued at 1.5p or less than 0.5p per coach. Even if Scotland didn't want the trains they would be stupid not to buy them and then sell them to someone else (or lease them to someone else), even if just for scrap.

 

[Bodiddly]

I totally forgot! Humour is bypassed on forums! :roll:

 

[route:oxford]

What's interesting is the £1 buy-back option after 25 years for the Scottish government, isn't this a first?
Also no poaching by other TOCs as their use is guarenteed for the same 25 years in Scotland.

It's a very interesting manouvre on the part of the Scottish Government and Hitachi.

 

[gazthomas]

As I understand it, it is £1 for the whole fleet of 70 trains, that then means that each train would be valued at 1.5p or less than 0.5p per coach. Even if Scotland didn't want the trains they would be stupid not to buy them and then sell them to someone else (or lease them to someone else), even if just for scrap.

They could sell them on to the Northern Rail franchise holders in the future for £2 - 100% profit!

 

[RochdalePioneers]

So are these trains built in Japan then shipped via Tyne Dock to Heighington for application of stickers like the IEP sets?

 

[TheKnightWho]

I totally forgot! Humour is bypassed on forums! :roll:

It tends to be funny if, you know, there's a grain of truth in it :roll:

Yours is about as funny as me joking about Germans being inefficient or Russians and their sobriety.

 

[najaB]

So are these trains built in Japan then shipped via Tyne Dock to Heighington for application of stickers like the IEP sets?

Much like the IEP's, I think the plan is that the first few units will be made in Japan, but the bulk of the order will be built in Newton Aycliffe.

 

[andyb2706]

Much like the IEP's, I think the plan is that the first few units will be made in Japan, but the bulk of the order will be built in Newton Aycliffe.

I thought so too. But I read an article (that I have attached a link to below) that states that the body shells will be built in Japan and then shipped here to be put together unless they get more orders for the train, so not a wholly built UK train.

Now this was dated October 2014 so whether things have changed since then.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/hitachi-to-build-scotrail-emus.html

 

[najaB]

I thought so too. But I read an article (that I have attached a link to below) that states that the body shells will be built in Japan and then shipped here to be put together unless they get more orders for the train, so not a wholly built UK train.

I guess we'll have to 'watch this space' as the plans seem to be a bit fluid.

 

[jon0844]

As I understand it, it is £1 for the whole fleet of 70 trains, that then means that each train would be valued at 1.5p or less than 0.5p per coach. Even if Scotland didn't want the trains they would be stupid not to buy them and then sell them to someone else (or lease them to someone else), even if just for scrap.

I'd buy them for 1.5p per train then lease them to Northern (and, no, not sell them for £2 the lot). Northern likes leasing old trains for silly money...

 

[D365]

Northern likes leasing old trains for silly money...

Wasn't Island Line the best at it?

 

[DownSouth]

I thought so too. But I read an article (that I have attached a link to below) that states that the body shells will be built in Japan and then shipped here to be put together unless they get more orders for the train, so not a wholly built UK train.

More importantly, all the high value manufacturing will come from Japan regardless of where the bodies get built.

This is the same with the "UK-built" Bombardier multiple units. The bodies might be constructed in the UK but the majority of the manufacturing spend will be offshore in places such as Sweden, Germany, Austria and possibly even India where they are shifting production of bogies.

 

[3141]

They could sell them on to the Northern Rail franchise holders in the future for £2 - 100% profit!

Ha ha. Northern passengers can look forward to yet more cast-offs in 2042!

 

[Peter Sarf]

At £1 for a fleet of 70 units that is a good buy for anybody. I don't need a railway to run them on - I am thinking of their scrap value. No jokes about Northern please .

 

[BananaRepublic]

Old news. First announced 5 months ago in October. This latest press release is reporting the finalising and signing of the contract.

Why is it old news a deal isn't final until contracts are signed which is what is being reported.

Which is new news, surely?

It's the way that the news of the contract being signed is presented, as if the order for the trains is totally new information, when nearly all the detail was announced 5 months ago; but there is no mention of that in the story.
It's like an attempt to re-write history.
To me, the reporting seems to fit in with the general sensationalist style of the present day media.

I'm sure more honest and factual reporting could report that the order announced previously, had been formally signed and sealed. They could still "Big Up" the story as much as they feel necessary, if that's what the editorial policy desires.


.

 

[Chris125]

You can see what's being sourced from the UK in the following graphic from the DfT announcement of the IEP's arrival:

 

[Yew]

It tends to be funny if, you know, there's a grain of truth in it :roll:

Yours is about as funny as me joking about Germans being inefficient or Russians and their sobriety.

Perhaps there is, the Japanese are scrapping some fairly new Shinkansens currently, after their whole 20 year service life.

 

[Nym]

You can see what's being sourced from the UK in the following graphic from the DfT announcement of the IEP's arrival:

Nice to see they can spell Tyne and Wear

They also fail to mention the ownership of the companies (and other parts of manufacture for the parts).

Harting are German
and assuming H&S are Huber and Shruner, so are they...

As a couple of examples.

 

[najaB]

They also fail to mention the ownership of the companies (and other parts of manufacture for the parts).

Does it really matter that much where the HQ of a company is if the jobs (and income tax) are in the UK?

 

[Peter Sarf]

Forgive me if I am wrong but that (post 24) does not seem like a significant proportion of the whole train is remotely British. Hopefully it is the high value parts. But the engine, transmission and body don't seem to be from Britain.

How does this compare to recent/up-coming Siemens or Bombardier products though ?.

 

[Domh245]

Forgive me if I am wrong but that (post 24) does not seem like a significant proportion of the whole train is remotely British. Hopefully it is the high value parts. But the engine, transmission and body don't seem to be from Britain.

How does this compare to recent/up-coming Siemens or Bombardier products though ?.

Quite similarly to be honest. Slightly more than the Desiro cities though, and I can't find anything about the aventras for crossrail

Very large diagram similar to class 80x one above showing UK Parts in desiro city

 

[WatcherZero]

On the last models was something in the order of 60% British by value on Bombardier assembled in Derby and 65% British on the Siemens imported from Germany.