Sometimes you just have to spend the money and the IoW is potentially an example of this.
Here's my idea for a crayonista design, acquire some brand new prototype Underground stock and set it up for driverless trains. Use the island as a testing bed before rolling out in London.....
i think potentially a multi-use VLR concept would work better,but the TOC's need to talk to each other.there are lots of other branch lines in the uk that maybe only cover 20-30 miles that have a low payload,so need to keep operating costs right down.
there is probably a case for DOO(pay on entry like a bus at one entry point or altogether contactless), low height 15-18m car length,2 car artic, with good acceleration and top speed 60mph or so.
the class 230 would seem like a good starting point,but joe public expects better than 50 year old hand me downs,they might be ok with a cut "n "shut DLR type thing.
if enough TOC's can see merit in running a vehicle better than a 153/pacer for the same cost,the economies of scale would come.it's cheaper to order 200 of them than 10 sets of bespoke units.
the pacer itself was to give it credit a very low cost but effective solution to a real problem we had in the 80's, it was really just a bit under-designed...a little too rough and ready where an extra year under development would have probably ironed out a lot of the wrinkles they get slated for.
as I see it there is still very much a need for a super low cost,easy to maintain,reliable,efficient and versatile/low RA unit that will just do the job,no more....no need for on board USB/WIFI etc just get from A to B comfortably and on time all the time.
new TOC orders seem to be concentrating on all the bells and whistles,but for a branch line with 10 people per train this does not make sense.
what does a branch line train really need?....just a toilet and a cycle bay for the most part.