Would a new build of 91s and Mk4s done the job?
Worth it? In a word, yes.Has the extra 15mph and Tilt been worth it? Would a new build of 91s and Mk4s done the job?
Would've been double that had railtrack not screwed up. Also the 390 is a successor to the IC225 (being built by Alstom, GEC & Metro Cammell's successor), and they were intended to tilt.Has the extra 15mph and Tilt been worth it? Would a new build of 91s and Mk4s done the job?
There was an option for some 225s sets for the WCML a good few years before this of course, but I believe NSE was prioritised iirc. But yes, obviously would not have happened at the time of Pendolinos.This of course would almost certainly not have been on the table in the time frame in which the Pendolinos were ordered...
Has the extra 15mph and Tilt been worth it? Would a new build of 91s and Mk4s done the job?
This of course would almost certainly not have been on the table in the time frame in which the Pendolinos were ordered...
Erm. It has. Britain isn't the sole country in the world, you know? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PendolinoProduction over a couple of decades has not really taken off
Wikipedia said:Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Solvenia, Finland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Solvakia, the UK, Switzerland and China.
Has the extra 15mph and Tilt been worth it? Would a new build of 91s and Mk4s done the job?
Yes that rings a bell, after that fell through I'm sure there was an option for some 225s for the WCML. Can't remember anymore sadly.IIRC it was either the proposed class 93 + rake of coaches for the WCML or NSE Networkers and the Networker project won.
Signalling isn't the issue, unless you want to go faster than 125 mph. It's down to track geometry, politics, and money.How much of the WCML could have been signalled to allow 125 mph running without tilt, like on the other main lines?
Once 140 mph was off the agenda, haven’t Virgin done a bit of a con job by implying tilt was the only game in town?
This is my view, on the whole; prior to the start of the Modernization the options considered were 125mph conventional, 140mph tilt, and 155mph tilt, with 125mph tilt having been discarded early on in the process.How much of the WCML could have been signalled to allow 125 mph running without tilt, like on the other main lines?
Once 140 mph was off the agenda, haven’t Virgin done a bit of a con job by implying tilt was the only game in town?
Erm. It has. Britain isn't the sole country in the world, you know? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendolino
Nevertheless, according to Alstom, over 300 trains have their tilting technology in use. That seems like a substantial number that likely has resulted in profit overall. On top of this, according to Alstom, once again, it is the most successful high-speed train in the world, with over 500 trainsets having been sold; good to note that this press release is prior to the Amtrak Avelia Liberty contract being signed/announced. It definitely seems like it has likely been a worthy investment by Alstom.an endorsement of the tilting design
Has the extra 15mph and Tilt been worth it? Would a new build of 91s and Mk4s done the job?
This of course would almost certainly not have been on the table in the time frame in which the Pendolinos were ordered...
As others have said, it wasn’t the signalling that was the issue. The WCML has, unfortunately, short stretches of relatively straight track interspersed with relatively tight curves every so often. Not having tilt would make a notable difference to journey times.How much of the WCML could have been signalled to allow 125 mph running without tilt, like on the other main lines?
IIRC it was either the proposed class 93 + rake of coaches for the WCML or NSE Networkers and the Networker project won.
Signalling isn't the issue, unless you want to go faster than 125 mph. It's down to track geometry, politics, and money.