Resumption of the Intercity Express Programme ends 3 months of uncertainty

Down to the wire

Geoff Hunton must be wearing a very broad smile. Sheep graze on 104 acres of scruffy fields owned by the company of which he is Director, disturbed only by the two-hourly DMUs pottering up the branch to Bishop Auckland that runs alongside them. But, as he declared recently, “Hitachi is coming to Newton Aycliffe”. The company is to erect a train building plant on his land so the sheep will soon have to move on.

Although the contractual details are still being nailed down, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond’s announcement of a resumption to the IEP (Intercity Express Programme) procurement process effectively brought to an end three months of uncertainty for the economically challenged north-east. Local politicians and business leaders had mounted an exceptional campaign to attract Agility Trains – the consortium of Hitachi and John Laing – to Newton Aycliffe despite the site not featuring on its initial shortlist of 42 possibilities. The hope is that it will do for the town what Nissan has for nearby Washington: bring some security and prosperity to an area that has suffered an industrial haemorrhage.

Job centre

In two years time, livestock will have given way to a factory employing more than 500 – a sizeable number but well short of the 2,500 anticipated when Agility was revealed as preferred IEP bidder in February 2009. The world has changed since then of course. Several hundred temporary jobs will also be created during the construction phase. And thousands of permanent posts are likely to be created elsewhere within the UK’s manufacturing industry and supply chain.

Whilst £4.5 billion of rail investment can only be welcomed at a time when the country’s other public services are feeling the squeeze, delight at the news has not been universal with UNIFE – the professional body representing the European rail supply chain – being vocal in its criticism. It described the number of jobs created by the Agility deal as “extremely low compared to what could have been secured if the IEP was executed by a European supplier. The decision further reinforces the lack of reciprocity between Europe and Japan in rail procurement.” UNIFE claims the Japanese industry is effectively closed to European rolling stock suppliers with only 2% of the country’s rail equipment market being open to overseas companies.

Whatever their number, Newton Aycliffe’s workforce will be charged with delivering 100 electric and bi-mode (diesel and electric) trains for the Great Western (GW) and East Coast main lines. The first one should enter service in 2016, with Agility providing train services to operators on a pay-as-you-go basis for approximately 30 years. Around 11,000 peak-time seats will be added through a fleet comprising 533 vehicles, with the TOCs contributing to their design and specification in some detail. 308 are destined for the GW, replacing most of First Great Western’s HSTs although some will be life-extended beyond 2016 for the service into Cornwall. All 13 of East Coast’s Mallard-upgraded sets will go, but its Class 91/Mk IV electric trains are to be retained.

The order will involve eight and five-car formations, with the latter often being coupled on runs to Cardiff and Edinburgh, from where single bi-mode sets will serve destinations beyond the electrified network such as Swansea, Inverness and Aberdeen. These trains are now to have diesel engines beneath three of their five coaches.

Welsh wires

The decision to move forward with IEP brought an associated extension to wiring plans for the Great Western Main Line – Newbury, Didcot and Oxford being joined on a growing electrified network by Bristol and Cardiff. Whilst the first three should have their power switched on in 2016, timescales for the latter pair are unclear.

Labour’s intention of taking the OLE as far as Swansea was found to be devoid of a business case, the constraining factor being linespeed limitations brought by the South Wales Main Line’s challenging alignment west of Cardiff. Electrification would bring no benefits in terms of travel time. But a £704 million project – delivered by OLE factory trains working in possessions of less than eight hours – will shave 17 and 22 minutes off journeys to London from Cardiff and Bristol respectively; Swansea will be 20 minutes closer to the capital.

And whilst the medium-term prospects for the Midland Main Line’s electrification have receded further with Philip Hammond tying it to the HS2 consultation, momentum is building for Cardiff’s commuter lines to be wired. These head north through the valleys to Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Coryton and Rhymney, as well as westwards to Penarth and Barry Island. The DfT and Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) are developing a business case for the work to take place during Control Period 5 (2014-19). But this will be dependent on WAG addressing the issue of rolling stock which would need to be specified as part of the Wales & Borders refranchising, due for 2018.

Making progress

Away from the limelight, Network Rail continues to press ahead with preparatory work for wiring of the Chat Moss route between Manchester and Liverpool. A detailed study of the line’s 90 structures has been completed, identifying that 44 will need some attention to accommodate overhead line equipment. Surveys of 275 structures on the Great Western Main Line were carried out over a 16-week period towards the end of 2009.

At some locations, the Chat Moss work will only involve modifications to parapets; at others, bridges need to be completely rebuilt. Tracks will be lowered through the 34-yard tunnel beneath Kenyon Lane near Newton-le-Willows. This section’s electrification is due to be operational during 2013.

Albert Street and Old Wellington Road bridges between Eccles and Patricroft are the first to be replaced. Work started there last month and will go on for 20 weeks. Chadwick’s footbridge is to be closed from mid-May until the end of June to allow its demolition and rebuilding.

Substantive progress with Agility’s ‘manufacturing and assembly centre’ is not expected before the end of the year as commercial agreements are yet to be finalised. Newton Aycliffe’s sheep have several months of chewing time before the train builders move in. By then, Geoff Hunton’s grin will probably have been straightened somewhat by the demands placed on his negotiating skills.

Article courtesy of the rail engineer magazine.