Post by M***@DastartdlyHQ.orgOn Thu, 17 Oct 2024 10:16:37 GMT
Post by ReclinerPost by M***@DastartdlyHQ.orgReally? So why is Khunt always bleating for more money from government then?
Capital investment. The Picc needs resignalling, and the 72 stock
desperately needs replacing. The Tube can part-fund those investments
Replacing the 73 before the 72s did seem a bit odd given the former seem
fairly reliable given the age. IME picc delays are almost always signalling
issues, rarely train failures.
The Picc is much busier, and needs more capacity. Hence longer, more
frequent, 2024 stock trains. With new signalling, frequency can be
increased further.
Some components from the scrapped 73 stock might be usable on the pretty
similar 72 stock. The relatively quiet Bakerloo line now runs less
frequently, as there’s reduced availability of the worn-out old trains.
They can soldier on for a bit longer, but there’s an increasing risk that
they may have to be hurriedly retired (eg, if the bodies develop structural
problems, or some obsolete components become unavailable). It’s certainly
not worth doing another expensive overhaul this late in their lives.
If a replacement fleet is going to be ordered, it needs to be soon, while
the Goole assembly line is still mobilised. If there’s too long a delay,
then the line will be mothballed and the staff laid-off. Restarting
production would then be much more expensive.
Also, if the Picc resignalling does go ahead, there will be the opportunity
for a top-up order for the Picc, to allow for a further frequency increase.
This could happen after the Bakerloo order. If the Bakerloo extension does
go ahead, it will also need a fleet top-up. So, between the two lines, the
Goole assembly plant could be kept busy for the best part of a decade.
By then, other Tube fleets might be coming up for replacement. For example,
if the Northern line gets split into two, a new fleet could be ordered for
one of them. And even after the current refurbishment work, the unreliable
92 stock will probably need replacing in the 2030s.