London Banter - View Single Post

Recliner[_3_] · February 20th 17, 12:55 PM posted to uk.transport.london

On Mon, 20 Feb 2017 13:15:32 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:

On Mon, 20 Feb 2017 12:53:51 +0000
Recliner wrote:
On Mon, 20 Feb 2017 12:35:57 +0000 (UTC), d wrote:
Of course if TfL had ordered a few extra 378s back in 2014.... but we've
done that argument.

On what basis could TfL have ordered any kind of EMUs in Feb 2013
(when the last 378 carriage order was authorised) for a line whose
electrification contract was only awarded in September 2015?

On the basis that it was likely to happen and a few extra trains couldn't
hurt anyway. According to wonkypedia 57 of the 378s were built so another
6 or so (I'm guessing it'll be around that required for the goblin) would
hardly have broken the bank considering the overall cost of the whole LO
project.

Do you think TfL has lots of spare cash sloshing around that it can
squander on trains that may never be needed? Do you really know
nothing about public sector procurement?

Plus there's this interesting snippet:

"In July 2015, London Overground announced an order for 45 new Class 710 units,
some of which would displace the Class 378s in use on the Watford DC Line.
These displaced units will then be cascaded to strengthen services on the other
lines the units are used on."

So in other words they didn't order enough 378s in the first place.

They knew that by 2015. They didn't when the last 378s were ordered,
more than two years earlier, or they'd have ordered more. In any case,
they'd have still needed to order more trains for the GOBLIN and the
new eastern LO lines, and 378 has now been superseded. Better that
they get more of the modern train, rather than the old one that costs
more to operate. But then, you seem to be keen that TfL wastes as much
money as possible, buying more trains that you've previously said you
hated.