wrote:
On Sat, 6 Jan 2018 07:06:02 -0800 (PST)
Paul Corfield wrote:
mix of internally generated surplus and govt investment grant pays for new =
train fleets. I can't recall a train fleet being "flogged off" to pay for a=
new one. It was Caroline Pidgeon who remarked that the proposal was "craz=
y" (or some similar term).

And will almost certainly cost TfL more in the long run. Whoever buys the
trains won't be doing it for the good of mankind, they'll want a long term
profit. As ever short termism rules in british government.

Yes, it's just a way of borrowing money at a significantly higher interest
rate than TfL would pay if it could offer its own bonds, or if the Treasury
funded the trains.

It's not as if the banks doing the lease-back will be bringing in any
private sector efficiencies like a main line ROSCO might. These trains are
completely specific to LU, so there are no potential benefits from their
being leased rather than owned.