On Sat, 1 May 2021 22:51:24 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
wrote:


Given that it was based on the pretty successful D78, I wonder how they got
it so wrong?

I worked on Jubilee Line extension stock in a minor way! GKN Defence
(yes you read that right) were the UK company working with whichever
of the Japanese companies ( Kawasaki Heavy Industries I think) were up
against Metro-Cammell. Kawasaki had had a bad experience doing a
refurbishment project on the New York metro so didn't want to go there
again. lt was clear London Underground didn't want to split the new
build and the refurbishment contracts so our consortium priced the job
to make the new build look more attractive. As that's what happened we
assumed the others bidders had done the same. 30 years on finding a
separate company to undertake the refurbishment would be much easier
than it was in the early 90s. Had we have won the body shells would
have been made in Japan with fit out and commission at the Telford
site. A short test track next to our existing Fighting Vehicle test
track was planned. We didn't have a rail connection which seemed a bit
of a problem to me but at that time that was well above my pay grade!