"Angus Bryant" wrote in message ...
From the Independent:

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/tra...p?story=571591

High-speed commuter rail scheme delayed by a year
By Barrie Clement, Transport Editor
13 October 2004

A £300m project to establish Britain's first super-fast commuter rail
service will be delayed by at least a year amid concern that it could be a
hugely expensive "white elephant", The Independent understands.

What a surprise!

The specialised 186mph trains are due to start running from stations in Kent
to London along the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), but ministers are still
arguing over which rolling stock to order.

Over engineered trains again. Would it not be eaiser to use the line
at 160mph and add 5 minutes to the London Paris journey time?

Industry sources assert that there is "not a cat in hell's chance" of the
new trains being ready on time - a prediction privately acknowledged by
Whitehall officials.

The Department for Transport has registered its dismay about the price of
the new rolling stock, which has to be specially built to cope with the
different electrification systems on the domestic and CTRL tracks. It is
known that the cost of the 18 "sets" - locomotive and carriages - could be
£200m. However, it is possible that more sets will be required, taking the
final price tag, together with other costs, to £300m.

I've heard each set is six carriages = £1.8 - 2.7 million per
carriage, compared with £1 million for the new South East Trains.

Some government officials are also worried that the new services may fail to
attract sufficient commuters.

With expansion in Ashford and Medway they'll have enough. Especially
if they're only six carriages.

While a new station at Ebbsfleet, Gravesend, is expected to be popular with
passengers because of its proximity to the A2 and the M25, there is a
question-mark over other stations further away from the capital.

The new trains would operate on three main routes. One of the new services
is scheduled to start at Folkestone and another at Ramsgate. They will both
then join the CTRL at Ashford International.

Anyone know if they plan the join the units at Ashford?

From there they go via
Ebbsfleet under the Thames to Stratford and on into London. Another is
supposed to begin at Sittingbourne, run through the Medway towns then on to
the CTRL at Ebbsfleet. They will all terminate at St Pancras.

It is thought that the only way of guaranteeing full trains would be by
keeping the cost of tickets down. Ministers still hope that a premium rate
can be charged for the super-fast services, possibly double the rate paid on
comparable routes on the far slower suburban network.

So after paying standard rates for the slowest trains in England
(Europe?) they're expected to pay extra for the fastest. Double the
rate would be inaffordable for too many commuters - how mnany people
commute on the Heathrow Express?