"Paul Scott" wrote in message
news

"Martin Underwood" wrote in message
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"Paul Scott" wrote in message
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"Martin Underwood" wrote in message
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"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...

I hadn't realised that the main-line TOCs (as opposed to London
Underground) no longer used Old Dalby, as the report implies by the
talk of saving the line from closure by the decision to test LU trains
there. I'd assumed that Old Dalby would still be used for testing main
line trains - and now, additionally, LU trains. If main-line trains are
no longer tested there, then where are they tested?

There are trains being tested in the Czech Republic - the part of RP's
previous post that you snipped...

Oh so it's yet another thing that's being done overseas? Is there
*anything* that we can do in this country without having to do it
overseas?
All the recent EMU/DMU orders have been delivered through the tunnel,
having been tested on Siemens' test track, although the SWT Desiros all
went through a limited test on the Bournemouth-Weymouth line as well prior
to entry into service. If any further orders for whole trains rather than
extra carriages for existing (Voyagers, Pendolinos, 185s etc) require pre
delivery testing, it will depend on where they are built, I suppose. I
believe the only sizeable order in the pipeline is for Bombardier
Electrostars for the NLL and ELL

There's the government's "1000 extra carridges" order, if you believe that
will happen, though of course that should be split across existing designs.
I'd imagine them to be new tranches of complete units to bolster fleets.

We are not the only country to be testing abroad. The new TGV POS sets for
Paris - Germany - Strasbourg, although built in France, have also been
tested in the Czech Republic for some reason.

Dave