On Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:02:23 -0800 (PST), Mr Thant
wrote:

On 20 Jan, 19:11, Paul Corfield wrote:
Eh? * I thought one extra 165 was being hunted to try to run the fabled
x15 headway. * I thought Class 172s were then the new fleet until such
time as dangly electrical wires are put in place. * Are you saying the
plan has changed again?

I've not heard that version of the plan.

This is what Peter Field had to say to the Transport Committee in
November (which is the only official mention of 165s I know of):

" What is happening - and I think we should always look towards the
future rather than perhaps the past - is you know that we have asked
the train operator, LOROL, to order new trains. Because those trains
would appear to be slower in coming than we would have liked, the
operator is instead going to in between now and then provide a class
of train called a 165 train as an interim measure. These will be
coming in quite shortly. These interim trains are very modern. They
are very high capacity. They will relieve the situation in the
shorter term before the new trains arrive, which will be to the London
Overground standard, as you know, with lots and lots of capacity, a
much longer vehicle."

I've read this and watched the webcast - both weeks ago. I think he was
responding to the regular Jennette Arnold question of "the GOBLIN is so
overcrowded that my constituents have to sellotape themselves to the
roof of the train and when can we have new, longer and more frequent
trains". I have to say I had assumed he was talking solely about what
is needed to move from x20 to x15 in the peaks. I'd also assumed that
Chiltern do not have 8 Class 165s sitting around spare - even if you do
brave things like loco haul High Wycombe line journeys in the peak.

Which implies they'll be replacing the whole fleet.

I agree it can be read that way.

(and I take it to mean that we'll be waiting a very long time for the
172s)

Unfortunately this does look to be the case. If Bombardier are really
in big trouble over train supplies then TfL and LUL are going to be in
quite serious trouble as so much of the new stock is coming from this
source. Several projects start to look rather less healthy in terms of
meeting completion deadlines.
--
Paul C