Informed Sources
WELCOME TO THE ’80s
Competitive procurement for 10 extra train sets
Six traction options
Ridership recovery uncertain
Continuing the theme of competition and doctrinaire procurement, back in October 2020 LNER issued an Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) notice announcing it is ‘seeking to procure a minimum fleet of 10 inter-city trains based around specific technical and operating characteristics’.
Requirements include operation on 25kV overhead line equipment (OLE), plus significant self-power capability for operation away from the OLE. On Board Energy Storage (OBES) for traction will be specified as a mandatory requirement ‘to reduce, and wherever practicable eliminate, diesel usage where it would otherwise be necessary’. LNER anticipates that some degree of diesel traction may still be required to supplement the OBES to meet all the self-power requirements.
Potential suppliers are asked to provide details of their experience of designing and manufacturing a fleet of multi-mode trains. This may include options such as ‘battery-electric, diesel-electric, hydrogen-electric, battery-diesel, dual-fuel or tri-mode’.
Such experience can have been gained anywhere in the world within…
