Greening says new franchise will offer rail users a better deal

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Chippenham People article concentrating on electrification of the line to London, new inter-city express trains, and proposed "Bristol Metro" improvements - http://www.chippenhampeople.co.uk/New-franchise-offer-rail-users-better-deal/story-15558244-detail/story.html

[Rhydgaled]

IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) a huge improvment over Intercity 125s? I don't think so. Stretched trains that don't fit the infrastructure and probablly require significant sums to be spent to clear each route for them and, beyond the wires, less economical (due to their aim of faster acceleration) with noisy underfloor engines.

IEP would probably be great for Paddington - Oxford/Bristol/Cardiff and maybe Paddington - Cheltenham if it wasn't weighed down by diesel engines and loco-hauled stock was used beyond the wires (or bi-mode 22xs in the case of the Cotswolds line, because loco-hauled trains apparently wouldn't like the frequent stops). Unfortunatly they are trying to push them onto the off-wire parts of the network too, with terrible consequences (inc. lost services where they can't afford to clear the route for said streched coaches and pontentially expensive clearance work for a couple of trains a day elsewhere).