Fascinating story emerging over the past 24 hours or so – about the storage of unused emu’s in places like Crewe, Worksop, Ely and Long Marston, all being covered by the national press, and Channel 4 are broadcasting a “Dispatches” documentary on the TV today – 16th March.
The “Guardian”‘s take is here:
I love the idea they are described as “Ghost Trains” – I’ve seen the Arnold Ridley classic film “The Ghost Train” with Arthur Askey.
No – I know if what the media are reporting isn’t funny, but whilst the idea that these old Class 319 units, and former London Undergound cars are being held in storage, and maybe could be used on ‘commuter routes’, these reports need context. So, if we only have 40% of the network electrified, and major electrification projects have been cancelled, would refurbishing this stock be an important option towards solving the UK’s capacity problem.
Probably not – and in the current Coronavirus crisis this is perhaps less of an issue, but it should further identify problems that underfunding on rail infrastructure has created, and the disastrous approach to rail privatisation the UK has taken.
The storage of these trains and the waste created has been an inevitable outcome of the lack of a co-ordinated transport strategy – or “joined up thinking” as you might say, and the train operating ‘short termism’ of the industry’s approach.
Still looking forward to the Channel 4 documentary to see what Marcus Mayers from Manchester Metropolitan University has uncovered in his investigation.
-oOo-
