Rolling Stock
Transport
Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2012, Official Report, column 43W, on rolling stock, for what reason the projected carriage numbers for the Intercity Express Programme rolling stock contract have been reduced since May 2010.
Simon Burns (Chelmsford, Conservative)
The projected number of carriages for the Intercity Express Programme rolling stock contract fell from 950 to slightly more than 750 under the previous Administration, but has not decreased substantially since May 2010. A small number of carriages were reallocated in later phases of IEP, rather than in the first phase, and following ongoing reviews of how the train sets can be deployed. Agility Trains proposed delivering a similar level of service with a lower number of carriages as a result of more efficient deployment of rolling stock.