Inter-city Express Programme,the great survivor, rumbles on

摘要

Something else I got right last month, but I'm not boasting about it, was that the Inter-city Express Programme (IEP) is a 'done deal'. In his 1 March electrification announcement Transport Secretary Philip Hammond also confirmed that procurement of the Inter-city Express Programme was 'resuming' with the Department 'proceeding with the proposal that Agility Trains have put forward as preferred bidder'. It is now hoped to reach financial close 'by the end of the year', whereas I had been told the end of October. And there are reports that the decision to continue was in the balance up to the last moment.