New vehicles are priced out of market

摘要

The Competition Commission inquiry confirms that new rolling stock is 'often' not a realistic substitute for existing ex-BR MOLA fleets. Such replacement would be dependent on DfT Rail agreeing to the investment because of the 'generally higher' capital Tentals of new rolling stock compared with existing fleets, even where the new vehicles provided a better service and had greater revenue-earning potential. According to the commission, TOCs perceived that DfT 'often did not generally consider proposals for new rolling stock to constitute the best value for money'. In some lTTs for replacement franchises, new rolling stock had been 'explicitly ruled out'. In evaluating franchise bids, DfT Rail also limits its assessment of new rolling stock to the life of the franchise, rather than taking account of any longer-term benefits.