A PROPOSAL to electrify the CrossCountry Voyager fleet by inserting an additional car bearing a pantograph into the sets is being hailed as a potential lifeline for the Bombardier plant in Derby.
A plan now being considered by the Department for Transport would see the Class 220 fleet lengthened to five cars. The additional vehicle would carry a pantograph and related equipment so that the diesel electric units could become fully electric on those sections of the CrossCountry network where overhead wires exist.
For example, a CrossCountry train from Edinburgh to Bristol could make use of the overhead power from Edinburgh as far as York or Doncaster, depending on the routeing, and also perhaps for a shorter distance through the West Midlands.
There has been speculation about the possibility and some talks behind the scenes for at least two years, but this is the first time that it has been discussed in public.
Although only the CrossCountry units have been mentioned, such an upgrade could theoretically be extended to the Class 221 Virgin Super Voyager fleet and also the Class 222s operated by East Midlands Trains, which run for some 80km under overhead wires at the southern end of the Midland Main Line.
The DfT said: "If it proceeds, this work would be delivered largely from within the industry's UK operations and will safeguard jobs at the Bombardier works, including their design team and with the company's supply chain."
A spokesman for Bombardier said the company would be 'pleased to participate in the development of a business case'.
But unions are remaining cautious. UNITE leader Len McCluskey said: "New business for Bombardier is to be welcomed but we are running out of track on this. Too much is at stake for government to do anything less than to commit to a decent future for rail manufacturing in the UK.
"That still lies in the Thameslink contract, which is more than 10 times bigger than the rumoured order for electric trains, so we will be fighting every step of the way for government to consider again their dreadful decision to send this work out of the UK."
The cost of upgrading the CrossCountry fleet is put at £120 million, while the controversial new build for Thameslink, which would produce around 300 new trains, is thought to be worth £1.4 billion.