Power Blunder Will Hit New Trains

12.00.00am GMT Thu 13th Feb 2003

The plans for new SW Trains rolling stock may have hit a major snag.

Because of lack of sufficient power, the carriages will not be able to enter service and over 600 of the 785 new units due to arrive from manufacturers in the summer will be kept in storage.

Railtrack, which was responsible for the problem before its collapse, simply did not plan sufficient power supplies to enable the upgrade to take place and the taxpayer and the rail companies are having to pick up the bill.

Vincent Cable, MP, who was recently briefed on the problem by SW Trains senior management, said: "this is an appalling mess."

"Because of mistakes made a few years ago the new carriages (which use more power than the old units) cannot come into service, so local commuters will remain over crowded while new trains sit in sheds."

"The author of Thomas the Tank Engine would have been hard pressed to invent a story like this."

"The one positive signal is that belatedly money is being found for enhanced power supplies".