Given the fact that the transport budget is likely to be cut by around 25 per cent, it is not surprising that the new transport secretary, Philip Hammond, is going to have to at least reconsider a rolling stock order worth around £7 billion.
However, all is not lost because a recent report conducted by Sir Andrew Foster has thrown a positive light on matters and there have even been some positive noises coming from Mr Hammond in this regard.
He said: “Sir Andrew suggests that the Intercity Express proposition is 'positive and attractive' in a number of ways. He suggests that the PFI-style funding arrangement is novel and well-aligned in terms of financial incentives, faster acceleration and longer carriages would have a positive impact on network and passenger capacity, and the specification has also taken network sustainability and environmental imperatives seriously.”
Fingers crossed then?
