Users of Gospel Oak to Barking line brace for more misery as roll-out of electric trains delayed indefinitely
The planned roll-out of electric trains on the troubled Gospel Oak to Barking line has been delayed indefinitely as manufacturer Bombardier struggles to resolve software issues.
Commuters using the London Overground line have endured repeated delays to the introduction of new Class 710 electric trains, which manufacturer Bombardier has blamed on software problems.
The trains were supposed to be introduced last spring, but were then delayed until the summer. It was then promised that they would come into service last November.
As a result of the ongoing delays Transport for London (TfL) extended the lease on the line's diesel trains to fill in the gaps. However, one of the trains is being moved out of London, and the remaining trains will also be taken off the tracks during March.
Campaign group Barking – Gospel Oak rail user group (BGORUG) has said the service has been on a "knife edge" since November, with users of the line experiencing delays, cancellations and overcrowding.
In its January newsletter it wrote: "As the passenger user group for the line, BGORUG now calls for TfL to take immediate action to obtain a fleet of alternative existing electric trains to operate the line, to provide passengers with the service they have long since been promised, and to compensate regular passengers for the major delays and inconvenience they have suffered throughout 2018."
TfL said it could not provide a firm date of when the electric trains would be able to come into service.
Rory O’Neill, TfL’s general manager for London Overground, said: “We are sorry for the continuing delay to the introduction of the new fleet of trains on the Gospel Oak to Barking line. The manufacturer, Bombardier Transportation, have advised that they need more time for software development.
“We share our customers’ frustration and continue to push Bombardier to do everything they can to allow us to bring the new electric trains into service as soon as possible. We are working with Arriva Rail London so that driver training can start as soon as the software issues are resolved.
“Given the continuing delays we are now exploring the option of modifying other electric trains in our fleet for temporary use on the Gospel Oak to Barking line. There are a number of considerations that need to be resolved before we can confirm whether this is possible. We are testing a modified train on the line and expect to make a decision on whether it is possible to operate it later this month. It would operate alongside the existing diesel trains.”
Caroline Pidgeon, chair of the London Assembly's transport committee, told City A.M: “It is hard to exaggerate the misery that users of this line have faced over many years due to incompetence in upgrading the line and now ensuring new trains are delivered.
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“TfL must come clean and inform passengers as to what type of disrupted service they will now be facing during 2019."
She said that TfL should "actively seek" financial settlement from Bombardier for the delays in introducing the new trains. "This compensation payment should then be passed onto the long suffering users of this line," she added.
Bombardier declined to comment.