Stagecoach retains SWT

[mattvince]

Extra Class 458 vehicles might be hard - would they, being 'new' vehicles to an 'old' design, meet the present crashworthiness requirements? Or would a derogation be required? Would Alstom be willing to open a new Juniper production line just to build thirty vehicles - or would all the savings from low lease charges for the existing 458 fleet be wiped out by the massive cost of the new vehicles? Then there are economic factors - Porterbrook might be inclined, with the lifespan of a fifth JOP car likely to only be about 20 years, to charge high capital rentals in order to get thirty years of return in twenty. The cheaper solution may well, I'm afraid to say, be to order 30 Class 450 middle-vehicles. Reopening the Siemens production line would be easier (hence cheaper), and with up to 25 years lifespan for the vehicles, capital rentals would be lower. In that case, instant nominees for 5-cars are the last 17 (450111-127).

[arabiandisco]

I doubt there would be crashworthiness issues, as they would be intermediate vehicles. 460s are likely to become redundant soon, perhaps they could be used...

I'll put my cynics hat on and say it won't ever happen, because the DfT won't pay for the platform extensions, and then the francise will have to be renegotiated, just like the Great Western one...