UK: Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram is seeking compensation from train manufacturer Stadler following continued poor performance of Merseyrail’s new fleet of Class 777 electric multiple-units.
The announcement on November 8 came after a meeting with the Chief Executive of Stadler the previous day which involved ‘a full and frank exchange of views’. A statement by the Combined Authority noted ’the Mayor made clear, in no uncertain terms, that current performance of the fleet roll-out had been frustratingly poor and demanded immediate improvements for passengers’.
| Table I. Class 777 performance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Measure | Period 7 September 17 - October 14 | MAA to P7 |
| Miles Per Technical Incident | 1 152 | 718 |
| Miles per 701D code (Mp701D) | 465 | 494 |
Reliability figures have been low on both the Miles Per Technical Incident and the Rail Delivery Group’s new Mp701D measures (Table 1). The launch of the new service to Headbolt Lane in late October has been particularly disappointing, with the battery-electric trains being described as ‘very unreliable’. The Mayor and Combined Authority ’have repeatedly raised concerns about the level of performance with Stadler and also urged Merseyrail as the train operator to do everything possible to minimise disruption’.
The Combined Authority said ‘promised performance improvements have not been delivered to date and the CA will be holding commercial discussions to identify appropriate compensation for passengers for the disruption caused. The Mayor will be making an announcement on what this looks like in the near future. It is our hope – and belief – that these months of disruption will soon be behind us and passengers will enjoy decades of service from a modern, accessible and innovative fleet of trains.’
The situation is becoming more critical as the withdrawal of the Class 508 units dating from 1979-80 continues; the last three sets to be taken out of service are due to be 508104 and 131 during week commencing December 18 and 508120 during week commencing December 31.
A spokesperson for Stadler told Rail Business UK the company ‘fully understands the current frustrations of passengers’. Stadler said ’the cutting edge technology used in these trains has meant that we have to overcome a series of challenges, including new infrastructure and new software. We are deploying considerable resource to overcome these challenges and are determined to quickly make them more reliable.
’The seven battery trains that Stadler is manufacturing for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are the first in the world with traction battery technology designed for an underground network. They feature ground-breaking technology and are blazing a trail for sustainable travel in the UK.
’Stadler continues to work collaboratively and constructively with stakeholders to establish these trains.’
- The 508 Sunset farewell railtour around the complete Merseyrail network on October 29 raised more than £12 000 for four local charities.
