Rolling Stock Aspirations by Service Group
The aspirations for rolling stock on the coming pages are necessarily broad and do not take
precedence over requirements set out in ‘Invitations to Tender.’ They provide a high level
overview, which industry should work towards. These aspirations are intentionally cast as
output based and we expect industry to take innovative approaches and use their experience
to meet and exceed them.
We have divided services into five broad groups. It is important to note that trains can be
used flexibly during off-peak periods. Britain has a high-intensity railway, particularly during
the morning and evening rush hours, and a train used on a metropolitan service in the
morning may be used on inter-urban or rural services outside of the peak. It is also important
to note that passengers’ perceptions of the type of service they are travelling on vary
dependant on a number of factors.
It is essential for vehicles to have flexible interiors if the industry is to respond to increasing
demands from passengers at manageable cost. In the long term this will ensure that rolling
stock can be deployed on various routes with differing needs and ultimately allow train
operators to prepare quickly and easily for occasions when passenger numbers will exceed
capacity e.g. high season holiday or festival traffic. Thought should also be given to providing
flexible interiors suitable for large packages, luggage or bicycles.
High speed InterCity
These vehicles are envisaged as providing ultra-high speed (up to 360kph ~225mph) services
between major cities in Britain. Passengers will have high expectations for the facilities
on board and for modern state-of-the-art interiors that have to be suitable for business,
commuting and leisure travellers.
InterCity
The InterCity service group is one of predominantly long distance services where passenger
expectations are generally high given the nature of the market, length of journey and the
transport modes against which operators compete.
Inter-Urban
Passenger expectations of the Inter-urban service group are similar to the InterCity group
on services that are primarily express with limited stops but may be of a shorter duration. It
transports leisure and commuter passengers between towns and cities.
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Rolling Stock Perspective
Metropolitan
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volume of passenger demand during the peak hours, with passengers generally making
relatively short journeys on services with frequent stops. Passenger expectations may focus
on certain aspects of comfort and there is a recognition that operators must balance the
need to transport high volumes of passengers against the expectation of a seat.
Rural/Regional
This service group will generally serve more rural communities at a lower frequency than the
other service groups and have lower ridership but it performs a vital service for travellers, the
local community, tourists as well as the regional economy.