Bombardier Out, Another Private Cowboy In?

Posted in Tubeworker's blog on ,

Bombardier has lost its contract for the sub-surface signalling upgrades.

The reason for Bombardier's failure? Its signalling system is incompatible with LU's systems. How as this not noticed when Bombardier got the contract two years ago?!

If anyone has a sense of deja vu, you might be remembering Tube Lines awarding the Jubilee line signalling upgrade contract to Thales despite the fact that its SelTrac signalling system was not compatible - leading to appalling delays to the upgrade. Or perhaps the very end of the last millennium, when the Jubilee Line Extension was reduced to farce by private contractor Westinghouse abandoning its moving-block signalling system after finding that it could not make it work on LUL's infrastructure.

The obvious conclusion is that TfL/LUL should stop using private contractors and do the job itself, directly employing skilled signal engineering workers without profiteering company owners in the way. But apparently, this is not obvious to TfL, which plans to open the contract up to a swarm of private companies to fight over feeding rights.

Oh, and that claim that the upgrade will still go ahead to schedule? Without cutting corners? Yeah, right ...

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