New Trains Too Heavy For Tracks

The latest cockup to fall on the Southern Railway is the news that their new million-pound-a-carriage Electrostars will be wearing out the track far faster than the old slam door trains.

The Evening Standard reports that rail chiefs are having to keep a special check on the lines. The new trains weigh 168 tons, but the tracks were designed for old stock weighing 150 tons. Network Rail believes the new stock will lead to a significant growth in rolling contact fatigue propogation with consequential impact on track maintenance activity.

To be fair on Southern, this isn't their fault, but the fault of the former Railtrack who forgot to anticipate the affect running new would have on the network. Their biggest cockup was not putting in place the power to run the trains in the first place.