UK Can't Even Build Locomotives Now??

[Garry Russell]

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31831603

Although I have no doubt these are a great improvement, I don't see why the UK industry cannot match them or even exceed the spec.

Probably the usual lack of will where it matters.

[DaveB]

I'm not sure if it's a case of 'UK can't even build locomotives now' although this may be so with the industries manufacturing capability being suitably diminished. I didn't see any mention of who else the tender went to.. just that Hitachi was awarded the contract. Hardly surprising in this day and age.

ATB
DaveB

[Garry Russell]

Can't meaning not being allowed to/un supported as much as not able to. No orders no design progress...not support for local industry and maybe certain favours in place.

The industry still exist but won't for long if this is trend, well it won't be an industry making home grown, just putting together other countries designs..at best.

Still can't see why Airbus struggles to meet demand but doesn't even think of setting up a line in the UK.

[cstorey]

Garry : the major part of the value of the Airbuses actually does come from the UK, particularly in the case of the bigger ones, where wings And engines are the usual specification . Similarly , in the case of the A319/20/21 the wings are built here and if V2500 are specified, so is much of the engine work. The fact is that most high value and/or high tech ventures are now collaborative . And just to mention Wolmar who is quoted as saying " it will become the 747 of the Railways " one hopes he is wrong since the 747 is now effectively finished except as a load lugger, and even for that it is no longer the weapon of choice

[Paul K]

It's the decline of British shipbuilding that saddens me. I did a lot of work around the Clyde a few years back - Glasgow, Dumbarton, Greenock - and the relics of that great industry are all around. So are the Tescos and McDonalds that the area's youngsters now turn to for employment. To an ex-marine engineer, its a tragedy.

[Airspeed]

Regrettably, this is another globalisation thing, and I despair about our Australian government too.
Apparently, we need new submarines; South Australia is our local shipbuilder, but the chances are that Japan will make them.
These would run on Japanese technology which can only be maintained by Japan.
Should we ever have another conflict with them, all they need do is send out a signal, and turn our fleet off.

Much hoo-ha recently when the contract for new train carriages ACTUALLY went to a Ballarat manufacturer.
Must have been drugs in the government tea caddy that day.

The Chinese operate at least one of our Victorian power stations.
We know the chaos resulting from storms when power is cut; banking, retailing and fuel supplies stop.
We know that China regularly hacks Australian computer systems at high level.
If China wanted to do us harm...flick a button....shut the whole place down.

What ARE they thinking?

[TSR2]

Your actually way off Garry. The first few are being built in Japan while a brand new factory is built I Newton Aycliffe. Hitachi Trains are actually moving their global train building HQ to the new plant, which is also building 80% of the new Scotrail trains. So we can and are going to be building more locomotives, and we've actually made one of the largest train builders in the world relocate here. Its good news all round.

[Garry Russell]

I did mention at best building products from other countries. My issue is that it's not a totally British product an these over seas companies can drop the deal any time. We lose the ability to design from scratch.

I know they are building them in the UK but it is working for non UK design and losing the ability for the country to stand alone.

Like the car industry being taken over by foreign conglomerates who continue the factories then drop it all at a later date.

The thin edge of the wedge...a bit of a Trojan Horse too.

This sort of thing is great short term but a long term disaster and one of the main problems with life nowadays is going for short term fixes without considering the long term consequences.

[Airspeed]

Garry,
We speak the same language.
It's long been my opinion that most of Australia's government decisions are too short term.
Loss of expertise alone costs future generations billions, the clever folks go overseas and their products get patented elsewhere, then we pay big time to import the blasted stuff.

[Garry Russell]

Yep...the building still stands and looks god, but, the foundations are being removed. Tart it up as much as you like, it's only a matter of time.

The people who make these decisions do well out of it and when it all falls down years later they are long gone and it's someone else's problem.

Ultimately working folk pay with their jobs in a country that is losing the infrastructure to support the workforce and often the security of the nation.