Is it the end of the line for ‘bus on rails’ Pacer trains?

ANY commuter that has been wedged into a rocking and clattering Pacer train will have welcomed deputy prime minister Nick Clegg’s pledge to phase them out.

But his deadline is 2025, a long wait for some, and well beyond a requirement for all trains to be wheelchair-friendly by 2020 – a tall order for Pacers with their steps and narrow aisles.

But why are 90 of these old trains still in use and whose responsibility has it been to replace them?

The origins of the Pacer lie in British Rail’s cash-starved 1980s. The Conservative government of the day reduced funding to the organisation throughout that decade and the Pacer was a cheap way to service rural and suburban lines, some of which were under threat of closure from the cuts.

The train was made up of a freight wagon with a Leyland bus body. Because of this they don’t have the usual bogies, or suspension systems, which is why they can give a rough, rattling ride. They have slow acceleration and can be unreliable, although their simple engineering means they’re easier to fix than modern trains.

In the privatised rail system Network Rail is responsible for the stations and tracks, the train operators run the services and all the rolling stock is leased from three private companies – HSBC Rail, Porterbrook, and Angel Trains – which each have about a third of the market. So is the failure to upgrade Pacers down to Northern Rail, which has the Northern franchise, or the leasing companies? Or is it the Government’s fault?

“It’s time they went but they’re still there because the Department of Transport has not authorised new rolling stock,” says Sim Harris, managing editor of Rail News.

“The authorisation has to come from the Government because it will involve extra payments from the train operators to the leasing companies which are usually spread over more than one franchise. The initiative can come from the franchise holder but in the end it rests with the Department of Transport.”

Harris thinks Northern Rail is partly a victim of the unexpected surge in rail use. “They were looking at reducing services and closing some lines in the 1990s but there was growth instead.”

Annual passenger journeys have doubled to around 1.5 billion since privatisation in 1994 but rolling stock has only increased by 3%. This mismatch has put pressure on services – which commuters experience every day – and made the Pacers just as essential as when they were first introduced.

Paul Prentice, assistant news editor at Rail Magazine, says the nature of the rail network and the train manufacturing industry means Pacers are still required.

“Some lines won’t be electrified so there will still be a need and very few train manufacturers are still building diesel units because of a combination of reasons, such as European legislation on emissions.”

Clegg’s pledge echoed George Osborne’s “Northern Powerhouse” speech in June when he said bidders for the 2016 Northern franchise, who will put forward proposals in December, will be asked to include options to get rid of Pacer trains. “It’s time for modern rolling stock in the North,” he said. The intent appears genuine but there is some concern that the proposals are simply electioneering.

Sim Harris adds: “Would an incoming Government be bound by such a pledge? We’re in the period where lots of things are said. It will be interesting to see what comes through after the election.”