Hitachi, Japan, has successfully pre-qualified to bid for an order for 1,100 carriages for the cross-London Thames link route. Hitachi has realised its potential to challenge Europe’s major train makers Bombardir Transportation, Siemens and Alstom Transport. It had previously bagged only one order for 250kph high-speed trains in the UK for services between London and Kent. Hitachi is also bidding for new 200kph trains for Britain, being constructed under the InterCity Express programme.

The UK’s Department for Transport is entrusted to run the Thameslink tender as the government has taken over procurement of key passenger rolling stock from private sector. Government is trying to minimise costs through control on buying.  Several Asian manufacturers from China, Korea along with Hitachi are trying to enter into world’s largest market for passenger rolling stocks in Europe. Rotem of Hyundai group could not qualify for the bid though it had bagged a big order in the Irish Republic and supplied metro cars to Athens previously.

Rupert Brennan Brown, a veteran UK rail industry observer informs that trains are needed to meet the expected demand on network during London Olympic Games in July 2012. It is therefore necessary to ready the trains for testing in the autumn 2011. Meeting this time schedule, according to Brown, is going to be a very challenging task.  The short timescale may brighten Bombardier’s chances of clinching the order since it has already built a suitable train for UK. However Hitachi is keen to beat the competitors on price considerations.

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