§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what are the(a) specifications and (b) time intervals between maintenance overhauls of InterCity and regional railways engines and coaches; [19253]
(2) what regular maintenance overhauls were carried out and what changes were made to the routine maintenance checks and to the regularity of those checks on the stock involved in (a) the Staffordshire and (b) the Longsight decoupling incidents in the last three years. [19254]
§ Mr. WattsThe stock involved in the Staffordshire and Longsight decoupling incidents consisted of InterCity west coast electrically hauled push-pull trains.
The specification for the maintenance and overhaul of Intercity west coast push-pull trains and electric locomotives are laid down in vehicle maintenance and overhaul instructions, originally issued by the InterCity fleet engineer.
A visual safety check of locomotives and coaching stock takes place each day.
For coaching stock, a more detailed safety examination is completed every three to four days, with progressively larger examinations at one, three, six and 12-monthly intervals.
The full vehicle overhaul is mileage based, but occurs approximately every two years.
476WFor locomotives, a more detailed safety examination is completed every 120 hours in traffic equating to 10 to 14 days. There is a range of progressively larger examinations based on hours in traffic.
Locomotive overhaul is also based on hours in traffic, but the regime consists of three types of overhaul occurring approximately at two and three-quarter, five and a half and 11-year intervals respectively.
Similar specifications and frequencies apply to other engines and coaches. The contents of the vehicle maintenance and overhaul instructions are the subject of occasional review. However, British Rail has advised me that the periodicities have not been changed in the last three years.