Bids required to re-use old Pacer trains

[taxman 12]

The Government has announced an exciting new competition to "breathe new life into an old Pacer train".

 

What amazing times we live in.

 

I wonder if any forummers can come up with some creative and exciting proposals for this defunct laughing stock (see what I did there).

[tinfoilhat 11]

We could use them to store several thousand tonnes of plastic waste that's coming back to us from Malaysia.

[Longcol 598]

One carriage should suffice for the next UKIP conference.

[El Cid 214]

The Pacer trains were made from lightweight modified bus bodies and other bus components, could Leeds use them as trams, they have been wanting a tram or trolleybus system for years.

[Top Cats Hat 10]

What they can't be used for is any public transport application as they would fail pretty much every current safety test. 🚋🚋🚋🚋

[altus 538]

7 minutes ago, Top Cats Hat said:

What they can't be used for is any public transport application as they would fail pretty much every current safety test. 🚋🚋🚋🚋

Can't we make an exception for some of them to be used as the personal transport for the Secretary of State for Transport and whichever of his subordinates is in charge of railways?

[Obelix 11]

So let me get it right  - the Pacers are being decommissioned and new rolling stock is being provided.

 

They are not going to be reused as transport...

 

Ideas for recycling and reuse are being asked for... which is eminently sensible and considerate of the environment, rather than just scrapping them..

 

And people are objecting, purely it seems because it's a Govt idea? Some people on here really do need to look hard at themselves at times.

[Top Cats Hat 10]

3 minutes ago, Obelix said:

And people are objecting, purely it seems because it's a Govt idea? Some people on here really do need to look hard at themselves at times.

Who is objecting?

[altus 538]

7 minutes ago, Obelix said:

So let me get it right  - the Pacers are being decommissioned and new rolling stock is being provided.

 

They are not going to be reused as transport...

 

Ideas for recycling and reuse are being asked for... which is eminently sensible and considerate of the environment, rather than just scrapping them..

 

And people are objecting, purely it seems because it's a Govt idea? Some people on here really do need to look hard at themselves at times.

It's just one that's being repurposed (out of about 100), the National Rail Museum will probably have another but the rest are being scrapped.

 

They are draughty and leak so not exactly suitable for the suggested usages and that's before you start on the conversion costs - imagine what would be needed to convert it into a cafe for instance. It will be a maintenance nightmare for anyone who takes it on and they'll presumably be saddled with the expense of disposing of the thing.

 

People aren't objecting to the proposal purely because it's a government idea. More ridiculing it because they think it's a stupid idea dreamed up by someone who hasn't had to use the damned things.

[lil-minx92 10]

Maybe they think us northerners look fondly on these pieces of junk and would like a keepsake!

 

Im still not 100% sure they will all be gone by the end of year anyway (and neither is Northern Rail)

 

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/our-region/west-yorkshire-and-the-dales/leeds/northern-rail-confident-pacer-trains-will-be-replaced-by-end-of-2019-but-stopped-short-of-guarantee-1-9595538

 

[Bash Street 10]

How about kitting them out for the homeless especially in winter time, with beds and washing facilities and run them into stations in the evening and sending them into sidings during the day. Won't solve the homeless situation but they'd get a warm bed for the night.

[taxman 12]

32 minutes ago, Bash Street said:

How about kitting them out for the homeless especially in winter time, with beds and washing facilities and run them into stations in the evening and sending them into sidings during the day. Won't solve the homeless situation but they'd get a warm bed for the night.

Potentially a good idea if if wasn't just a single train that is being competed for.

2 hours ago, Obelix said:

So let me get it right  - the Pacers are being decommissioned and new rolling stock is being provided.

 

They are not going to be reused as transport...

 

Ideas for recycling and reuse are being asked for... which is eminently sensible and considerate of the environment, rather than just scrapping them..

 

And people are objecting, purely it seems because it's a Govt idea? Some people on here really do need to look hard at themselves at times.

You didn't read the link properly did you?