asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the 126 vehicles for First Capital Connect in the July Rolling Stock Plan are part of the batch of 1,100 new vehicles for Thameslink. [HL5817]

The indicative plan estimated that 256 additional vehicles will be needed on First Capital Connect by 2014 in order to deliver the Government's high-level output specification (HLOS). The assumption used in the plan was that vehicles are cascaded from other operators.

However, the capacity increase in the high-level output specification may in practice be delivered in a number of ways, and will be subject to commercial innovation and negotiation. The order for 1,100 new vehicles for Thameslink has not yet been placed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the 40 additional vehicles proposed in the Department for Transport's high-level output statement for First Great Western's Thames Valley services will come from transfers within the system or from new stock. [HL5819]

The Department for Transport's Rolling Stock Plan, published in January 2008, stated that First Great Western (FGW) would introduce new diesel multiple unit (DMU) vehicles for London suburban services. It noted, however, that these plans were not prescriptive and were subject to a development process within the industry. Discussions with First Great Western are at an early stage.