4 The operational and financial impacts are as follows:
■ Operational impacts - Since the PPPs began, there have been over 100 incidents of suspected axle box defects, and LUL has consequently withdrawn these trains from service. While in excess of 90 per cent of cases the reported smell of burning turns out to be a minor problem such as oil leaks, brakes hanging on, dust build up, or the result of a false alarm, there are sufficient withdrawals to jeopodize Infraco's ability to provide sufficient trains (76 trains in the peak) from January 2004 until the replacement programme is complete in mid-2005. The current fleet size provides 10 more trains than needed to support the timetable, but with others being refitted with runback protection, undergoing air conditioning tests, etc, there is little contingency left to deal with other problems like latent defects. The replacement programme reduces the number of trains in service slightly.
■ Financial impacts Infraco JNP reports that it has borne some £9 million of capital costs to date attributable to the wheelset replacement programme and some 411,600 Lost Customer Hours, with a further 5,000 Lost Customer Hours in abeyance until commercial agreement is reached.
The Infraco could also face abatements for not making enough trains available for service. Capital investment includes provision of new wheelsets (axle boxes, wheels, axles, gearwheel and suspension sleeve, air hoses, and brake cylinders) on 173 units, in addition to expenditure on new thermal imaging cameras and axle monitors. If completed successfully, LUL expect there to be no further significant work on the axle boxes until the stock is replaced in 2014.