Public transport bosses have been accused of not knowing why they ever bought a trouble-prone diesel locomotive.

Last month it was revealed the diesel loco has been fully operational for just 219 days during railways seasons since it arrived at the end of 2013.

It has been out of service for 1,107 days, although that included periods of training, testing and commissioning.

In the House of Keys last week, Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer was grilled over why the machine was bought in the first place. He has recently admitted that he would ’never have gone for’ the loco if it had been his decision.

shunter

Diesel no.21 was bought in 2013 at a cost of £420,000 to pull commuter, dining and maintenance trains as well as act as a shunter and recovery loco. Some £246,800 has been spent on getting the diesel fixed so far.

In the Keys last week, Lawrie Hooper (LibVan, Ramsey) hit out at a lack of specific detail of what savings the diesel had brought.

He said he would have expected the anticipated savings from the loco to have been included in a budget case before the diesel was bought.

The DoI ’does not seem to have any idea actually why they bought this diesel locomotive in the first place’, he said.

Mr Harmer said: ’In essence, it is regarding the maintenance figures, regarding the additional costs to steam up a spare loco and the additional cost of the shunter loco.

’They are the additional costs that we have to incur when we do not have the diesel 21 - although the loco was fully operational during the 2019 season.’

His claim that the loco was ’fully operational’ last season might raise a few eyebrows, however.

In fact, following major repairs, it was sent out on test runs towards the end of August and resumed scheduled passengers services in September, only for it to be withdrawn on October 25 following a power problem.

Last month it was lifted off its bogies ready for them to be sent off, for a second time, to the UK for repairs.