On 1 October 2007 Lego announced that they would discontinue both the 9-volt and the RC train formats in favour of a new system. The announcement cited a lack of sufficient demand for the 9-volt product line to be profitable, caused partly by the need to replace key machinery and place minimum orders for motors and power regulators. The new range was announced as launching in 2009, and would use the new 'Power Functions' system also used in the Technic line, which would allow the company to "amortize the development and on going cost across multiple themes".
