Rolling stock

Last-ever Electrostar finished in Derby as 18 years of production come to an end

28.11.17: Last week saw the construction of the final Electrostar carriage, a model which has been produced since 1999 and served 12 different companies. The first-ever batch of the EMU carriages was produced 18 years ago for c2c, but they have since...

A chance to exceed expectations

24.11.17: David Sidebottom, passenger director at Transport Focus, highlights the areas that the next East Midlands franchise operator must focus on to improve train services for commuters. “I’m spending £130 at least on tickets and...

TfL opens bidding for 43 new DLR trains

20.11.17: Transport for London (TfL) has taken a step forward in its search for a manufacturer to provide 43 new trains for Docklands Light Railway (DLR). Plans will see the capacity on the line increase by as much as 30%, with new walk-through train...

South Western announces £50m train refurbishment

10.11.17: South Western Railway (SWR) has today announced a programme of refurbishment and improvement on 172 of its Class 444 and Class 450 Desiro trains. The £50m contract, awarded to Siemens, is part of a greater £1.2bn investment proj...

Modernising journeys in north east England

09.11.17: First Hull Trains is about to embark on the biggest fleet overhaul it has delivered since being set up in 2000. Managing director Will Dunnett tells RTM’s Josh Mines about how the new rolling stock will benefit passengers in the region. ...

GWR Intercity Express trains return to full service after rocky launch

24.10.17: GWR’s class 800 trains have returned to service following last week’s disastrous launch. The inaugural journey for the Hitachi stock was scheduled for early last Monday and was attended by Chris Grayling, secretary of state for...

Intercity Express trains taken out of service days after launch

19.10.17: The first two trains of GWR’s new Class 800 Intercity Express fleet have been removed from service following further technical difficulties. After the less than successful launch of the new stock on Monday, the operator has now taken...

Major milestone as first Class 385 makes Edinburgh-Linlithgow trip

19.10.17: The first of the new Class 385 electric trains, which still has interiors to be fitted, made its inaugural mainline trip between Edinburgh and Linlithgow last night. This journey represents a major step forward for Scotland’s Edinburg...

West Midlands JV awards £680m deal for over 100 new trains

17.10.17: Bombardier Trains and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) have been handed a major £680m contract to build 107 diesel and electric trains as part of the new West Midlands franchise. The new trains will be made up of 413 c...

Launch of new GWR Intercity Express trains marred by major issues

16.10.17: A delayed service, leaky air conditioning and cramped carriages marred the launch of GWR’s Intercity Express as transport secretary Chris Grayling was due to make his first trip on the service. A broken air conditioning unit dripped o...

Hitachi unveils first finished ScotRail Class 385

13.10.17: Hitachi has produced the first finished Class 385 commuter train that is set to be rolled out in Scotland from its factory in Newton Aycliffe. The first of the 70 new units, fully completed with interiors, was planned to be split betwe...

Form and function realised through advanced materials

25.09.17: Paul Gallen, sector manager at the National Composites Centre (NCC), outlines the benefits that composite materials bring to the production and operation of more lightweight trains. Current rolling stock makes extensive use of fibre-reinfor...

GTR completes rolling stock upgrade on Thameslink route

18.09.17: Thameslink passengers will from today enjoy solely new trains on routes, as Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) completed the replacement of its old fleet with new Siemens Class 700 rolling stock. People travelling between London Bridge, Gatwick...

First of ScotRail’s revamped HSTs arrives for driver training

14.09.17: The first of ScotRail’s refurbished high-speed trains has arrived in Aberdeen to start driver training ahead of the fleet being rolled out next year. When finished, the revamped rolling stock will create a new connection between Scotl...

VLR revolution: Phase 2 project launches

14.09.17: Nick Mallinson, the programme manager at WMG centre HVM Catapult, on the progress of the Very Light Rail (VLR) project. Transport Design International (TDI) has formed a project consortium including Unipart Rail, Axiom Rail, Cummins and WMG...