14.04.16
DfT and c2c agree on six Class 387s lease to cope with ‘unprecedented’ demand
A c2c deal with the Department for Transport to add six Class 387s to their fleet has been hailed as their “most significant increase in capacity” for a decade.
The four-car trains, being built by Bombardier in Derby, will be introduced to c2c’s railways between October and December and leased until 2019.
c2c said the trains would add 13,000 seats at peak time to address an “unprecedented” 8% growth in passengers.
Julian Drury, c2c’s managing director, who RTM interviewed last year, said: “Extra carriages are absolutely vital for c2c to meet the surge in demand from passengers who want to travel. This agreement is hugely important, as we will now get new carriages on c2c within six months when they normally take years to be delivered.
“Combined with the other changes we are making in both the short- and long-term, this is the most significant increase in capacity for c2c passengers for over a decade.
“Thank you to all our passengers for bearing with us while we have been working so hard on getting these new trains. We have heard loud and clear that a number of peak-time services are very busy, and now we will be able to address the issues that our passengers have raised.”
c2c said they had already added 1,400 more seats and standing room for 3,000 more passengers at peak times, and are currently seeking a contractor to provide 68 more carriages from 2019. The formal procurement process for the first tranche of these new trains began in early April and a manufacturer should be appointed in the summer.
c2c experienced a PPM decline from 98% to 93.8% in March, but is usually seen topping the performance charts of nationwide operators.
Rail minister Claire Perry said she had asked c2c to speed up obtaining extra capacity, adding: “These extra carriages will make a huge difference, allowing passengers to benefit from longer trains, more seats and better journeys along the busy c2c routes.”