27.11.15
First Class 700 makes successful mainline test run to Brighton
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) took the new Siemens Class 700 train on its first-ever test run on the mainline between its depot at Three Bridges and Brighton this week.
The 240m 12-carriage train passed initial tests that proved its compatibility with signalling and will now begin other night-time test runs out of passenger service.
Keith Wallace, programme director at GTR, said that the train performed “excellently” and the test run is a real milestone for the Thameslink programme which, from spring 2016, will steadily introduce these new trains onto the route.
The first Siemens-built Class 700 Desiro City train for Thameslink arrived in the UK for testing in July at the Three Bridges Depot, which was officially opened in October by the transport secretary.
The introduction of the new 12 and eight carriage Class 700 trains will significantly increase capacity across all routes, providing 80% more peak seats across the central London route, between Blackfriars and St Pancras.
Siemens Thameslink programme director Dave Hooper said he was delighted to see the Class 700 out on test on the mainline.
He added that it was the result of a lot of hard work from the whole Thameslink team, and “we look forward to the Class 700 going into passenger service in spring next year.”
Recently, it was revealed that GTR recorded the worst quarterly punctuality figures for the routes it runs since 2004-5, at just 84%.
Office of Rail and Road (ORR) figures have shown that the operator also had the steepest fall (3.2 percentage points) in its PPM figure this past quarter compared with last year, the lowest amount of peak services arriving on time, and the worst amount of overall cancellations and lateness since the time series began in 2004-5.