Rail Industry Focus

Class 387-1s for Thameslink routes

RTM hears from Southern’s fleet overhaul and projects manager Iain Nairne on Bombardier’s build progress on the new Class 387/1s for Thameslink services – and Adam Hewitt reports on the Class 387/2s.

Bombardier is halfway through the manufacture of 29 four-car Class 387/1s for  Southern, which is managing the £172m procurement of new stock for the Thameslink routes.

The new trains will ultimately be operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (whose parent company also owns Southern), running the fast services between Bedford and Brighton from early 2015. Porterbrook Leasing will be the ROSCO, Southern has confirmed.

Twelve units are fully built, some of which are ready to start the 1,500 miles of fault-free running process at Bletchley, and units 13-16 are on the production line.

Southern’s fleet overhaul and projects manager Iain Nairne, overseeing the procurement, told RTM: “The build of the trains is well advanced and we’re on target from that perspective. The process now is to start fault-free running and to start introducing the trains into service once that’s been concluded.

“Compared to the 319 trains that they will replace, they are a significant improvement.”

The 387/1s were a stopgap order for Thameslink because of the delays in procurement of the introduction of the Siemens-built Class 700s, ensuring the existing electric stock can be cascaded to newly-electrified routes in time.

Several Class 319s are already at Allerton depot ahead of a refurbishment for Northern routes, but the train operator has refused to share more details with RTM at this stage – beyond saying that a refurbishment is happening, contrary to earlier rumours.

The Class 387/1s are dual-voltage, 110mph-capable units, and they are due to be introduced into service between November this year and May 2015, Nairne said.

He said: “My team are involved completely in the project management of their introduction into service, whether it’s overseeing the build and the build line, overseeing testing, project review meetings, the ‘sale line’ at Derby, whatever it may be.

“Bombardier have got a very capable team up in Derby.”

He said that 80% of the Class 387s is the same as the Class 377/7 Electrostar EMUs that Bombardier has recently built for Southern.

“Those five-car dual-voltage trains they’ve just built – a lot of this new Class 387 is the same as that: whether looking at the outside, the interior or the core functionality, a lot of it is a read-across.”

This includes things like plug sockets at every seat, improved grab handles on seats for standing passengers, much-improved seating throughout, better access for passengers of reduced mobility, and more wheelchair spaces.

Nairne called them a “step change”. “They have air conditioning, they are more reliable, quieter, safer because of CCTV, they have passenger information systems (which most of the 319 fleet hasn’t), they are PRM-compliant already, there is a PRM toilet.

“It’s all to the latest standard and a completely different train to the 319.”

It is still unknown where the Class 387/1 fleet will ultimately end up once the Class 700s replace them, but there have been rumours they will go to serve Great Western or Midland Main Line routes post-electrification.

Nairne could not comment on those rumours, just saying: “Nothing is signed, sealed and delivered at this stage.”

Discussing the appointment of Porterbrook as leasing partner, Southern’s fleet director Gerry McFadden said: “Following a competitive procurement process, we found that its bid met our criteria and we look forward to working with them to deliver the new trains which will transform the travelling experience for many Thameslink passengers.”

Porterbrook’s commercial director, Keith Howard, said: “We will be working towards completion of the purchase of these new trains in the next few weeks, which will be a further addition to our fleet of Electrostar vehicles. We welcome this investment opportunity and hope that there will be more to come for new and existing rolling stock over the coming years.”

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