03.11.15
Bombardier to build another 80 Class 387 EMUs for Porterbrook
Rolling stock company Porterbrook Leasing is buying 80 Class 387 Electrostar vehicles from Bombardier to satisfy future demand for mid-distance electric trains.
The units will be built at Bombardier’s Derby depot and will start being delivered on October next year, with full fleet delivery set for June 2017. No customer for the new trains has yet been confirmed, but Porterbrook wants buffer stock as new lines are electrified and other fleets are cascaded.
The big order will also add to recent purchases of 256 Class 387 vehicles, all in four-car arrangements – mostly for Thameslink and Gatwick Express, though 32 will be supplied to Great Western Railway. Other Electrostar variants are in service across southern and eastern England.
According to the ROSCO, a number of operators have already expressed an interest in leasing the fleet – most notably Rail for London (a wholly owned subsidiary for Transport for London, which acts as concession manager for London Overground and Crossrail, and which, as TfL Rail, runs Shenfield to Liverpool Street services), although it claims other bidders for upcoming franchises are also interested.
But it has not revealed which ones, suggesting that the purchase could be largely motivated by the Department for Transport’s expectation for the rolling stock market to invest in new vehicles to satisfy growing capacity requirements in the short and medium term.
Porterbrook also said the EMUs will support the government’s initiative for a Midlands Engine for Growth to sit alongside the Northern Powerhouse.
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP said: “This deal is fantastic news, both for East Midland’s booming rail industry, and for passengers, who will benefit from more British-built trains on the rail network in the future.
“Introducing more modern, high-quality trains is central to our commitment to give passengers better journeys and boost economic growth, with more than 3,700 extra carriages set to be introduced across the network by the end of 2019.”
Since the disappointment of losing out to Siemens to build the new fleet for Thameslink, Derby’s Bombardier plant has won a number of major orders – most notably for Crossrail, but also Class 377/6s for Southern.
(Top image: 387101, making runs up and down the Old Dalby test track, c. Resilient Photography)