28.11.17
Last-ever Electrostar finished in Derby as 18 years of production come to an end
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 been used across the UK and even distributed to South Africa.
The final carriage marks the 2,805th to be constructed at Bombardier’s Derby Litchurch Lane facility, with engineers, company bosses and local MP Margaret Beckett attending a sending-off ceremony to celebrate to the occasion.
Richard Hunter, Bombardier’s UK managing director, said: “After 18 years, 12 different customers, and over 2,800 vehicles, we are celebrating the completion of the very last Electrostar with our customer Porterbrook and operator Great Western Railway (GWR).
“We are all immensely proud of the Electrostar, a train designed and built here in Derby, and which can be found across Britain’s railways, and in South Africa. The train has been a stunning success and that is tribute to our brilliant and highly skilled workforce.”
Today the Electrostar is seen as Britain’s most common electric train, but in 2010-11 a batch of the trains were sent out to South Africa for use in the Gautrain system between Johannesburg, Pretoria and the Johannesburg International Airport.
The final batch of Electrostars are expected to be delivered soon, with only two remaining of the 45 ordered by GWR.
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