08.04.15
New photos of Thameslink Class 700 trains – construction ‘on track’
Siemens has completed work on six of its Desiro City trains for Thameslink and more than 200 Class 700 body shells have now been manufactured out of a total of 1,140.
This summer will see the arrival of the first new Thameslink train into the purpose-built Three Bridges depot in Crawley, one of two new depots being built by Siemens to maintain the new fleet.
Siemens has spent £50m on developing the new Class 700, which is the UK’s first second-generation train and the innovative design incorporates the feedback of train operators, passenger focus groups, train crew, cleaners and maintainers.
In particular, the Class 700s lightweight design is expected to mean less wear and tear on the tracks, saving money in maintaining the network.
Commenting on manufacturing progress, Steve Scrimshaw, managing director of Siemens Rail Systems in the UK, said: “The manufacture of the state of the art Class 700 is fully ‘on track’.
“I’m excited that the first train will arrive into the newly constructed Three Bridges depot in a matter of months. The fact that we have made such quick progress is testament to our commitment to delivering this strategically important project.”
Once the trains have been delivered they will then be handed over to the train owner Cross London Trains, which will lease the trains to operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) ready for the start of passenger service between Bedford and Brighton, Wimbledon and Sutton in spring 2016, followed by Peterborough and Cambridge services later the same year.
Charles Horton, chief executive of GTR, said: “These new Thameslink trains we’ll be bringing into service next year are going to transform journeys for our passengers, creating much-needed capacity on our busy commuter routes with around 80% more seats across central London by 2019.”
Last year RTM reported that the first completed 12-car Class 700 reached 100mph in a speed test at the test track at Wegberg-Wildenrath, Germany.
Daragh Lowry, Thameslink Trains customer and stakeholder director at Siemens Rail Systems, told RTM: “Reaching 100mph was one of many important milestones in our extensive commissioning and testing programme. The Class 700 will be required to travel at up to 100mph every day in service, so this rigorous testing process is a fundamental part of the programme.”
(Pictured L to R: Steve Scrimshaw, MD of Siemens Rail Systems UK; Iain Smith, Thameslink project director at Siemens Rail Systems UK; Andy Pitt, executive chairman of Cross London Trains; and Charles Horton, CEO of Govia Thameslink Railway)
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