17.04.15
Three Bridges depot nears completion for arrival of Class 700s
The hi-tech Thameslink depot at Three Bridges in Crawley will be ready to receive Class 700 Desiro City trains this summer for testing and training purposes, Siemens has confirmed.
The purpose-built depot is fully signalled and incorporates key personnel safety features, including a depot protection and emergency electrical isolation system. RTM has been told that final work on the facility is expected to be complete by 15 July.
Three Bridges also has an automatic inspection facility which through laser measurement can accurately predict when key train components need to be maintained or replaced.
Iain Smith, programme director of the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project at Siemens, said: “Three Bridges depot is of particular importance to the overall Thameslink Programme due to its role in commissioning the state-of-the-art trains.
“Without a working depot, we can’t fully test trains, perform maintenance or put them into service. The completion of the first depot later this year will mark a key milestone and takes us a step nearer to a transformation in service for Thameslink passengers.”
The construction of a second depot in Hornsey, north London, is also well underway with the first phase of the project, including seven new roads and a carriage wash machine, handed over to Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) at the end of last month.
Both depots are being constructed by main contractor VolkerFitzpatrick on behalf of Siemens, which has invested more than £300m in the developments.
Siemens is now working towards complete handover of Hornsey to GTR in July 2016, when the main facility building and 15 new roads will be in full use.
Smith said: “The fact that we are now so close to the completion of Three Bridges depot, with Hornsey following closely behind, is hugely exciting.”
Once complete, the two depots will house the Siemens-built Class 700 Desiro City trains, which will start operating on GTR’s Thameslink and Great Northern services from spring 2016.
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