Rolling stock

24.06.16

First GTR Class 700 enters passenger service

The first new Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) Class 700 train has successfully entered passenger service.

Unit 700108, one of 55 12 carriage trains, made its maiden voyage at 10.02am on 20 June and carried out four off-peak trips.

It then made nine trips on Tuesday, helping mitigate the effects of services cancelled due to the Southern conductors’ strikes.

Gerry McFadden, GTR’s engineering director, said: “We are thrilled that our new Thameslink train is performing well. In future, as the train continues to prove itself, we will begin running it across London to Bedford.”

The Class 700s can hold up to 1,754 passengers and will be in operation across GTR’s network by 2018, helping to meet growing passenger demands.

RTM will feature a full profile of the new Class 700 in our latest edition, due to be published in July.

(Image c. GTR)

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Comments

Andrew Gwilt   25/06/2016 at 11:47

Soon the rest of the 8-car and 12-car Class 700's Desiro City (60 Class 700/0's and 55 Class 700/1's) EMU's will start to operate on Bedford-Brighton, Luton-Wimbledon, Bedford-Wimbledon, Luton-Bedford, Luton-Sevenoaks, Bedford-Sevenoaks, Brighton-Cambridge, Brighton-Peterborough, Brighton-Letchworth Garden City, Wimbledon-Peterborough, Wimbledon-Cambridge, Wimbledon-Letchworth Garden City and other routes. And the 25 6-car Class 717's Desiro City EMU's to be operated on Moorgate-Letchworth Garden City, Moorgate-Stevenage, Moorgate-Hertford North, Moorgate-Welwyn Garden City, King's Cross-Letchworth Garden City, King's Cross-Stevenage, King's Cross-Hertford North and King's Cross-Welwyn Garden City suburban routes once they are built. The Class 700's will replace the Class 319's as the Class 319's are to be cascaded to Northern Electrics services and Class 377/2/5's for Southern Trains and Class 387/1's for Great Northern and the Class 717's are to cascade the Class 317's and Class 321's to either Northern Trains or Abellio Greater Anglia or the remaining Class 321's to be cascaded to Abellio ScotRail and Class 317's to AGA or Northern Trains.

Huguenot   27/06/2016 at 13:55

It's no good having all that extra capacity on Sundays if the Thameslink drivers choose not to work. On 19th June, there were many cancellations as drivers decided that Father's Day at home was more important than going to work, leaving many passengers stranded. What a way to run a railway!

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