Siemens

UK train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has signed a £200m contract with Siemens with the aim of replacing its suburban train fleet on the Great Northern route.

Under the deal, Siemens will deliver 25 climate-controlled six-carriage units to be built at its Krefeld plant in Germany.

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Running between Moorgate in the City of London and Welwyn and Hertford, Stevenage and Letchworth, the new vehicles are scheduled to enter service by the end of 2018.

"The new Moorgate trains make up just one of three major fleets we are introducing, which will steadily improve services and drive up passenger satisfaction."

The new Class 700 trains will be based on the Desiro City platform, which is being built for GTR’s new Thameslink service.

They will replace Class 313 units dating from 1976 and 1977, which are the oldest type of main line EMU in operation in mainland UK, according to GTR.

GTR CEO Charles Horton said: "When we bring the Moorgate trains online, we’ll also increase the frequency of services considerably in the off-peak and at weekends and even, to a lesser degree, in the morning and evening peaks.

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"The new Moorgate trains make up just one of three major fleets we are introducing, which will steadily improve services and drive up passenger satisfaction."

The new trains will have wide gangways, air-conditioning, real-time passenger information systems, power sockets and Wi-Fi.

Siemens Mobility Division CEO Jochen Eickholt said: "This is already the third order we’ve received for our Desiro City vehicle platform developed especially for the UK market.

"The platform concept was developed in the context of a two-year, €50m research programme based on proven Desiro UK trains, an investment that has paid off."

Image: Siemens to deliver 25 climate-controlled six-carriage units to Govia Thameslink Railway. Photo: courtesy of Siemens.

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