The wait is almost over... The first new Thameslink trains have been built and are on a test track ready to go into service next year.
The wait is almost over... The first new Thameslink trains have been built and are on a test track ready to go into service next year.
Siemens has manufactured over 200 of the 1,140 Desiro City Class 700 body shells with a total of six trains completed to date. They arrive in service between Bedford and Brighton, Wimbledon and Sutton from spring 2016.
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 constructed by Siemens to maintain the new fleet.
The trains will then be handed over to the train owner Cross London Trains who will lease the trains to Thameslink rail operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) ready for the start of passenger service.
The state-of-the-art Class 700 has been developed specifically to meet the demands of the ambitious Thameslink Programme - delivering high frequency, high capacity services. They should be more reliable and more energy efficient than existing rolling stock, and their lightweight design should mean less wear and tear on the tracks, saving money in maintaining the network.
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