A Class 700 made its debut on the UK network on November 24, when 12-car 700107 ran from its depot at Three Bridges to Brighton.
Built by Siemens in Krefeld, Germany, the ‘700/1’ is the first of the 115-strong train order to be delivered. The electric multiple units are destined for Thameslink services.
It departed Three Bridges at 2244 and completed a series of running braking tests at 40mph, 60mph and 80mph. It arrived at Brighton at 2307, departing at 2332 and arriving back in the main facility at Three Bridges at 0100 on November 25.
With this initial test complete, Govia Thameslink Railway said that the 240-metre train, which is half as long again as most Thameslink trains operating today, passed the initial tests that proved its compatibility with signalling. It will not be used for night-time testing.
GTR, which will operate the Class 700s, said it was a ‘soft entry’ for the train. The next stage will be to take another train out with instrumentation to test other parts of the train.
- For more on this, read RAIL 789, published on December 9.
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Andrew Gwilt - 25/11/2015 21:51
Hopefully all of the Class 700 should be delivered next year and to be in passenger use from next year aswell. Love to see the Class 700 Desiro City trains in passenger use. Then hopefully Siemens will start to build 30 5-Car Class 707's for South West Trains after the completion of the Class 700's.
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Andrewjgwilt1989 - 27/11/2015 02:13
Once the 115 Class 700's are delivered. The 55 12 car Class 700's will be working on the Bedford-Brighton service as well the Brighton-Peterborough/Cambridge services whilst the 60 8 car Class 700's will be working on the Bedford/Luton-Wimbledon/Sutton & Sevenoaks services and from Peterborough/Cambridge to Sevenoaks and Wimbledon/Sutton.
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