The first four-car Class 755/4 bi-mode unit for Greater Anglia was unveiled to the press in Erlen, Switzerland on May 3.
GA has 24 four-car and 14 three-car BMUs on order from the Swiss manufacturer. They will enter traffic from next summer, when GA expects to have around 20 Class 755s in the UK.
There are a further 20 12-car Class 745 electric multiple units also being constructed.
The BMUs will be used on the rural routes GA operates, as well as new direct trains between Norwich and Stansted Airport, Lowestoft and London Liverpool Street, and Marks Tey-Sudbury. Ten EMUs are specifically for the Norwich-London Liverpool Street line and a further ten EMUs are for the Stansted Express service.
The first Class 755 is due to be delivered to Norwich Crown Point in October, with a Stansted Express Class 745 due at the depot by the end of the year.
All BMUs are fitted with 16 litre V8 engines supplied by Deutz. Each is capable of 650hp. A four-car BMU will have four engines, while a three-car will have two. These are located in a power car. The trains feature articulated bogies.
Stadler told RAIL that dynamic testing of the trains starts in July, with 16 trains needed. Eight teams will be involved in testing at seven locations across Europe including in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Romania and Switzerland.
The order is worth £600 million as part of a £1.4 billion order for 1,043 vehicles. Stadler is supplying 378 vehicles for GA leased from Rock Rail, with Bombardier providing 665 Aventra vehicles leased from Angel Trains.
- For an in-depth news story, read RAIL 853, published on May 23, and available digitally from May 19.
- For an in-depth feature, read RAIL 853, published on May 23, and available digitally from May 19.
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AndrewJG8918 - 05/05/2018 11:02
Northern will inherit the Class 153’s and Class 156’s. Crosscountry are to receive the Class 170’s. And there is hope that Class 360’s might end up going to West Midlands Trains or Northern or to be used in South Wales or ScotRail. And Class 379’s could operate on Great Northern and to work alongside the Class 387’s or to transfer the Class 379’s to Heathrow Express and modify them so that they can work alongside the GWR Class 387’s. Or transfer the Class 379’s to West Midlands Trains to replace the Class 319’s to Northern and to use the Class 379’s on London Euston-Northampton, Rugby, Watford Junction and to operate 1 Class 379 on Watford Junction-St. Albans Abbey service. Or cascade the Class 379’s to ScotRail to replace the Class 314’s and Class 318’s on the Strathclyde suburban services.
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AndrewJG8918 - 09/05/2018 21:50
These new trains will soon be service from the end of this year or hopefully from early next year.
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