Electric Class 700 train unveiled

[DSY011]

A new train which will "transform" rail travel on one of the country's busiest routes was unveiled today, with pledges of increased reliability and energy efficiency.

http://www.home.bt.com/news/uknews/e...11363871186757

The electric Class 700 is being built for the Thameslink route through London, with the first new trains due to begin operating in 2016.
Siemens is building the 1,140 carriages in Germany, but said up to 2,000 jobs will be created in the UK supply chain, including component manufacturing, maintenance and new depots.

[pre65]

The front end looks a bit like the class 70 diesels.

[boilersuit]

What, no end doors? Doesn't look like a very flexible solution. And what about the regulation that trains have to end access if they run through single-bore tunnels?

[Tony]

With the target being 12 coach trains, how many coaches are in the 700 class ? As Boilersuit points out, no end doors so how do these trains meet multiple working ? Although I am no lover of Bob Crow, I do agree with his comments about these trains; a total Government cock up which lost us a great industry at this time of railway expansion.

[bramleyman]

I bet the commuters will start ranting and raving about fewer seats as usual?

[Beeyar Wunby]

Originally Posted by boilersuit

What, no end doors? Doesn't look like a very flexible solution.

The DfT specification for these trains was for fixed formation 8 and 12 car trains. They won't be working in multiple.

And what about the regulation that trains have to end access if they run through single-bore tunnels?

Throughout the intended route for this stock there are no single bore tunnels.

On the Thameslink side the only cause for this was Smithfield tunnel on the Moorgate Branch (ie, Farringdon to Moorgate). When the branch closed due to the rebuilding of Farringdon station the requirement for end doors on TL rolling stock disappeared.

Over on the GN side there is still one tunnel with significant lengths of single bores - entertainingly enough it's the 'other' Moorgate Line (aka the Northern City Line from Drayton Park to Moorgate) and that uses 313 stock exclusively - so class 700s will not need to be given route clearance down there. The platforms are only 6 cars long anyway.

[Timothy Turtle]

Originally Posted by boilersuit

What, no end doors? Doesn't look like a very flexible solution. And what about the regulation that trains have to end access if they run through single-bore tunnels?

There is a precedent for running trains with no end doors through single bore tunnels - 395s through Shakespeare Tunnel near Dover (although minor mods to the tunnel and numerous risk assessments were required!)

[Beeyar Wunby]

Originally Posted by Timothy Turtle

There is a precedent for running trains with no end doors through single bore tunnels - 395s through Shakespeare Tunnel near Dover (although minor mods to the tunnel and numerous risk assessments were required!)

It isn't automatically the case that all single-bore tunnels require Emergency End Doors. It is only if the clearance is so limited that passengers are prevented from exiting via the main doors and walking along the tunnel that the requirement is invoked.

Shakespeare Tunnel was modified so that some existing passage ways were converted to be special evacuation points. Therefore it doesn't present the egress risks of a confined single bore tunnel.

This is how the Channel Tunnel manages to operate with single bores - there are regular escape routes formed by cross-passages and refuges .

Also with the new Thameslink Canal Tunnels. Although for part of the route they are single bore, the tunnel diameter is much wider than the train width and the extra space incorporates a raised walkway alongside the train for passenger use in emergencies.

[Beeyar Wunby]

Just looking at another website....http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/7368

The seats look very hard. I don't fancy riding all the way from Peterborough to Brighton on these. Also there are no dividers between carriages. I wonder if this is the case throughout the whole 12 cars. The whole thing looks crude like an underground train.

If this is the case it's a major step down from the 377s currently providing the service.