New 90-strong fleet of trains to be introduced for South Western network

AN ORDER for 90 new trains has been signed by the new operators of the South Western network.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Jun 2017, 07:45 BST
Picture: Malcolm WellsPicture: Malcolm Wells
Picture: Malcolm Wells

FirstGroup and MTR said the 750 new carriages, in five- and 10-car formations, will provide a 46 per cent increase in peak capacity on suburban routes into London Waterloo.

The £895m fleet will be manufactured by Bombardier Transportation in Derby, offering free Wi-Fi, at-seat charging points, information screens, air conditioning, wide gangways and wide doors.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The new trains will start to come into service from mid-2019 and will all be in place by December 2020.

FirstGroup and MTR included the plans for the new trains in their winning bid for the franchise, which is due to start on August 20, taking over from Stagecoach.

Steve Montgomery, managing director of First Rail said: ‘We have exciting plans for the South Western rail franchise and these new trains are an important step on the way to delivering an improved journey experience for our passengers.’

Related topics:Derby