Moving Wheels
GOVIA THAMESLINK Railway operated a preview working of its new Class 717 EMUs for Great Northern suburban services on 28 September.
GTR has ordered 25x6-car units from Siemens to replace Class 313s on service into Moorgate, financed by Rock Rail. The operator says the units will undergo a phased introduction from late autumn to next spring. The ‘717s’, from Siemens’ Desiro City platform, offer air conditioning, Wi-Fi, power points and real-time information screens, and will provide a 27% increase in capacity. The preview working operated from Moorgate to Gordon Hill, with GTR saying it formally took the first units on lease the previous day. Maintenance of the fleet will be undertaken by GTR at Hornsey depot, with support from Siemens.
As of early October, six Class 717s had been delivered to the UK, with the remainder of the fleet undergoing testing at Siemens’ facilities in Germany. Although similar to the Class 700s Siemens built for the Thameslink route, the ‘717s’ have an emergency exit door through the driver’s cab, required for operation in the tunnels from Finsbury Park to Moorgate. They also have a slightly different internal layout, with no first class or toilet facilities.
’385s’ HIT BY BRAKE ISSUE
