Representatives from Eversholt Rail, FirstGroup, ScotRail, Siemens Mobility and Transport Scotland gathered to mark the official ‘roll out’ of the Desiro Class 380 at the Siemens test centre in Wegberg-Wildenrath, Germany.
The 38 new electric multiple unit trains of three and four car configuration will be introduced into service from September 2010 delivering substantial benefits for passengers across the ScotRail network in terms of capacity, safety and customer comfort.
The Class 380 fleet will run primarily on Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire routes, boosting Scotland’s transport system by adding more than 7,500 passenger seats to the rail network.
Each unit has spacious seating, wide aisles, air-conditioning, power sockets for laptops / PDAs under each table, luggage provision, space for cycles and wheelchairs, plus CCTV. Weight-saving features make the fleet more efficient to operate. The Class 380 monitors its own energy use and has regenerative braking that can return energy to the power system for re-use by other trains.
The Class 380 is also the first in the UK to meet stringent accessibility standards – the Technical Specification for Interoperability for Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM TSI). There are two wheelchair spaces per train in an inclusive layout plus full standard seats for companion travellers. Each unit also has a wheelchair-accessible toilet plus open aisles and vestibules.
Steve Scrimshaw, managing director of Rolling Stock for Siemens Mobility UK, said: “Siemens is proud to be working with ScotRail, Transport Scotland and Eversholt Rail to bring this state-of-the-art fleet to Scotland. The Class 380 combines the best of the existing Desiro UK design with innovative new technologies to produce a market-leading EMU that will be the most modern train on the UK’s rail network.
“Now that the extensive testing process at Wildenrath is nearing completion, our team in the UK and Europe is focused on delivering the fleet into service on time.”
The new fleet will be maintained at ScotRail’s expanded Shields depot in Glasgow. Siemens has overseen this expansion - one of four major train depots in Scotland - to accommodate maintenance, cleaning and stabling for the new fleet. The project has created 130 new jobs.
The depot incorporates a new wheel lathe building and wash plant, and uses modern equipment and state-of-the-art technologies including Siemens energy efficient lighting and building materials to maintain the electric trains.
The depot incorporates a new wheel lathe building and wash plant, and uses modern equipment and state-of-the-art technologies including Siemens energy efficient lighting and building materials to maintain the electric trains.
Steve Montgomery, managing director of ScotRail, said: “The partnership approach, which has been so successful at delivering these new trains for Scotland, is set to continue, with ScotRail and Siemens continuing to work together to maintain the Class 380s at Shields depot.
“We are very much looking forward to integrating the Class 380s into our existing fleet and bringing the trains into daily use as quickly as possible. Our customers will appreciate the comfortable surroundings and feeling of space.”
Mary Kenny, chief executive officer of Eversholt Rail, said:
“As part of it’s long term role as purchaser and owner of these trains, Eversholt Rail Group not only invested £185million but has played an active part in the Procurement and Project Management during the development of these new trains. They are important in the expansion of the Scottish Railways and are an important acquisition towards Eversholt’s strategy of targeted procurement of new trains.
“This has been a joint project with First ScotRail, Siemens and Transport Scotland and there has been great teamwork throughout, at what can only be described as one of the most challenging times for financing of a project of this size that the privatised industry has seen. It is a credit to all involved that their tenacity at such a difficult time paid off and sees us all here for this launch today.”
The introduction of the Class 380 will be the pinnacle of an investment of over £450m in Scottish rail services in the West of Scotland. In addition, Transport Scotland is funding a £60m programme of platform extensions to accommodate these longer trains.
David Middleton, chief executive of Transport Scotland, said: “The handover of the first new class 380 trains to ScotRail marks an important milestone in the delivery of Scottish Ministers’ aspirations contained within Scotland’s railways. The new trains will provide increased capacity across Ayrshire and Inverclyde whilst enabling the cascade of existing units to meet the increased demand on the Argyle route as well as providing modern electric trains for the new Airdrie to Bathgate railway due to open in December this year.”
.....................................................ENDS.........................................................................
For more information, contact:
Emma Whitaker
PR Manager
Siemens plc
Tel. +44 (0)115 906 6572
Mob: +44 (0)7921246942
Email: Emma.whitaker@siemens.com
About Siemens in the UK
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 167 years ago and now employs around 17,000 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.2.billion. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
As part of Siemens in the UK, Siemens Mobility employs around 1700 people, providing expertise and technology in rolling stock, rail infrastructure, traffic solutions and infrastructure logistics to the UK transport industry.
In Rolling Stock, Siemens Mobility provides and maintains passenger trains for First TransPennine Express, South West Trains, Heathrow Express, National Express East Anglia, Northern Trains and London Midland. New trains are currently in production for ScotRail.
With proven capability in rail automation, Siemens Mobility has delivered a major re-signalling project in the Portsmouth areas, traction power upgrades across the UK and new telecommunications systems in London and the west of England. It is also developing the GSM-R cab radio solution for the entire UK rolling stock fleet. For more information on Siemens Mobility please visit www.siemens.co.uk/mobility.
