ROLLING STOCK
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“ It’s one of the most complex things that has ever been done at the Doncaster depot.”
Work on the fi rst trains was completed at the end of May. They were in service six weeks later, following the training of drivers and depot staff at Wimbledon. Trains will mainly be running on the Windsor line and the whole fl eet will be complete by summer 2014.
Waste not, want not
It allows SWT to make use of trains that otherwise would be written off, adding cost and waste to other parts of the industry. Re- engineering allows a number of such issues to be addressed whilst designing the trains for a modern service.
Piers Wood, customer director at Alstom, said it was a “huge publicity change” for the 460s, to be converted with the “very reliable” Class 458s, which would shift passenger perceptions.
The project was not starting from scratch, he explained, but merging two different products – the Class 460s and the Class 458s – into one. It will involve the procurement and insertion of 854 line items, 5,625 wiring changes, 664
new drawings (both mechanical and electrical), 166 new hazards, 51 engineering requirements, 45 different sets of calculations, and 5 bogie modifi cations.
Wood called the project “a great step forward”, and highlighted the good work the industry can do when it pulls together. He added: “Proof of the pudding will be when they are back in service.”
Inside and out
Interior work included fl oor replacement, rewiring, reconfi gured seats into a 2+2 layout, air conditioning and lighting reconfi guring, as well as new toilets. There are fewer seats per car to give passengers more space to stand, and to increase capacity. The new structure is compatible with the SWT Desiro fl eet.
The Class 460 trains have also been re-geared from 100mph to 75mph, with faster speeds not required on the new route, and to avoid overheating. Larger axles are being fi tted on the leader trailer bogies to handle a greater crush
weight with more passengers, and existing retractable gangways and couplers will be replaced between coaches.
Porterbrook said it was “one of the most complex things that has ever been done at the Doncaster depot”, but that good progress was being made.
Paul Francis, managing director of Porterbrook, said: “The deal on Class 458/5 clearly demonstrates the important role of rolling stock lessors in providing fl exible commercial and engineering solutions to rolling stock provision alongside the purchase of new trains.
“In this case Porterbrook is investing £42m to deliver an important HLOS commitment for our customer. This increased rolling stock capacity will be delivered with only three years remaining of the franchise but Porterbrook can underwrite this long term investment.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.southwesttrains.co.uk www.porterbrook.co.uk
rail technology magazine Jun/Jul 13 | 65
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