ROLLING STOCK
On-time fleet delivery for 350/4s
First TransPennine Express has received its tenth and final Class 350/4 train from Siemens to serve new electrified routes. Adam Hewitt reports.
F
irst TransPennine Express’s (FTPE’s) £60m new electric fleet has been fully delivered 25 months after contract signature.
Unit 350 410’s delivery at the end of March marked the end of the fleet handover to the operator from Siemens. The leasing company is Angel Trains.
The first of the 10 new Class 350/4s ran on 30 December 2013
between Manchester
Piccadilly and Glasgow Central, while Siemens is also supplying London Midland with 10 of the Desiros, designated 350/3.
FTPE’s new four-car trains have been designed with 110mph capability, and they will be maintained by Siemens Rail Systems alongside the Class 185 fleet at the Ardwick depot in Manchester, electrified last year.
The 350/4s are equipped for inter-city travel, not just commuter journeys, and incorporate an extra toilet, a bigger first class zone and a catering area.
As RTM was going to press, FTPE was launching its new timetable incorporating the new fleet, which it said added 30% to its capacity. The new timetable includes 15 services a day in
each direction between Glasgow and
Edinburgh and Manchester Airport, five trains an hour across the Pennines, and a new express service between Liverpool and Newcastle.
Network Rail completed electrification of Manchester (Castlefield Junction) to Newton-le-Willows in December, while the section onwards to Liverpool Lime Street (and from Wigan to Huyton) will be complete
by the end of this year.
FTPE managing director Nick Donovan said: “The 10 Class 350/4s have been designed with the customer in mind. They offer comfort and reliability and should further improve the travel experience between the north of England and Scotland.”
Siemens’ Steve Scrimshaw added: “It is fantastic to be able to celebrate another on-time fleet delivery. Just over two years from initial contract signature to full fleet acceptance is a great achievement and is indicative of Siemens’ commitment to meeting customer needs in tight timescales.”
There are now 1,558 Siemens carriages in the UK, he said, while Angel Trains technical director Mark Hicks also welcomed the project’s fruition, saying it “shows what the rail industry can achieve when we work in partnership”.
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Refreshing interior décor on Virgin Trains
3M Commercial Graphics’ Pen Webley describes a toilet refurb on Virgin’s Voyager and Pendolino fleets. T
he trend towards protecting train interiors and enhancing the passenger experience
is growing in the European rail industry. Interior train wrapping offers advantages all- round: passengers get to travel in a pleasant environment, and the rail operators and transit authorities preserve the interior of their trains during a time of increasing network usage.
Virgin Trains recently completed an interior makeover using graphic films from diversified technology company 3M to refresh the décor in its toilets. Passengers travelling on Virgin’s Class 221 Voyager and Class 390 Pendolino fleet of trains on the West Coast Main Line benefit from an aesthetically improved toilet environment with a picturesque vista of a Virgin balloon in flight over a meadow.
Controltac Graphic Film with Comply Adhesive IJ180C and Scotchgard Graphic and Surface Protection Film 8995 from 3M were selected
for the project. Controltac Graphic Film IJ180C is a popular film for rail applications and is also used on the First Capital Connect fleet. The film, fully compliant with required rail standards, produces high quality and long-lasting, large fleet graphics. Its pressure- activated adhesive allows for easier and faster installation, reducing the time a train needs to be out of action for a livery upgrade or overhaul.
The Scotchgard Graphic and Surface Protection Film 8995 is a durable rail overlaminate designed to protect graphics and surfaces from graffiti, scratches and gouges. It can withstand harsh solvents that are needed to clean the surface and remove graffiti to uphold brand image.
Ken Gibbs, communications manager at Virgin Trains, commented: “The toilet refurb project is a typical Virgin initiative, adding personality and individuality to bring a smile
to customers’ faces. It’s important to us that customers reach their destination on time and in comfort, feeling refreshed on arrival. By sprucing up the toilets with smart new graphics, improved lighting and door controls, they are now a more attractive place to be.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.3M.co.uk/graphicsolutions
rail technology magazine Apr/May 14 | 75
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