DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (183) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 27 November 2008
Plans to introduce
spacious, longer and more comfortable trains, which will provide
an extra 14,500 seats for passengers travelling in South-East
England, are set to move a step closer Transport Minister Andrew
Adonis announced today.
Companies are today being invited to tender for work to build a
new fleet of Thameslink trains. As part of this, the Government
has outlined a series of robust terms and conditions that respond
to passenger feedback and which are designed to improve travelling
conditions on the network.
The new contract will allow older trains to be replaced and bring
around 400 additional carriages into service, significantly
boosting capacity. Meanwhile trains will be longer and designed to
maximise passenger comfort.
Andrew Adonis said:
"This tender for some 1,200 new Thameslink carriages,
including around 400 additional carriages on top of those being
replaced, forms a vital part of our £5.5 billion plan to
significantly increase capacity through central London on the
First Capital Connect service between Brighton, Bedford and other
destinations which will become part of the network in 2015. When
the trains start to arrive in 2012, passengers will see many peak
time trains lengthened by 50%, from 8 to 12 carriages. By the end
of 2015 there will be trains running every 2 to 3 minutes into and
out of central London.
"The modern design of the new carriage is more spacious than
existing ones. They are also more energy efficient and
environmentally friendly and their lightweight design will reduce
wear and tear on the lines, reducing maintenance costs."
First Capital Connect, which operates services on the Thameslink
route, has supported the Department in developing the
specification and commercial framework for the new trains.
Managing Director Elaine Holt said:
"We really welcome this investment to deliver increased
capacity for the benefit of our customers. We look forward to
continue working with the Department and the successful
manufacturer to deliver these exciting new trains."
Andy Mitchell, Network Rail's major programme director for
Thameslink, said:
"Today's invitation to tender is an important milestone
in a process which goes far beyond the build of new trains. This
is a vital step in the Thameslink programme, which sees the whole
railway industry working together to deliver more services, more
frequently and with more seats for passengers.
"We are very proud to be delivering not only the new
stations and infrastructure on the Thameslink programme but also
to be working hand in hand with the Government and train operating
companies to develop the trains that will set the standards for
others to aspire to."
Notes to Editors
1. Four firms are being invited to tender: Alstom, Bombardier,
Hitachi and Siemens. Bids will be formally submitted in April 2009
with the contract being awarded in March 2010. It is intended that
the first trains will be available for testing in autumn 2011,
with the first trains coming into service by during 2012.
2. According to design specifications, the new trains must be
able to accelerate and brake more quickly enabling the line to
support 24 trains an hour at peak times.
3. The trains must also be more reliable and offer passengers a
larger number of more comfortable and safer sitting and standing
spaces. They must also be able to provide passengers with more information.
4. The design must also enable passengers to quickly board and
alight the train. Bidders will be expected to provide a better
onboard experience for passengers through features such as
improved temperature regulation and whole journey passenger information.
5. Clauses in the new contract will ensure that if the trains do
not perform according to specification the train maintainers will
face heavy penalties. This will result in savings for the taxpayer
and a more reliable service.
6. The Department has also worked closely with Network Rail and
train operating company First Capital Connect (FCC), to develop
the high standards expected of the trains.
7. First Capital Connect and Network Rail have actively supported
the Department in developing the tender specifications and
proposed contracts for the new trains to which the Bidders are
being asked to respond. First Capital Connect will sign the
contracts with the successful Bidder and mange the contract implementation
8. Carriages will be joined together permanently to form a train
and will stay this way in a 'fixed formation' for the
rest of their working life. This will make the manufacturing
process simpler and more economical, and allows the trains to work
more reliably.
9. The routes which will be operated by Thameslink from 2015
currently use around 720 vehicles; this will increase to 1,200.
The fleet incorporates additional capacity as provided by the
Rolling Stock Plan announced in January 2008.
10. The new Thameslink trains will operate through the central
London core route between St Pancras International and
Blackfriars, providing inner and outer urban services to
destinations to the north of London on the Midland and East Coast
Main Lines and via London Bridge and Elephant and Castle to
destinations to the south of London on the Brighton Main Line and
other routes in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
11. To make effective use of the new trains, platforms at
Blackfriars station will be extended to make it the first station
to span the width of the Thames. There will also be additional
improvements at Farringdon and London Bridge stations to
accommodate the longer more frequent services.
12. By December 2015 bottlenecks at London Bridge will be eased
to enable 18 Thameslink trains per hour to serve this station. Six
more trains per hour running via Elephant & Castle will
increase capacity through central London to up to 24 trains an
hour between Blackfriars and St Pancras International. During the
peak hours, the majority of the 24 trains per hour will be 12
carriages long.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk