Bombardier Class 345s roll off the production line
PRODUCTION of TfL Rail Class 345s at Derby Litchurch Lane is running at seven vehicles per week, with the work due to end in April.
Bombardier spokesman Will Tanner told RAIL that 54 of the trains had been built by August 8. So far 345001-345054 have been constructed, although 345002/003/005-017/022 are formed of seven vehicles and will be extended to nine.
TfL Rail has 15 operational Class 345s, with two in traffic on its truncated western operations between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington, while the majority of the fleet work between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield.
So far, while testing is being carried out on the national network and also on Crossrail infrastructure, no nine-car ‘345’ has been passed to carry passengers.
TfL Rail is due to become the Elizabeth Line in December, when ‘345s’ are due to begin carrying passengers under central London to Paddington.
TfL Rail has 345002/019021/023-042 at various sites across London for testing, while 345044046 were at Crewe as this issue of RAIL went to press.
Tanner also confirmed that production of the Greater Anglia Class 720 electric multiple units is well under way, with the first set due to be completed soon (720501). Bombardier is focusing initially on the five-car sets, and the first GA Aventras are due into traffic next spring, with all 89 fivecar and 22 ten-car sets in traffic by summer 2020.
Meanwhile, Tanner has confirmed that assembly of the first Class 701 Aventras for South Western Railway should start this summer, with the first entering traffic next year and all 90 trains delivered by the end of 2020. SWR has 60 ten-car and 30 five-car sets on order.
The manufacturer has also confirmed that the Aventras ordered by London Northwestern Railway will be Class 730s.
Tanner told RAIL that the full fleet will be delivered by the end of 2021, and that the Class 730/0s would be built first. These are earmarked for LNWR’s West Midlands Railway operations, with 36 three-car trains on order. They will be followed by five-car ‘730/1s’ for suburban services and 16 five-car Class 730/2s for longdistance trains.
The final Aventra fleet to be delivered will be six ten-car trains ordered by c2c. Tanner said these will be delivered by September 2021.
As this issue of RAIL went to press, Bombardier has still only delivered six Class 710s to Willesden for London Overground (710261-263/265-267). The dualvoltage EMUs are due in traffic by November (LO says eight are needed), with a total of 54 ‘710s’ on order.