‘777’ on test
Testing of the first Merseyrail Class 777 electric multiple units begins in Germany, ahead of entering traffic next year.
TESTING of the first Merseyrail Class 777 electric multiple unit is under way at Wildenrath, in Germany.
The Stadler third-rail EMU (777001) is the first of 52 fourcar trains to be released for test running at speeds up to 75mph. Merseyrail expects a different set (777003) to be delivered to the UK before the end of the year. This will go to Stadler’s depot at Kirkdale (in Liverpool).
The EMUs will enter traffic from next year, replacing Class 507 and ‘508’ EMUs that date from the late 1970s. They were ordered in a £460 million deal in December 2016 ( RAIL 817).
Liverpool City Region transport authority owns the ‘777s’ and will lease them to Merseyrail. Their purchase has been funded by using cash reserves and loan funding.
Testing at the German facility is aimed at minimising the need to carry out similar work on the Merseyrail network, which could cause disruption.
“Liverpool City Region, and I, cannot wait to see them in service from next year,” said Liverpool City Region New Trains Programme Director David Powell.
“With each engineering milestone we’re getting closer to seeing these trains on our network. These trains are not only being keenly awaited by people in our city region, but also by rail experts aware of how game-changing these are for the industry.”
Stadler Project Manager Matthias Hämmerle explained: “These trains for the Liverpool City Region are not ‘off the shelf’ but have been tailored to a very specific brief.” Merseyrail Managing Director Andy Heath said: “These trains, with pioneering technology and features throughout, will transform
the rail offering in the Liverpool City Region.”
Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram added: “The new trains are an important part of my plans to deliver a London-style transport network for the city.”
The ‘777s’ are from Stadler’s lightweight rail vehicle platform. This is an articulated multi-vehicle train. The trains are a fixed formation of four articulated vehicles, and are fitted with large vestibules, wide aisles, open gangways and air-conditioning. They have three motorised Jacobs bogies and two trailer end bogies, and can operate in four-car and eight-car formations.
Key to the design is the ‘intelligent step’ that detects various platform positions via ultrasonic sensing equipment, to close the gap between the entrance doorstep and platform edge. This provides step-free access for passengers.
The trains are also fitted with small batteries to enable them to shunt at non-electrified depots. Merseyrail is investigating using larger batteries to enable the ‘777s’ to run on non-electrified parts of the system, as it seeks to possibly expand its network. @Clinnick1