First TPE Mk 5As

The first five CAF Mk 5As for TransPennine Express delivered to the UK from northern Spain for testing.

THE first CAF Mk 5As earmarked for TransPennine Express have been delivered to Longsight depot in Manchester.

The five coaches will undergo testing and commissioning before entering traffic this autumn. Freightliner Heavy Haul has been contracted to perform the main line testing, and has begun training on two Class 68s.

The five coaches will form Set 2. They were built by CAF in northern Spain and delivered to Portbury Dock (Bristol) by ship. From there, Rail Operations Group took them north to Longsight on May 25, using 37611 Pegasus and 37884 Cepheus.

TPE has 13 sets on order, and these are planned to be permanently coupled ( RAIL 851). Those delivered are Trailer First (TF) 11502, Trailer Standard (TS) 12704-12706 and Driving Trailer (DT) 12802.

Set 1 (formed of TF 11501, TS 12701-12703 and DT 12801) has been undergoing testing at the Velim test track in the Czech Republic ( RAIL 851).

Next to be delivered to the UK is expected to be Set 3 (formed of TF 11503, TS 12707-12709 and DT 12803).

Financed by Beacon Rail, they are the first five of 221 brand new vehicles to be delivered to the UK for TPE by the middle of next year. The 66 Mk 5As will be followed by 12 five-car Class 397 electric multiple units also built by CAF, and

19 five-car Class 802/2 bi-modes built by Hitachi.

Class 68s hired from Direct Rail Services will operate with the Mk 5As in push-pull mode. Fourteen will be available (68019-68032).

The Mk 5A fleet will run on the Liverpool Lime Street-Manchester Airport-Scarborough/Middlesbrough routes. They will replace three-car Class 185 diesel multiple units that have 180 seats (15 First Class). The new Mk 5A/Class 68 sets have 291 seats (30 First Class).

The ‘397s’ are due into traffic on the Liverpool/Manchester-Glasgow/ Edinburgh routes from next spring, followed by the ‘802s’ on the Liverpool/Manchester-Newcastle/ Edinburgh route.

TPE plans to have ten ‘397s’ in traffic per day, 16 of the 19 bi-mode in traffic, and 12 of the 13 Mk 5A sets.

CALLAGHAN. TERRY On May 25, Rail Operations Group 37611 Pegasus and 37884 Cepheus come off the Camp Hill line at Bordesley Junction (on the outskirts of Birmingham), with the 0900 Portbury Automotive TerminalManchester International Depot delivering TransPennine...