As a start to 2014, The UK Rail Blog will be looking at a number of infrastructure projects that are being undertaken on the UK Rail network. These projects are the Northern Hub Project, Thameslink Program, IEP Trains including the GWML Electrification Scheme, Midland Mainline Electrification scheme. There are also a number of Station projects being undertaken by Train Operators in the UK.
I will start off with the Thameslink Project. The Thameslink Project is a long standing project that is planned to upgrade the North South Link from Brighton To Bedford via London Blackfriars and London St Pancras Int. This line is very important to the local economies that it serves and the London economy. With the Line serving London Luton Airport and London Gatwick Airport (Also With Links to London Heathrow through CrossRail at Farringdon.) One of the first tasks the project undertook was to close the Moorgate branch via the City Widened lines. The project also Closed Kings Cross Thameslink in order to Achieve a heightened frequency through the Main Thameslink line through London, The project also closed Kings Cross Thameslink as part of the New St Pancras Station and to achieve faster journey times. The other major task that the Thameslink project undertook was to introduce 23 Class 377/5 trains to increase train lengths to 8 carriages.
319429 At Gatwick Airport.
The Thameslink Plans to Upgrade the Track, Signalling, Trains, Stations and to have a new franchise (Which will be merged with the current Southern Franchise.) by 2018.
Trains:
The new trains have recently been unveiled to the public at an exhibition on the 29th Jan 2014 at London’s Excel Center. The new Class 700 has given designers a number of headaches to satisfy all of the passengers. The 3 different sets of passengers are all very different from each other, You have got lots of Airline passengers with luggage from the 2 Airports served by the route. You also have long distance passengers traveling from Brighton and Bedford. You also have the commuter type travelers in the Central London area. The trains have also had to meet new legislation for Disabled customers. This has resulted in a train the has Lots of Luggage space, lots of Standing Spaces and 2+2 seating to help Long Distance passengers. The trains will be formed of 8 or 12 Carriages, There will be 55 12 carriage sets and 60 8 carriage sets. The trains will be built by Siemens in Germany and will be introduced in 2016.
Displays on the New Class 700
Cab of the New Class 700
Class 700 Front end.
Class 700 Front end.
Thameslink Branding
Class 700 Standard Class Interior.
Track:
As part of the Thameslink program the whole of the track on the route has been upgraded and a new tunnel to connect the East Coast Main Line and Thameslink together between St Pancras Int and Finsbury Park. This will allow stations to Peterborough added to the the Thameslink Route. Other additions will be the Cambridge, Sevenoaks and Maidstone branches added to Thameslink.
Signalling:
Signalling systems in the Core part of the route through Central London will be upgraded to use the new ETCS (European Train Control System) which will enable the Class 700 to Run Automatically through Central London at a frequency of 24 trains per hour. This will result eventually in only Class 700 trains to operate the Thameslink Lines through Central London.
Stations:
A number of stations are being upgraded such as at London Bridge with new platforms, Platform Canopies and Concourses. The track layout through these stations are also being changed which will help to benefit the overall reduced journey times.
We all here at the UK Rail Blog agree that the new Class 700 train looks very promising for the route and we hope that you agree too. Leave any comments at the bottom of the post as for your opinion on the trains.
^TB
