Thursday 19 February 2009

Sign Of Things To Come?


With the current issues with Bombardier and its supplying of Electrostars to both First Capital Connect and London Overground heavly delayed due to economical problems 23 of its suppliers are going through it seem they are getting ready for a mark 2 verison of this mass product. According to Railway Gazette, Bombardier are planning to reveal the second generation Electrostar at next months Railtex Expo 2009 next month. Whats this got to do with London's transport? Well the 30 new 4 car EMU's for Stanstead Express preferred bidder is Bombardier who will build the 120 new carriages at Derby and its likely that they will be a part of the Electrostar family. Also with Bombardier going after the mega Thameslink order for a completely new fleet for FCC as part of the Thameslink Programme, any new verison of the Electrostars are likely to be in the running for this order. Depending on how well the 377/5 fleet does during its few years with FCC could very well affect the decision. Also Crossrail is looking to Thameslink Programme and its new fleet of 12 car trains as they will need a silmar product for the 10 car trains its currently due to start running in 2017. So it could be a south-east land of Electrostar in the future.

1 comment:

Al said...

given the Electrostar's lineage being tracable directly to the Networker*, there are no-doubt some ex-Network South East men and women who'd see an all-Electrostar SE as no bad thing- after all, had the Networker plan been taken to conclusion, that's all that would be running around now. There were to have been Thameslink and Crossrail Networkers, and ones intended for longer distance use.


*AC, DC and dual power Networkers begat the Networker Turbo (165), which begat the Clubman (168), which beagt the Turbostar (170), which begat the Electrostars