Siemens commence tests on 707s for South West Trains

News

Trains destined to operate between London Waterloo and Windsor are undergoing tests on a dedicated test track in Germany.

swt-class-707-2-full

The first five South West Trains (SWT) new Class 707 trains are being put through their paces at Siemens’ test tack in Wildenrath.

The contract for the manufacture of the £210m fleet (comprising 30, five-car electric multiple units) was originally awarded to Siemens in September 2014. The first trains began testing earlier in July, 2016 ahead of delivery to SWT Wimbledon depot by leasing company Angel Trains this autumn.

With this milestone, the Siemens-built Class 707 Desiro City trains are closer to being ready for passenger service along the route from spring 2017, providing space for over 18,000 extra passengers at peak times.

According to Siemens, the new Class 707 trains will also ensure increased space and improved accessibility through ‘open gangways’ and upgraded on-board facilities such as free WiFi. The trains will also feature real-time TfL and London Underground updates, plus information about individual carriage capacity.

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address