Transport for London has announced that the first of 10 new Elizabeth Line trains have entered passenger service.
The new trains will help support passenger demand and have been built at Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane factory.
Each nine-carriage train contains 50 miles of cabling, 47,700 screws and 31,700 bolts.
The new trains will also help meet demand when HS2’s new Old Oak Common station officially opens.
345071 was the first off the production line at Derby, and this unit entered service this week.
In this video, we show off the process of building a train carriage, as well as have a ride on 345071 on the test track.
In the above video, you will see how much of the train is built by hand – take a watch for the cab ride in 345071!
The Class 345 is the same train as those that currently operate on the Elizabeth Line network, but will help to boost capacity to around 120,000 people.
The trains have been designed and built at Derby Litchurch Lane factory, which is the only facility with the ability to design, build and test trains.
Responses
What I wish they contained was one toilet! It’s a bit silly that a nine-coach train travelling from Abbey Wood to Reading has no provision for even a single passenger to have a wee.