The first of a £210 million fleet of new trains for South West Trains (SWT) has now arrived at Clapham ahead of final testing.
The Siemens-built Class 707 Desiro City trains will provide space for approximately 11,000 passengers every weekday morning to and from London Waterloo.
A pair of five-carriage trains starts testing in the new year and the first trains are expected to enter passenger service in April. When the full rollout is complete by November 2017, 30 trains, comprising 150 carriages, will provide space for thousands of additional passengers every day.
Network Rail is rebuilding platforms 20-24 at Waterloo, the former International Terminal, boosting capacity and creating a spacious new concourse. This summer platforms 1-4 will be extended allowing longer trains to serve suburban routes. The 707 is lighter and more energy efficient, reducing impact on the environment and track.
Says Rail Minister, Paul Maynard, ‘I am pleased to see the first of this new fleet of trains arriving in the UK on schedule. They are part of the record investment the Government has been making to modernise our railways.’