THE fleet of trains to be built by Bombardier for the new South Western franchise is being unveiled in Derby. The order for 750 Aventra vehicles is worth £895 million, and Bombardier said it is the largest single order yet for its new Aventra type, which is replacing the Electrostars as Bombardier’s aluminium-bodied commuter EMU.
The new trains will boost peak capacity at Waterloo by 46 per cent, FirstGroup said.
Aventras are already on order from Derby for Crossrail, London Overground and Greater Anglia.
The latest order has an element of controversy, because the original proposal had been to use new Siemens-built Desiro City Class 707s for South Western, alongside its existing fleets of Desiros. The 707s are said to be more expensive than the Aventras, and FirstGroup and MTR’s decision to change the fleet policy has meant that 150 Class 707 vehicles, which are due in service this year and next, will have no obvious operator after 2019, when the initial lease ends.
This date would have coincided with the end of the Stagecoach SWT franchise if negotiations with the DfT for a two-year direct award had succeeded, but because those talks failed the franchise is now changing hands on 20 August this year. The 707s are being delivered for 750V DC operation but can be converted to 25kV if necessary, and so they could eventually find a home away from the third-rail network.
The large Aventra order also marks a significant change of direction for South Western, where all the ex-BR slam door units were replaced by Siemens Desiros soon after the turn of the century. The Bombardier fleet will consist of 90 new trains, formed as five- or 10-car sets, and the contract also includes maintenance support for the duration of the seven-year franchise.
The trains will operate on the Windsor, Reading and West London routes and be based at Wimbledon depot, where South Western employees will carry out day-to-day maintenance with the help of Bombardier staff on the site, who will supply technical advice and spares.
Funding has been led by sponsor Rock Rail and partners SL Capital (part of Standard Life Investments) and GLIL Infrastructure LLP, who all provided the equity investment. The ‘senior debt’ is provided by a consortium of UK, European and North American institutional investors.
Rail minister Paul Maynard, who has survived the post-election reshufflle, highlighted the fact that the new fleet will be built in Britain. He said: “This multi-million pound investment in a new fleet of British-built trains is excellent news for South Western passengers and the British economy. This investment reflects our commitment, and that of train operators, to put passengers at the heart of everything we do, and will improve journeys and target congestion.”
First Rail managing director Steve Montgomery explained: "We have exciting plans for the South Western rail franchise and these new trains are an important step on the way. We know from listening to passengers and stakeholders that alongside improved performance, what they want to see is additional seats and we will deliver this via these state-of-the-art trains.”
The Department for Transport has distanced itself from the change of fleet policy, saying: “First MTR has committed to deliver 750 new carriages by the end of 2020 which will offer more space and improve journeys. It is for First MTR South Western to decide how it uses its trains."