Week Review ~ 7th January 2016

The first Weekly Review of 2016! Let's cut straight to the chase, the significant news stories since our last update. 


ANGLIA + MIDLANDS: 
156401, from East Mids Trains, was on loan to Greater Anglia this week to cover the Short Set diagram. The short set is currently away from home for maintenance, and is due back next week (when 90034 goes for an exam). 37405 travelled by road separately from Dereham (no lorry access to Crown Point) due to having wheel flats. 90006 due back soon.

Robert informs me that 360101 and 115 are now internally refurbished, as are all 317/6s. There's just 10x 317/5 to do.


The Desiro City, a similar style to Class 700s.
Ex - London Midland 321417 was on a test run to Witham on the morning of 5th Jan, still in LM livery. It's on loan to Greater Anglia, and has since entered service. This unit and its sisters will be overhauled and moved to ScotRail in the early Spring, where it will be converted to work with their fleet for the Summer. 321413/414 are sub-leased to LO until March, but are in LO livery.

 Penguilino and Claus 91 which have lost their wrap. Suffice to say Xmas is over!

GREAT NORTHERN:
Govia (which operates TOCs Great Northern, Thameslink, Southern and Gatwick Express) have announced that Siemens are the preferred bidder for the new Great Northern fleet, which will include features such as full-width gangways, no intermediate cabs, air-conditioning, power points and real-time PIS screens onboard. This is an investment worth over £200 million.

Class 700s are currently being built for Thameslink.
Govia: 'The order will be for 25 six-car 700 Desiro City units. They will replace Class 313 trains built in 1976/7, and enter service by the end of 2018 on routes to and from Welwyn and Hertford, Stevenage and Letchworth.'

GTR Fleet Director Gerry McFadden said: “Coupled with the seven-day-a-week service to Moorgate that we started in December [view here], these new trains will give our passengers a superior, modern comfortable journey with more capacity, improved reliability, air conditioning and passenger information systems that can be remotely updated to provide real-time information. Further information is available at www.siemens.com.'

That's the first Week Review of the week, as we have another on Sunday!
Regards:

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