DELIVERY of the first of 51 three-car TransPennine Express Class 185 DMUs is due in December. In late July the first unit was undergoing commissioning and other trials at the test centre at Wegberg-Wildenrath in north Germany, while production was in full swing at the Siemens factory in Krefeld-Uerdingen near Düsseldorf.

The trains bear a close resemblance to their electric sisters of Classes 350, 360 and 450. Ordered by HSBC Rail for the Keolis/FirstGroup TransPennine Express franchise, they will take over express services linking cities in northern England such as Newcastle, Leeds and Hull with Manchester and Liverpool.

One bogie of each car is powered, with a Cummins QSK19-R underfloor engine rated at 561 kW driving through a Voith Turbo T312 hydrodynamic transmission to give a maximum speed of 160 km/h.

Bodyshells are fabricated from aluminium with assembly carried out at Uerdingen where Siemens makes extensive use of automated production technology. Computer-aided design now uses three-dimensional drawings in conjunction with virtual reality technology supplied by IC:IDO of Stuttgart. This allows assembly workers to familiarise themselves with components and to refer if necessary to the detailed drawings during the assembly process.

One end car in each set is classified DMOSB (Driving Motor Open Standard Bicycle). This vehicle has 64 standard class seats arranged 2+2 with a mix of face-to-back and facing seats grouped around tables. Passengers can observe bags placed in a luggage area in the centre of the car from a mirror positioned below the ceiling; longitudinal luggage racks are provided over the seats. A small multi-purpose area has four fold-down seats and room for two bicycles, and there are two pairs of sliding plug doors.

The centre car designated MSOL (Motor Open Standard Lavatory) has 72 standard class seats and a toilet. The third car, classified DMOCLW (Driving Motor Open Combined Lavatory Wheelchair) has 18 standard class seats arranged 2+2 in a small saloon and 15 premium class seats laid out in a 2+1 arrangement. There is also a multi-purpose area with eight fold-down seats and space for two wheelchairs plus a wheelchair-accessible toilet.

• CAPTION: Siemens displayed this TPE driving car at its Krefeld-Uerdingen plant on July 25
• CAPTION: Seating is arranged 2+2 in standard class
• CAPTION: Bogies for the TPE units are assembled at the Siemens factory in Graz

Table I. Technical details of Class 185 TransPennine Express DMUs

Gauge mm 1435

Axle arrangement 2' B' + 2' B' + B' 2

Length over couplers mm End car 23763

Centre car 23750

Overall length of set mm 71276

Height above rail top mm 3710

Floor height above rail top mm 1247

Overall width mm 2674

Unladen weight tonnes 168·5

Maximum axleload tonnes 18·5

Seating Premium class 15

Standard class 154

Fold-down 12

Table II. Class 185 Desiro DMU suppliers

Main contractor Siemens

Diesel engine Cummins

Transmission Voith Turbo

Batteries Hoppecke

Bogie dampers ZF Sachs

Bearings SKF

Brake controls Westinghouse Brakes

Couplers Dellner

Air-conditioning Air International Transit

Gangways Hübner

Doors Bode

Standard class seats Grammer

Premium class seats Fainsa

Toilets Driessen