UK: Train operator First TransPennine Express took delivery of the last of 10 Siemens Class 350/4 Desiro electric multiple-units on March 28, 25 months after the £60m contract was signed.
The four-car 25 kV 50 Hz EMUs are leased from Angel Trains, and will be used to increase capacity between Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Each EMU has 210 seats, with 19 first class seats and three toilets. They are designed to operate at up to 175 km/h.
Siemens Rail Systems will provide engineering and maintenance support for the EMUs alongside the FTPE fleet of Siemens Class 185 DMUs at the recently-electrified Ardwick depot in Manchester.
'Just over two years from initial contract signature to full fleet acceptance is a great achievement and is indicative of Siemens' commitment to meeting customer needs in tight timescales', said Steve Scrimshaw, Managing Director of Siemens Rail Systems in the UK. 'The new trains, which take the number of Siemens vehicles in the UK to 1 558 carriages, will bring significant benefits to the northwest in the form of increased capacity, energy efficiency and economic benefits.'
