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Desiro 380 revealed at
Siemens test track
‘With a track record of more
than 150 million miles in
service, the Desiros are
among the most reliable
trains in the UK’
Left to right: David Middleton, CEO of Transport Scotland;
Steve Montgomery, managing director of Scotrail; Mary
Kenny, CEO of Eversholt Rail; and Dr Ansgar Brockmeyer,
president of public transport for Siemens Mobility
by Katie Silvester
Siemens has been demonstrating its latest Desiro,
the Class 380, which will be used on Scotrail’s
Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire routes
from September.
The German-based train manufacturer took
journalists and representatives from Scotrail
and Eversholt Rail to its Wegberg-Wildenrath
test track, near Dusseldorf, to demonstrate the
electrical multiple unit’s capabilities, ahead of its
delivery to the UK.
The Desiros were unveiled, to the sound of
bagpipes, in one of the Wegberg-Wildenrath train
sheds before a celebratory lunch. Guests were
then taken for a ride on one of the units on the
test track.
Dr Ansgar Brockmeyer, president of public
transit for Siemens Mobility, said: ‘We have
succeeded in building a train which not only
has an attractive design, but also meets the latest
technical standards and this is an achievement all
of us can be proud of.’
He added: ‘With a track record of more than
150 million miles in service, the Desiros are among
the most reliable trains in the UK.’
The brand name ‘Desiro’ refers to the body
design, which is used by operators all over Europe.
In the UK, Desiros, which can be either electric
or diesel, are used by Scotrail, South West Trains,
National Express East Anglia, London Midland,
First TransPennine Express and Heathrow
Connect. They are generally used on regional lines,
as they can accelerate quickly between stations.
In all, 38 new units of three and four car
configurations will be delivered to Scotrail, of
which 12 are now complete. When the full fleet
is in service, it will add 7,500 seats to Scotrail’s
capacity. The new fleet will be maintained at
ScotRail’s expanded Shields depot in Glasgow.
Speaking at the launch, Mary Kenny, head of
Eversholt Rail said: ‘As part of our long-term role
as purchaser and owner of these trains, Eversholt
Rail has not only invested £185m, but has also
played an active role in the procurement and
project management during the development of
these trains.’
Steve Montgomery, managing director of
ScotRail, said: ‘We are very much looking forward
to integrating the Class 380s into our existing fleet
and bringing the trains into daily use as quickly as
possible.’
Siemens’ Wegberg-Wildenrath test and
validation centre opened in January 1997 on the
35-hectare site of a former British Royal Air Force
airfield. It has around 17 miles of track on which
local, regional and long-distance trains can be
tested under realistic conditions.
Two oval-shaped circuits are used for testing
trains at speeds of up to 100 and 160 kilometers
per hour respectively, while shorter sections,
catering for standard and meter-gauge rolling
stock, include special sections with steep slopes
and tight bends.
Features of the Desiro 380
l Wide aisles, air-conditioning and power
sockets for laptops;
l Luggage provision, as well as space for
cycles and wheelchairs, meeting stringent
accessibility standards;
l Onboard CCTV;
l Intelligent data transmission capability,
enabling operational data to be transmitted
continuously during passenger service or
when stabled;
l A retractable gangway on the front of the
train, allowing the car body to meet crash
worthiness standards, while maintaining the
driver’s field of vision;
l A new train control system called ‘fly by
wire’, which has allowed miles of cabling
and hundreds of relays and contactors to be
removed from the train design, reducing its
weight and creating more space; and
l Regenerative braking.
A 380 at the Wegberg-Wildenrath test track. The
yellow retractable gangway, which improves crash
worthiness, can be seen on the front of the unit
PAGE 10 AUGUST 2010