THE final ‘Electrostar train has been completed at Bombardier’s Litchurch Lane Works.
It has been handed to leasing company Porterbrook, which will pass the train to GWR for use on West London and Thames Valley services.
Since production of the ‘Electrostar’ began at Derby in 1999, under the auspices of ADTranz (later Bombardier) – with the first Class 357 for c2c – a total of 2,805 vehicles have been manufactured at the site in three-, four- and five-car formations.
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It makes the ‘Electrostar’ the UK’s most successful electric multiple unit.
A succession of orders over the past 18 years has helped to keep the Derby manufacturing site open, and paved the way for the development of the ‘Aventra’.
The total number of EMU sets manufactured is 589, and these are in service with more than 10 different operators, including Gautrain, in South Africa, which operates 24 four-car sets, the first three of these being built at Derby, the remainder sent out as kits for construction locally.
Read more in the December issue of The RM – on sale now!
