The first new, state-of-the-art, British built and designed London Overground train was today (20 June) unveiled by Transport for London (TfL). Hosting a range of new features, the first of the new trains will be in passenger service by November.
The new features of the ‘Class 710’ trains include the latest intelligent lighting and temperature control for more comfortable journeys, as well as Wi-Fi, USB charging points and digital information screens giving customers higher quality real time travel information while on board.
In total, a fleet of 54 new air-conditioned trains will transform journeys for thousands of London Overground customers and come into service initially on the Gospel Oak to Barking route. The number of people using the Gospel Oak to Barking service has grown exponentially since it became integrated into the TfL network and the new electric trains will have four-cars, doubling the capacity of the current diesel stock to almost 700 customers per train, relieving congestion on this popular line between north and east London.
The trains are being built at Bombardier Transport’s UK site in Derby where 120 local engineering staff have worked on the design and testing of the trains. A further 170 staff have been working on manufacturing the trains, with 50 per cent of these recruited specifically to fulfil this contract. Twenty apprentices have worked on the production of the trains. Around 50 per cent of the supply chain was with UK suppliers and worth £56m, indirectly supporting further jobs across the country.
