British Rail Class 717
| British Rail Class 717 Desiro City | |
|---|---|
 Great Northern Class 717 unit at Palmers Green | |
 The standard-class interior of a Class 717 unit | |
| In service | 28 September 2018 – present |
| Manufacturer | Siemens Mobility |
| Built at | Krefeld, Germany |
| Family name | Desiro City |
| Replaced | Class 313 |
| Constructed | 2018 |
| Number built | 25 |
| Formation |
|
| Fleet numbers | 717001–717025 |
| Capacity | 362 seats |
| Operators | Great Northern |
| Depots | Hornsey (London) |
| Lines served | |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium[1] |
| Train length | 121.7 m (399 ft 3 in) |
| Car length | 20.2 m (66 ft) |
| Width | 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in) |
| Floor height | 1.10 m (3 ft 7 in) |
| Doors |
|
| Maximum speed | 85 mph (137 km/h) |
| Weight |
|
| Traction system | Siemens IGBT |
| Power output | 1,200 kW (1,600 hp) (at wheels) |
| Acceleration | 0.85 m/s2 (1.9 mph/s) |
| Electric system(s) | |
| Current collector(s) |
|
| UIC classification |
|
| Bogies | Siemens SGP SF7000[2] |
| Braking system(s) | Electro-pneumatic (disc) and regenerative |
| Safety system(s) | |
| Coupling system | Dellner |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Notes/references | |
| Sourced from Desiro City (Class 717) datasheet unless otherwise noted. | |
The British Rail Class 717 Desiro City[6] is an electric multiple unit passenger train built by Siemens Mobility, currently operated by Govia Thameslink Railway on its Great Northern Hertford Loop and Welwyn stopping routes. Built to replace Class 313 trains on services into Moorgate, a total of 25 six-car units began entering regular service from March 2019.[7][8] The units are stylistically similar to the Class 700s (in use with Thameslink) and the Class 707s (in use with Southeastern and South Western Railway.)
History
Upon winning the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) announced that it would seek to replace the existing Class 313 units (which were 40 years old in 2016) operating on services to and from Moorgate, with up to 25 six-car units intended to be procured.[9] In December 2015, GTR announced that it had selected Siemens to provide this new fleet, originally designated Class 713,[10] as a follow-on order from the main Class 700 order, with entry into service expected from March 2019.[11] The order was finalised in February 2016.[12][13]
A significant difference between Class 717s and the earlier Class 700s is the provision of fold-down emergency doors at both ends of each train. These are required for emergency evacuation of passengers[6] while inside the deep-level Moorgate tunnels.[14]
Siemens began testing the Class 717 units in Germany during June 2018.[15]
Operation
The first unit operated a single preview service in late September 2018, with gradual introduction from the spring of 2019.[16] The final Class 313 service on Great Northern ran in September 2019, completing the fleet replacement by Class 717 units.[17]
In-cab signalling
In September 2021, the European Train Control System installation aboard the Class 717 fleet was successfully tested on the Thameslink 'core' route between St Pancras International and Blackfriars stations in central London.[18] The success of the test allows Network Rail to work towards upgrading the Northern City Line to ETCS in 2022, which will be followed by the decommissioning and removal of the existing conventional signalling system in 2023. Further testing and implementation on other lines and routes is planned.[19]
Environment
Class 717 trains generate electricity through regenerative braking.[20] The trains are also 20% lighter than their predecessors, making them more energy efficient.[21]
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | No. built | Year built | Cars per unit | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 717 | Great Northern | 25 | 2018 | 6 | 717001–717025 |
References
- ^ Desiro City Electrical Multiple Unit for Thameslink (PDF) (Leaflet). Berlin: Siemens Mobility. 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ Desiro City - Evolution in Motion (PDF). Munich: Siemens Mobility. 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "Digital signalling for East Coast main line tested on Thameslink". Rail Insider. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Siemens Desiro City Moorgate (Class 717): Derogation for a Project at an Advanced Stage of Development" (letter). London: Department for Transport. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ "Class 717 Production Passes Halfway". Modern Railways. Key Publishing. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ a b "New Govia Thameslink Railway trains to be Class 717s". RAIL magazine. RAIL magazine. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ "Great Northern Class 717s finally enter passenger service".
- ^ "New Trains for Moorgate services". Great Northern. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Thameslink Franchise operator announced". rail.co.uk. rail.co.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ^ "Siemens Desiro City Brochure" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Siemens selected to supply Moorgate suburban EMU fleet". Railway Gazette. Railway Gazette. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ^ "GTR strikes £200m-plus deal for new train fleet serving City of London". Siemens UK. Siemens UK. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Letter from GTR to MP Mark Prisk" (PDF).
- ^ Network Rail (3 June 2017). London North Eastern Route Sectional Appendix LOR 105 Seq 001. Vol. Module LNE1. p. 41. NR30018/02.
- ^ "Testing begins on GTR's new Class 717s in Germany". 30 June 2018.
- ^ "New Great Northern Class 717 carries first passengers".
- ^ "1,514 brand new vehicles as GTR completes £2 billion fleet cascade". www.railmagazine.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Great Northern train tests successfully for first stage of East Coast Digital Programme". London: Network Rail. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
- ^ White, Chloe (23 September 2021). "Great Northern Class 717 completes tests with in-cab signalling in London". Rail Advent. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
- ^ "Great Northern trains save energy and reduce carbon". RailInsider. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
- ^ "4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved by Great Northern trains". RailAdvent. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
Further reading
- "Desiro City Class 717 Electrical Multiple Units for Govia Thameslink Railway" (PDF) (Datasheet). Siemens. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
External links
- Great Northern Rail Archived 18 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine page about the introduction of the 717s