British Rail Mark 5A
| British Rail Mark 5A | |
|---|---|
 TransPennine Express Mk5A set at Lancaster | |
| In service | 24 August 2019 - Present |
| Manufacturer | CAF |
| Built at | Beasain[1] |
| Constructed | 2017 - 2018 |
| Number built | 66 |
| Capacity | 291 seats (261 standard, 30 first class)[2] |
| Operators | TransPennine Express |
| Lines served | North TransPennine |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Fully integral aluminium monocoque |
| Car length | 22.37 m (73 ft 5 in)[3] |
| Width | 2.75 m (9 ft 0 in) |
| Doors | Sliding plug, at body ends |
| Maximum speed | 125 mph (201 km/h)[3] |
| Weight | max. tare 43 t (42 long tons; 47 short tons) |
| Braking system(s) | Cheek mounted discs |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Notes/references | |
| Transpennine Express coaches | |
The British Rail Mark 5A is the designation given to locomotive-hauled rail carriages built by Spanish manufacturer CAF for operation with TransPennine Express.[4] The carriages first entered service on 24 August 2019.
Description
It was first announced by TransPennine Express in 2016 that they were to procure 126 new vehicles from CAF, which included 66 Mark 5A locomotive-hauled coaches. They would be formed into 13 five-carriage sets, hauled by Class 68 locomotives. This equates to 65 coaches for total service, with the 66th coach being a spare Driving Trailer.[5]
The sets are currently used on services between Liverpool and Scarborough and they will eventually work services between Manchester Airport and Redcar Central.[6] Each set is composed of 1 first class carriage with guards area and catering provision, 1 standard class carriage with PRM toilet, 2 standard class carriages and a standard class Driving Trailer (DT). In October 2016, production started on these coaches,[7] and in March 2017, CAF and TPE released a photo of the first completed bodyshell.[8]
The first completed rake was sent for testing at Velim railway test circuit in March 2018,[9] the second set being delivered straight to the UK in May 2018 via Portbury ahead of their planned entry into service in the autumn of that year.[10][11] TransPennine Express have branded their new trains under the general name Nova, with the Class 68 + Mark 5A combination given the name Nova 3.[12]
In April 2019, the first Nova 3 set was officially handed over from CAF to TPE, after a mandatory period of fault-free running.[13]
Operation
The first set entered service on 24 August 2019 between Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough. [14] As of December 2019, there are 4 sets used daily on these services, though all 13 sets of Mark 5A coaches and the spare Driving trailer (12814) are now in the UK with 8 of the 13 sets having now made their debuts in passenger service.
The Nova 3 was officially launched on 25 November 2019 at Liverpool Lime Street station alongside other members of the new Nova fleet.[15]
References
- ^ "Countdown to New Trains Begins - First TransPennine Express". www.tpexpress.co.uk.
- ^ "TPE Nova 3". www.tpexpress.co.uk.
- ^ a b "FIRST GROUP TRANSPENNINE PASSENGER CARS". CAF. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ Pritchard, Robert (March 2017). "Rolling Stock Update". Today's Railways (183): 38–43.
- ^ Clinnick, Richard (25 April 2018). "Testing...testing...". Rail Magazine. No. 851. Peterborough: Bauer Media. p. 62. ISSN 0953-4563.
- ^ James, Robin (November 2018). "Changing Times at Transpennine Express". Today's Railways. No. 203. Sheffield: Platform 5. p. 38. ISSN 1475-9713.
- ^ "TransPennine Express coach production begins". Railway Gazette International. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ "CAF and TPE reveal first Mark 5A bodyshell". Global Rail News. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ^ "First Trans-Pennine Express Mk 5A coaches head to Velim". 12 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- ^ "First TransPennine Express Mk 5As arrive in UK". Rail Magazine. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "First TPE modified Class 68s sent to Spain for initial testing".
- ^ "TransPennine Express - Together February 2018". Issuu.
- ^ "First TransPennine Express Nova 3 train handed over". Rail Engineer. 13 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ UK railway news round-up Railway Gazette International 29 August 2019
- ^ 2019-11-25T10:11:00+00:00. "TransPennine Express launches Nova fleet". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
