Bombardier Transportation signed a contract with Transport for London (TfL) to provide 57 additional Bombardier Electrostar railcars for the London Overground network.
The order is part of Transport for London’s program to increase passenger capacity on the London Overground network. The 57 new cars will be used to turn existing four-car trains into five-car versions. The new units will be supported under an existing maintenance contract.
The order is valued at approximately $137 million.
Delivery of the 57 new Electrostar Class 378 cars will start in late 2014 and finish in 2015. They will be built at Bombardier’s facility in Derby.
The 75 mph Class 378 units are specially designed for suburban operations with passenger comfort and safety in mind. Walk-through carriages provide more standing room and space for passengers, reflecting the type of short trips most passengers make on the network. The vehicles also include CCTV and air conditioning.
The 378s are part of the Electrostar family of Electrical Multiple Units which are in daily passenger service with other UK train operators, including c2c, Southeastern, Stansted Express, and Southern Railways. The prestigious Gautrain railway in Johannesburg, South Africa, also operates Electrostar trains.
