Merseyrail has unveiled a replica of the new Class 777 fleet of train cars to be rolled out in 2020. Complete replacement off the current fleet will be done in 2021.
Built by Swiss Company Stadler the 52 4 car units feature a wide range of customer focused requirements.
The trains will be the most accessible trains in the U.K. A ramp will slide out when the doors open at the stations. Work will soon commence on altering all the Merseyrail Network station to make them all compatible with the new trains. Some platforms will need to be raised, some will be lowered.
The train saloon will be unrecognisable, in a good way! Light, bright, open
carriages, no dividing doors and wider aisles will enable passengers to see
along the whole length of the trains. There will be more information screens,
including live CCTV screens.
The new trains will be amongst the greenest in the UK. The combination of a
new lighter train, improvements to the electric drive system and ability to carry
more passengers, more quickly, means up to 20 per cent energy is saved
each journey.
The new trains will boost the local economy by £70m each year and will
create around 1,000 new jobs.
There will be more space for wheelchairs, bikes, prams, and luggage. There will be a mixture of airline-style seating and pod-style seating which means family and friends can continue to sit together as a group, this aspect came out strongly in passenger research. There will also be wider seats, more legroom and a wider aisle. Intelligent air conditioning will make sure the trains are better heated and cooled.
Some of the figures given are that journey times will be approx 10% quicker, 20% greener. On an 8 car carriage, 900 people can be accommodated instead of the current 606.
James O'Hanlon's blog 