Class 387 for Thameslink

The Class 387 were ordered by Southern in July 2013, backed by the DfT to allow some of the 319 fleet to be withdrawn from Thameslink duties in time for the electrification programme currently under way. The DfT haven’t announced where the 319’s will go but the previously announced plan was to be refurbished and sent to Northern and Great Western.

The 387 order in announced as 116 vehicles formed in four car units, giving a total of 29 trains, of dual voltage configuration capable of a top speed of 110mph in passenger service costing £180m. These will be the first Electrostar units cleared for 110mph running although 379006 in December 2013 underwent tests using new software on the West Coast Mainline for a week. Testing was successful with new build 377701 & 377702 expected to undergo the same testing prior to delivery to Southern in February/March.

The internal specifications of the 387’s hasn’t yet been announced by either the DfT or Southern and when asked in late 2013, they stated the deal was not yet completed in regards the internal details. The fleet also has a follow on option initially announced as 100 vehicles but later upped to 140 or 35 trains. The option 35 units agreement with Bombardier has been structured so Southern can order the units in sets of 5 units (20 carriages) bring the total cost of the possible 387 fleet of 64 units to £385m.

The 387 build is to start in mid-January with Southern publicly stating that the first unit arriving for testing in October 2014, one month after the TSGN franchise starts (and why Southern is to do all the commissioning work on behalf of TSGN). However recent reports are the first train will be on test from May until August this year. Approval for passenger service is expected in September. All 29 units are scheduled to be in full service by May 2015.

They will be maintained under a sublease to TSGN at Lovers Walk depot for access to Thameslink duties with Southern maintaining the units until 02/07/2015 when Southern becomes apart of the TSGN franchise. As part of the increased maintenance on dual voltage stock, Southern is to build an AC testing facility at Lovers Walk to reduce the pressure on Selhurst depot. Southern is also to develop the stabling strategy for the 29 units under its agreement with the DfT.

The 387 units are part of the DfT’s HLOS (High Level Output Specification) “Phase 2” which refers to rolling stock for CP5 (Control Period 5) from April 2014 and March 2019 and have been designated “Core Units” in the plan. From July 2015 the TSGN franchise will take over responsibility for the units. The introduction of the 387’s will be during the TSR2 (Trains Service Requirement 2, basically the second main timetable the TSGN will run with no Thameslink services via London bridge which runs from 21^st December 2014 until 2^nd July 2015) which will no major changes to travel service but simply the 387 taking over the currently 319 run trains to allow the cascade of the 319’s.

The units are only expected to be used temporarily on Thameslink duties with 10 units cascaded away from TSGN by the 31^st December 2016.  The remaining 19 units are to leave the TSGN franchise by the 31th December 2018. With the cascade of the 377/2 in spring 2014 to Thameslink, Southern will have provided 35 units to replace 319’s to assist the DFT and a total of 61 (244 carriages) to Thameslink to help the Thameslink Programme.  The irony being that when the FCC franchise started it only had a total of 66x 319 (264) carriages to begin with.