Rail passengers bearing the brunt of the summer heatwave can now expect to travel on cool, modern, air conditioned trains between Brighton and Bedford as Thameslink accepts the last of its Class 387 trains into service this week.
The final two Class 387/1 trains began running between Bedford and Brighton, marking the completion of the 29 new, modern trains arriving on the Thameslink route. The first trains entered service in December 2014 and replace 27-year-old Class 319 trains on the network. The majority of trains now running on Thameslink are modern, air conditioned Class 387 or Class 377 trains.
Stuart Cheshire, Passenger Service Director for Thameslink said:
“I’m thrilled that Thameslink passengers can enjoy one of the newest fleet of trains in the country, soon to be followed by the arrival of even newer Class 700s in spring next year.
“The air conditioning makes a big difference to our passengers’ comfort, particularly during the hot weather we are experiencing at the moment.”
The Bombardier-built Thameslink Class 387/1 fleet boasts:
- two-by-two seating,
- air-conditioning,
- the latest automated on-board service information
- and excellent facilities for people with disabilities.
Since their introduction last year the fleet has run over 1.7m miles in passenger service, with the highest mileage unit already reaching 100,000 miles.