Urban Transport

Upcoming Crossrail trains will get customers online when they're on the line

Upcoming Crossrail trains will get customers online when they're on the line
The new Crossrail trains will be 200-m (656-ft) long and will accommodate up to 1,500 passengers
The new Crossrail trains will be 200-m (656-ft) long and will accommodate up to 1,500 passengers
View 4 Images
The new Crossrail trains will be 200-m (656-ft) long and will accommodate up to 1,500 passengers
1/4
The new Crossrail trains will be 200-m (656-ft) long and will accommodate up to 1,500 passengers
The new Crossrail trains will have a mixture of metro-style and bay seating
2/4
The new Crossrail trains will have a mixture of metro-style and bay seating
The new Crossrail trains will comprise nine fully-interconnected walk-through carriages
3/4
The new Crossrail trains will comprise nine fully-interconnected walk-through carriages
The new Crossrail trains will feature four dedicated wheelchair spaces, as well as a number of multi-use spaces
4/4
The new Crossrail trains will feature four dedicated wheelchair spaces, as well as a number of multi-use spaces
View gallery - 4 images

The trains for the UK's new Crossrail rail link have been unveiled. They will be over one-and-a-half times as long as London's longest Tube train and will accommodate 1,500 passengers. Features will include regenerative braking, intelligent lighting and temperature systems, and free Wi-Fi and 4G access.

The 118-km (73-mile) Crossrail route is said to be Europe's biggest construction project, boasting 10 new stations and 42 km (26 miles) of new tunnels. Tunneling was completed earlier this year and much of the excavated 6 million tonnes (6.6 million tons) of material has been used to develop the Wallasea Island nature reserve in Essex. The project still has a number of milestones to deliver, though, such as fitting out stations, the completion of above-ground works and, of course, the roll-out of the new trains.

Designed by Transport for London (TfL), Bombardier and Barber & Osgerby, the 200-m (656-ft) trains will be driver-operated and will comprise nine fully-interconnected walk-through carriages. TfL says they are to be built of strong and lightweight materials, such as aluminum for the body shell. It also says they will be faster than the trains they will replace, while using up to 30 percent less energy as a result of their regenerative braking.

Boarding and alighting will be made quicker and easier by virtue of large, clear areas around the doors. Once aboard, passengers have a choice of both metro-style and bay seating. There will be four dedicated wheelchair spaces on each train, as well as a number of multi-use spaces for items like strollers and luggage. Passengers will be able plan their onward journeys using real-time travel information displayed by on-board info systems and will also benefit from free Wi-Fi and access to 4G.

The new Crossrail trains will comprise nine fully-interconnected walk-through carriages
The new Crossrail trains will comprise nine fully-interconnected walk-through carriages

The interior design and color scheme of the trains is said to have been chosen to provide "an accessible and welcoming environment." The design makes use of darker floors and natural finish materials that will "wear in, and not wear out," as well as light colored ceilings that are aimed at providing a sense of spaciousness.

The new trains are scheduled to enter service from May 2017, with the full Crossrail route due to be operational from 2019.

The video below provides an animated look at the new trains.

Source: Crossrail

New Crossrail Trains

View gallery - 4 images
5 comments
5 comments
Jugen
Just like the urban rail systems in Europe that have been in operation for longer than half a century.
bergamot69
@Jugen,
We've had urban rail systems in London for 150 years! This isn't the announcement of a dazzlingly new form of underground transport, merely the announcement of the type of train (Class 345 specifically) that will be used on the line. Unlike the Underground rolling stock, this will be a 'full size' train (at least to the British loading gauge). The train itself is not particularly remarkable, but the massive complexities of building the tracks for it to run on certainly makes it a marvel of civil engineering, especially in avoiding damage to existing building above ground, and weaving a thousand tonne tunnelling machine through 'the eye of the needle' (within a few centimetres over the top of an operating tube station tunnel, and between the escalators, all without shutting the station...
So yeah, the trains themselves are not particularly remarkable- just a high-spec urban EMU. But the project on the whole is an incredible achievement.
Only thing wrong with the artist's impression is that the front of the train will have to partly or mostly yellow as per other UK mainline trains for safety reasons.
Stephen N Russell
NYC should update its subways alone, looks bad the Crosstrain system Awesome in fact. & same for DC Metro line for Wash DC.
NYC has to update subway line.
Firehawk70
Gosh I wish (stupid) Americans would get on this bandwagon. We're so obsessed with cars and sprawl, and energy waste because of it.
When I rode the trains in Europe I was amazed at how wonderful it was. Almost to the point of being a highlight of my trip. Beats driving for sure and also air travel for most journeys under a few hundred miles. The latter due to extra security time.
Calson
Shows the difference between government managed transportation systems and when it is privatized as in the USA where train service has declined steadily over the past 80 years. Difference between maximizing efficiency and effectiveness instead of maximizing corporate owner profits.