UK: In late August, the nine-car British Class 345 train from the new batch was put in commercial service on the 117 km Elizabeth line. The launch was preceded by extensive testing, conducted by Alstom in cooperation with TfL, the capital’s transport authority, and GTS, the operator of the line.
The new rolling stock is identical to the trains of the same model delivered between 2015 and 2019. The EMU has a length of 205 m and can accommodate 1,500 passengers, 454 of them seated. Designed to operate on 25 kV AC lines, it can reach a maximum speed of 145 km/h and accelerate at 1.1 m/s².
The contract for ten Aventras was signed in summer 2024 and saved Alstom’s Derby plant in the UK from possible mothballing associated with the lack of orders. The production of these trains involves over 40 companies in the supply chain, providing more than 1,000 jobs. The plant-rescue contract is supported by the UK Department for Transport’s €261 mln investment for the purchase of the trains along with TfL’s €177 mln allocation for their maintenance through 2046. The whole fleet is expected to enter operation by the end of 2027.
