The first of the Class 700 Desiro City electric multiple-unit (EMU) carriages being built by Siemens for use on the Thameslink routes through London have been tested at the
RailTec Arsenal climate chamber in Vienna.

The tests focused on the ability of the EMUs to withstand the effects of temperatures between -25°C and 40°C. Siemens said that production of the carriages is “well underway and on schedule”, with more than 45 body shells completed and the first full 12-carriage train now at the test track.

Iain Smith, programme director (Thameslink) at Siemens Rail Systems UK, said: “Extreme weather conditions are just part of an intensive test process for the Class 700. Each of the 1,140 carriages will undergo rigorous testing and fault-free mileage accumulation to ensure that the trains are as close to working ‘out of the box’ as possible.” The first Class 700 is expected to be introduced on the Bedford-Brighton line in early 2016.