Siemens (www.siemens.com) recently showed the Class 717 Desiro City electric multiple-units (EMUs) that it is building for Govia Thameslink Railway at its plant at Krefeld, Germany.

The 25 six-car units are due to start entering service in September on GTR’s services from Welwyn Garden City, Hertford and Stevenage to London’s Moorgate station, with all units due to be operating by January 2019 (passenger numbers on these routes have doubled in the last 14 years).

The dual-system third-rail/overhead Class 717 EMUs will replace 44 three-car Class 313 units dating from 1976-77. The EMUs are fitted with Liebherr air-conditioning, real-time information systems, power points and wi-fi.

GTR selected Siemens to supply the fleet in December 2015.

According to an article in the Railway Gazette, the operator organised a separate competition to finance the order, and a deal worth more than £200 million was signed by the Rock Rail Moorgate joint venture of Rock Rail Holdings and Aberdeen Standard Investments in February 2016.

According to Siemens, this is the first time that UK rolling-stock financing has been provided through a direct long-term investment by pension and insurance companies.