Assembly/building of units at Newport and Derby (and Newton Aycliffe)

[tfw756rider]

Hi,

Does anyone here know the status of the following? If anyone can confirm / correct / add to any of this, I'd appreciate it

CAF Newport unit assembly - it's my understanding that 197032/038/039/040/041 (and maybe also 197037?) haven't yet left the factory, and that once they've assembled those last (5 or 6?) 197s, they'll then assemble 8 of the 897s (apparently, the other two 897s will be built entirely in Spain).

Alstom Derby unit building - does anyone here know if the 10 second batch 345s have started build yet, and if not, when they'll start build?

(There will of course also be the 14 additional First Rail open-access Hitachi AT300 units built at Newton Aycliffe, but those haven't even been given a class number/s yet, to my knowledge?)

Edit: apparently, the HS2 units will start build in 2025 (!) but I'm not sure how much I believe that, given that that's the current year, but they also don't seem to have even been given a class number yet.

 

[DanNCL]

Construction has began on the extra 345s.

 

[800001]

Hi,

Does anyone here know the status of the following? If anyone can confirm / correct / add to any of this, I'd appreciate it

CAF Newport unit assembly - it's my understanding that 197032/038/039/040/041 (and maybe also 197037?) haven't yet left the factory, and that once they've assembled those last (5 or 6?) 197s, they'll then assemble 8 of the 897s (apparently, the other two 897s will be built entirely in Spain).

Alstom Derby unit building - does anyone here know if the 10 second batch 345s have started build yet, and if not, when they'll start build?

(There will of course also be the 14 additional First Rail open-access Hitachi AT300 units built at Newton Aycliffe, but those haven't even been given a class number/s yet, to my knowledge?)

Edit: apparently, the HS2 units will start build in 2025 (!) but I'm not sure how much I believe that, given that that's the current year, but they also don't seem to have even been given a class number yet.

197023/025/026 haven’t appeared yet either

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Has the production spec for the HS2 stock even been agreed?
There's no rush...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Construction has began on the extra 345s.

Is it too early to know if they will be 345 071 - 345 080 or 345 101 - 345 110?

 

[DanNCL]

Is it too early to know if they will be 345 071 - 345 080 or 345 101 - 345 110?

It’s not been confirmed however Alstom have said that the new build is identical to the originals so I suspect 345071-345080 is more likely.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It’s not been confirmed however Alstom have said that the new build is identical to the originals so I suspect 345071-345080 is more likely.

Thanks; I suspected that would be the case - it's certainly what's in the 2025 Combined Volume...

 

[tfw756rider]

Construction has began on the extra 345s.

Many thanks for this information; I trust that you've seen or been told this - do you know when it began, and/or how far it has progressed?

197023/025/026 haven’t appeared yet either

They're just built-but-not-in-service though, along with 197022/024/027/029/035/036 (and maybe 197037)

==========

Thanks for all the replies from everyone.

I guess the 2025 production start date I saw mentioned for the HS2 units (given that they haven't received a class number and apparently may not have even had their specification finalised) will probably be pushed back to say 2026 or 2027?

As for the extra First Rail open-access Hitachi AT300 units, hopefully it's not too long until their class number(s) is/are revealed, and how many of the 14 units will be Hull Trains-branded and how many of them will be Lumo-branded, etc.

 

[Nym]

It’s not been confirmed however Alstom have said that the new build is identical to the originals so I suspect 345071-345080 is more likely.

But will it be actually identical or Litchurch Lane “Identical”?

For context of those who don’t know, this site has a long history of redesigning a produced design including designing back in problems that were modified out during the build of the previous tranche.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Feb 2025 ==

Many thanks for this information; I trust that you've seen or been told this - do you know when it began, and/or how far it has progressed?

They're just built-but-not-in-service though, along with 197022/024/027/029/035/036 (and maybe 197037)

==========

Thanks for all the replies from everyone.

I guess the 2025 production start date I saw mentioned for the HS2 units (given that they haven't received a class number and apparently may not have even had their specification finalised) will probably be pushed back to say 2026 or 2027?

As for the extra First Rail open-access Hitachi AT300 units, hopefully it's not too long until their class number(s) is/are revealed, and how many of the 14 units will be Hull Trains-branded and how many of them will be Lumo-branded, etc.

Receiving a class number of just a case of going to the relevant team at the RSSB and saying, oooo, that one plz and it being issued.

I wouldn’t take it as a sign of delay.

The lack of any progress on a very adventurous wish list of a spec on the other hand…