DanNCL
Established Member
So does this mean that the Heathrow Connect 360s could be converted into 350s, but the GA ones can't?The first Desiro product to be given design sign-off was the 360, but there was a last moment change of plan about the gangways because of the Health and Safety Executive. It was deemed that the FGE 360s couldn't retain their gangways unless there was more substantial work done to the design of the train, it wasn't as simple as just slightly modifying the cab, so it was decided to build them without gangways since it would have been the quicker option.
The 350s were said to have been built with the 'lessons learnt' from the issues that made the 360s unable to have a cab with a gangway and the body, systems and engineering was built with this in mind and the 350s had no problems at all with getting certified. The updated Desiro build could then take either a full width front end or a front end with a gangway so there should be no reason why the Heathrow Connect units cannot take a gangway cab, since they are of the updated build.