British Rail Class 730
The British Rail Class 730[1] is a class of electric multiple units to be built by Bombardier for West Midlands Trains. Two separate batches are planned to be built, with 36 three-car units intended to be operated on suburban services on the Cross-City Line by West Midlands Railway, and 45 five-car units for suburban and long-distance services from Euston.[2]
| British Rail Class 730 Aventra | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Bombardier Transportation |
| Built at | Derby Litchurch Lane Works |
| Family name | Aventra |
| Replaced | |
| Number under construction | 333 vehicles |
| Formation | 36 x 3 cars 45 x 5 cars |
| Operator(s) | West Midlands Trains |
| Specifications | |
| Doors | Plug |
| Maximum speed | 730/0: 90 mph (145 km/h) 730/1 & /2: 110 mph (177 km/h) |
| Electric system(s) | 25 kV AC (OHLE) |
| Current collection method | Pantograph |
| Bogies | Flexx-Eco |
| Coupling system | Dellner |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
They will be the first train of the Aventra family to feature end gangways.[3]
History
In October 2017, West Midlands Trains was awarded the franchise to operate both local rail services around Birmingham and the West Midlands, suburban services to London Euston, and long-distance inter-urban services operating from both Euston and Birmingham New Street.[4] At the time the franchise was awarded, the company announced that it would procure more than 100 new trains that would be used to displace older rolling stock and enhance its fleet. Of these, a total of 81 EMUs were to be obtained from Bombardier Transportation from its Aventra product range.[5] They will be built at Derby Litchurch Lane Works.[2]
Fleet
The two separate batches will be constructed to operate at different maximum speeds, the Class 730/0 will operate at up to 90 mph (140 km/h) and the Class 730/1 and /2 will be capable of 110 mph (180 km/h).[2]
| Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Unit | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 730/0 | West Midlands Railway | 36 | 2020-21 | 3 | 730001–730036 |
| Class 730/1 | London Northwestern Railway | 29 | 5 | 730101–730129 | |
| Class 730/2 | 16 | 730201–730216 |
References
- Clinnick, Richard (11 September 2018). "Bombardier Class 345s roll off the production line". Rail (860): 29.
- Fender, Keith; Sheratt, Philip (June 2018). "West Midlands prepares for new fleets". Modern Railways. 75 (837): 78.
- @Richard_rail (30 March 2020). "Here's a driving vehicle from a @BombardierR_UK Cl.730 on order for @WestMidRailway. @RAIL 902, on press this Wednesday has a full round-up of what's happening at the UK train factories at the moment #COVID19" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Jones, Tamlyn. "Over 100 new trains West Midlands trains – with wi-fi and speeds up to 110mph". Birmingham Post. Birmingham Post. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- "Bombardier and CAF win West Midlands train contracts". Railway Gazette International. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2017.