A Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) Class 700 has made its maiden voyage to Brighton, marking the train’s first test run on the national rail network.
The 12-car train travelled from Three Bridges depot to Brighton on Tuesday night (November 24) on the down fast line of the Brighton Mainline.
Govia Thameslink Railway programme director Keith Wallace said: “The train performed excellently. This test run is a real milestone in the government-sponsored Thameslink Programme which, from spring next year, will steadily give passengers these new, modern and spacious trains on the Thameslink route.
“Passengers at other stations on our Peterborough and Cambridge Great Northern routes into London will begin using these trains later on as will people elsewhere in the South East when the Thameslink network expands in 2018.”
Number 700107 is one of three units which have been delivered to Three Bridges to date.
Siemens is building 115 new trains altogether, the first of which will enter passenger service between Bedford and Brighton next year.
