British Rail Class 185

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185108 at Doncaster on 3 August 2006.

185102 is seen here departing Leeds City station during testing trials on 15 January 2006, and shows the livery in which the trains were delivered.

The Class 185 is a diesel multiple-unit passenger train currently being built by Siemens in Germany for the British train operating company First TransPennine Express. Fifty-one of these three-carriage units are on order, and will replace the current Class 158 and Class 175 fleets. The trains are members of the Desiro family, of which electric variants are already serving in Britain as classes 350, 360, 444, and 450.
These new trains are powered by Cummins QSK19 engines rated at 750bhp, the same as the Class 220 engine.

The first new trains started operating on 14 March 2006 and the full roll out of all 51 is to be completed in December 2006–January 2007. Two new depots are being built in Manchester and York to maintain the trains, along with a new fueling facility in Cleethorpes.

As of October 2006, the majority of all services on all of the North and South Transpennine routes are Class 185 traction. Class 175's will still used on North West Transpennine routes until December 2006.

The trains are designed to be faster at climbing hills, and have a maximum speed of 100 mph. First TransPennine Express expect these faster trains to be able to make up time more easily should they be delayed.

In addition, due to their higher axle weight and route availability, which is RA 5 compared to the RA 2 of a Class 158, they are too heavy to run at the faster speed limits designed for lighter trains that are in place on many parts of the TransPennine network. Therefore they are are limited to the lower standard speed limits. Due to the higher acceleration of the Class 185 they are still able to run to the Class 158 timings on these routes.

First TransPennine Express have chosen four members of staff to provide the voices for the onboard announcements. They were picked for their ‘friendly’ accents in a company competition.

The first units were delivered from Siemens in the old First livery, these were converted to the new First 'Neon' livery using vinyl wraps upon arrival in the United Kingdom. Later arrivals were delivered blank and vinyled at Ardwick Depot, Manchester.

The 185s are attracting a mixed response from passengers, at least those corresponding with railway magazines and using Internet discussion groups. Compromises have clearly been made between their role as long-distance inter-regional trains (for example Liverpool to Newcastle is almost four hours) and their more commuter-oriented use by relatively short-distance commuters in peak hours. The "inter city"-style 2+1 first class seating, electrical power outlets throughout the train, large windows with excellent seat alignment, improved air conditioning and the improved seating in standard class have attracted much favourable comment; the loss of seats relative to an equivalent three-coach 158 means that more passengers are forced to stand at peak times. The general ambience of the trains is rather more commuter-like than the 158s, with wide double doors at 1/3 and 2/3 of the way down the carriages (rather than the usual long-distance train narrow doors at the carriage ends) and increased standing room. The ride is generally perceived to be somewhat firmer than the 158.

[edit] Features of the Pennine Class 185 trains

Source: TPE on-board magazine

• Carriages with more space, enhanced lighting, increased legroom and wider doors
• Morse tip-up seats, and all seats aligned to windows
• Laptop charging sockets in First Class and at table bays in Standard Class
• Fully reclining seats in First Class, in 2=1 layout rather than 2+2 in the 158s they're replacing.
• Dedicated wheelchair areas and disabled toilets with additional capacity for bicycles
  
• New catering trolley service (already in operation)
• New electric heating system
• Trains will be pre-cooled / heated at the depot ready for service
• New onboard passenger information system with up-to-date travel information
• Onboard CCTV and emergency call points

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: British Rail Class 185

• First TransPennine Express: New Trains
• Photo Gallery from the launch in Germany
• Dick Mackin's Class 185 site
• Photo Gallery at paul-zimmer.de

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