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New trains for Scotland being tested in Germany

Class 385s in Hitachi Rail Europe's Newton Aycliffe facility. RICHARD CLINNICK.

Testing of Hitachi Rail Europe Class 385s has moved to Germany, ahead of the trains entering service in December.

Two electric multiple units have moved from the Velim test track in the Czech Republic to Minden (near Hanover), where they will be tested on a range of different routes at speeds up to 100mph. They will be based there until October. The EMUs involved are three-car 385002 and four-car 385101.

HRE says the testing is being carried out in Germany to speed up the process, owing to the busy nature of the UK rail network. The work in Germany is in addition to that being conducted by 385001 and 385102 in Scotland.

  • For more on this, read RAIL 835, published on September 13.
  • For an EXCLUSIVE interview with ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes, read RAIL 833, available from Back Issues or via Android/iPad.

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  • BigTone - 04/09/2017 11:28

    I'm surprised that the Old Dalby test track isn't being used as well

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  • AndrewJGwilt1989 - 09/09/2017 04:07

    The Class 385's do have character in them. Even though they are commuter EMU trains that will be used on the newly electrified Glasgow-Edinburgh line via High Falkirk and to operate on other routes including the North Berwick line and to work alongside the Class 380's.

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