British Rail Class 444
| British Rail Class 444 Desiro | |
|---|---|
South West Trains Class 444 Desiro 444017 at London Waterloo.
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The interior of Standard Class aboard a Class 444
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| In service | 21 April 2004 - Current |
| Manufacturer | Siemens AG |
| Built at | Vienna, Austria |
| Family name | Desiro |
| Replaced |
Class 442 Class 423 Class 421 Class 411 Class 412 |
| Number built | 45 trainsets |
| Formation | 5 cars per trainset |
| Capacity | 299 standard, 35 first |
| Operator(s) | South West Trains |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 23 m (75 ft 5.5 in) |
| Maximum speed | 100 mph (161 km/h) |
| Weight | Total: 227 tonnes (223 long tons; 250 short tons) |
| Traction motors | (?) |
| Power output | 2,000 kW (2,700 hp) |
| Electric system(s) | 750 V DC third rail |
| Current collection method | contact shoe |
| Braking system(s) | Air, regenerative |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
Class 444 Desiro electric multiple-unit trains were built in Austria by Siemens AG in 2002-04 for use in Britain on express passenger services operated by South West Trains (SWT). These 45 units form SWT's main long-distance fleet.
The Siemens "Desiro UK" family also includes units of Classes 185, 350, 360, 380, and 450.
The units will be transferred to South Western Railway in August 2017.
At the start of the 21st century, as part of its franchise agreement, SWT was required to replace the old life-expired slam-door rolling stock of Classes 411, 412, 421 and 423, which did not meet modern health and safety standards, with new trains. In April 2001 an order was placed with Siemens for 785 vehicles. This was originally to be split as 100 four-car Class 450/0 outer-suburban units, 32 five-car Class 450/2 inner-suburban units, and 45 five-car Class 444 express units.
The Class 444 fleet was built at Siemens' Vienna plant. Before being shipped to Britain via the Channel Tunnel, the trains were extensively tested on the test-track at Wildenrath. This was an attempt to reduce the time taken for new trains to enter service, by ironing out any problems beforehand. Many other designs of new train, such as the Alstom Class 458 units, had been plagued by problems and poor reliability. The Desiro fleet entered service faster than its competitors, but still suffered teething problems.
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