TESTING of the new Mk 5 carriages for the Caledonian Sleeper operation moved to the West Highland line on April 10, when four of the vehicles were hauled from Polmadie depot to Arrochar & Tarbet.
The testing was due to continue on the West Highland route before moving to the West Coast Main Line, where higher speeds would be deployed, with running up to 110mph.
Magnus Conn, Serco’s new trains director for the Caledonian Sleeper, said: “Taking some of the new carriages out on the network for testing marks an exciting phase in our development programme.
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“The purpose is to monitor the interaction between vehicle and track, and to check ride comfort in a variety of suspension states and speeds.”
The carriages used for the test are from the first five to be delivered – Nos. 15001/002, 15101, 15301/302 – which are not fitted out and contain computer equipment to collect data from test runs.
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