British Rail Class 777

The subject of replacing the Class 507 and Class 508 fleet, which have been in use upon the Merseyrail commuter rail network since the late 1970s, had been proposed by Merseytravel as early as 2011.[6] During the following year, a project director for a replacement fleet was appointed to advance these proposals.[7] In January 2016, Merseytravel announced that a total of five rolling stock manufacturers had been shortlisted to build the new fleet - Bombardier, Siemens, CAF, Stadler Rail and a Mitsui/Alstom/East Japan Railway Company consortium.[8]

On 16 December 2016, Merseytravel announced it had selected Stadler Rail to manufacture a new fleet of 52 dual voltage-capable articulated four car units as part of a £460 million fleet replacement project.[9] At that point, delivery of the Class 777 fleet was scheduled to commence in mid-2019, while its entry into service was set to occur during the following year.[10]

The purchase was financed by Liverpool City Region itself, rather than an external agency such as a bank or rolling stock leasing company.[6] Accordingly, unlike the preceding fleet, which is owned by the private leasing agent Angel Trains, the Class 777 trainsets are instead owned by the regional public transport operator Merseytravel and leased to the franchise operator Merseyrail; this management choice has resulted in Merseytravel becoming the only public sector mainline rolling stock owner in the United Kingdom.[6] Merseytravel elected to have the new fleet's maintenance requirements addressed via a contract with Stadler; this arrangement included the modernisation of two existing traction maintenance depots (TMDs) at Kirkdale and Birkenhead North. For training purposes, a driver cab simulator shall also be provided.[6]

To accommodate the new Class 777 trainsets, extensive infrastructure changes were necessitated.[6] These adaptations were performed under a rolling programme conducted between October 2018 and May 2019; changes included adjustments to 97 platform at 56 stations across the Merseyrail network, along with track realignments and other refinements, primarily for the purpose of improving passenger accessibility. Another cause for the alterations was the increased length of the new trainsets, which was addressed via a mixture of platform lengthening and signal repositioning where required. The programme was structured as to minimise disruption to Merseyrail's scheduled services wherever possible.[6] A new trackside Wi-Fi network, provided by Panasonic, has been installed to provide continuous real-time connectivity between all trains and the Sandhills control centre, along with free internet access to passengers. Furthermore, new bulk power supplies were installed, along with eight new substations and miscellaneous cable upgrades, to provide greater quantities of electricity.[6]

Unlike the preceding trains, the Class 777 was designed to be operated without guards; however, the announced proposal to redeploy guards into other customer service roles within Merseyrail was subject to considerable criticism.[11] Accordingly, while the fleet was initially to be launched under driver-only operations, in September 2018, it was announced that there would be a second member of staff on board, ending a two-year dispute between the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and Merseyrail.[12]

During early October 2018, the bodyshells for the first unit were completed.[13] This unit subsequently underwent pre-delivery dynamic testing in both Switzerland and Germany during late 2019.[14][15] The first trainset, 777003, was delivered to Kirkdale TMD on 16 January 2020.[16][17] On 16 March 2020, the unit commenced test runs on the Kirkby branch of the Northern Line.[18] As of October 2020, ten units have been delivered to Kirkdale TMD.[19]

The Class 777 is a variant of the Stadler Metro platform, featuring changes that are specifically optimised for the needs of the Merseyrail network. The trainsets are configured for high-capacity, delivering a 50 per cent increase in per-carriage capacity that the preceding fleets.[6] It has a higher rate of acceleration, yet uses 20 per cent less energy, than the old rolling stock, due to increased system efficiency and a reduced weight, being roughly 5.5 tonnes lighter. The introduction of the Class 777 is reportedly set to achieve a 10 per cent reduction in journey time over older stock, which has been largely attributed to its greater rate of acceleration.[6] There is also an emphasis on shared data; each train shall actively monitor the number of passengers on board and relay this to Merseyrail's Sandhills control center, allowing for more informed and responsive management of the network.[6]

Each Class 777 trainset has two longer driving cars positioned at each end, which are only furnished with one set of twin doors on either side, whilst the two middle trailer carriages are outfitted with two. For accessibility purposes, all doorways have been outfitted with sliding steps that move into position when the train is stopped at a platform; this feature, not present on preceding rolling stock, enables passengers using wheelchairs to board and disembark without relying upon a separately deployed ramp.[20] The carriages will feature an open gangway design, which will make the Class 777 the first class of train on the Merseyrail network to feature this design.[6] The passenger facilities are much improved over legacy stock, each carriage being fitted with modern amenities such as electrical and USB sockets, as well as bike racks; like the previous Class 507 and 508 fleets, the Class 777s will not be fitted with toilets.[6] As part of the bespoke design, the cab running lights are designed in the shape of a letter 'M' - however, in service, the white and red segments will not be illuminated simultaneously on one cab as they denote the front and rear of the train respectively.[21]

The design of the Class 777 took into account future service needs, in addition to present commitments. In this respect, it possesses a Dual voltage capability to enable operations while powered via the third rail, which is present across Merseyrail's existing network, while passive provision for compatibility with overhead wires has also been made.[1][6] Any future extensions shall possibly be electrified via overhead wires instead of installing a third rail power supply; as such, this capability better enables network expansion to destinations such as Helsby, Preston, Skelmersdale, Warrington and Wrexham. The Class 777 is also capable of being configured as a battery electric multiple unit (BEMU), enabling it to operate on a mixture of electrified and unelectrified track; it has been claimed by the manufacturer that it is relatively easy to adapt a trainset for combined third rail/electric battery operations. Accordingly, a trial involving six trainsets configured as BEMUs, which are intended to be used on the Ellesmere Port to Helsby and Ormskirk to Preston, which feature sections of unelectrified track.[1][22] Irrespective of this feature, the Class 777 will be regularly fitted with compact battery sets, which allow for brief periods independent movement; this is intended to be used around workshop and maintenance facilities, rather than during any scheduled service.[23]

Merseyrail Class 777 based on concept art

1: ^ An option for another 60 units is available.[2]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 777.

• https://rail-record.co.uk/merseyrail-class-777-deliveries/ - a list of Merseyrail Class 777 units and the dates they were delivered to Merseyrail.