The UK’s leading rolling stock financier and asset management company, Porterbrook, has announced that it has been successful in its bid to acquire 30 Class 379 Electrostars.
It intends to lease the fleet to Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) to run on the Great Northern route, as per a notice published 12th March 2024.
Previously operated by Greater Anglia before coming off lease, the EMU fleet was built in 2011. Porterbrook expects that it will run for at least another 20 years.
Stefan Rose, Chief Investment Officer at Porterbrook, said: “We’re pleased to take these vehicles under our wing. This is an excellent fleet of Electrostars with a long service life ahead of them, perfectly suited to GTR’s requirements.”
GTR Engineering Director, Steve Lammin, added: “Subject to acceptance, these additional trains will start the development of a design for the future growing demand across our network. These extra units provide an opportunity to support our business plan delivery in providing excellent service for our customers.”
The new units will complement GTR and Porterbrook’s fleet of 962 Class 377s and 260 Class 387s, the largest Electrostar fleet in the UK. The trains have been serving passengers on London, Surrey, Sussex, Great Northern and Gatwick routes for many years.
