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British Rail Class 700

🇩🇪 Germany ·built by Siemens Mobility· from 2016· electric multiple unit in use on Thameslink

🚆 multiple unit electric ✓ in service
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. 700150 at East Croydon 09 08 25 (54711975486): Foulger Rail Photos from Basingstoke, UK· CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. 2. 20220519 Thameslink 700032: Alex Noble· CC0
  3. 3. Siemens Class 700 mock up: AlexNevinTylee· CC BY-SA 3.0
  4. 4. Thameslink Class 700: RM· CC BY-SA 4.0
  5. 5. Thameslink Class 700 111 at Three Bridges Platform 2: davwheat· CC BY-SA 2.0
  6. 6. Thameslink Class 700 155 at Peterborough: Foulger Rail Photos· CC BY-SA 2.0
  7. 7. Thameslink Class 700 inter-coach sliding doors: David Wheatley· CC BY-SA 4.0
  8. 8. Class 700 Thameslink at Gatwick station - 28563922734: Elsie esq.· CC BY 2.0
  9. 9. Class 700 Thameslink at Gatwick station - 28563925284: Elsie esq.· CC BY 2.0
  10. 10. Class 700 Thameslink at Gatwick station - 28898326470: Elsie esq.· CC BY 2.0
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
British Rail Class 700, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Foulger Rail Photos from Basingstoke, UK· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The British Rail Class 700 Desiro City is an electric multiple unit passenger train from the Desiro City family built by Siemens Mobility. It is capable of operating on 25 kV 50 Hz AC from overhead wires or 750 V DC from third rail. 115 trainsets were built between 2014 and 2018, for use on the Thameslink network, as part of the Thameslink Programme in the United Kingdom.

who runs it

Govia Thameslink Railway

base stats

  • speed 161 km/htop speed
  • seats 666passengers
  • built 115made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

  • First built 10 years ago, in 2016.
  • Top speed is 1.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 15 minutes.
  • Seats 666: 13 full city buses (~50 seats each).

multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.

spec sheet

built
2016
in service from
2016
status
in service
number built
115
kind
multiple unit
traction
electric
origin
🇩🇪 Germany
builders
Siemens Mobility, Siemens
operators
Govia Thameslink Railway
top speed
161 km/h
power
—
formation
8 cars per 700/0 unit, 12 cars per 700/1 unit, (See Fleet and formation details)
capacity
666 passengers

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q14907242, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 700 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.

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