New Trains for Merseyrail – First Impressions

Youtube video of new Merseyrail train

Crazy about Trains

It’s no secret that I’m crazy about trains and have been since I was a kid. I even had a model railway layout in my mum and dad’s loft until we moved to a smaller house. We used to live near a railway line before it was closed down in the early 1970s, and I’ve been fascinated by trains since then. I’m fascinated by old trains and new trains, especially electric trains. Probably something to do with their futurist look, sounds, and speed.

A few years ago, I was excited to see new electric trains being announced for the Merseyrail Network in the Liverpool and Wirral region. The trains that have been running up and down from Chester, Bache, and Capenhurst, and up to New Brighton; along to Southport, Ormskirk, Kirkby, and across to Hunts Cross, are now over 40 years old. The Class 507 and 508 third rail electric multiple units that were manufactured in the late 1970s and early 1980s were due to be replaced by modern Class 777 units, designed and manufactured by Stadler Rail in Switzerland.

The new trains should have been in service in 2019. Delays followed for various reasons, and the trains weren’t introduced that year. Nor were they in service in 2020 or 2021.

On Test?

Fast forward to 2022, and I’m happy to say that in December 2022, the Class 777 trains have been on test for a while, and it looks like they’ll be introduced into regular service this month. They have been operating as “ECS” – Empty Coaching Stock – on test runs between Liverpool Central and Kirkby, and Kirkdale Carriage Sidings and Southport, also on some of the lines over on Wirral.

Merseyrail Class 777 train at Kirkby Station (c) T. Blackburn

Before they come into service, I wanted to have a look at the Class 777 trains in action, so I went over to Kirkdale Station a couple of weeks ago. This is the station next to Kirkdale Carriage Sidings, where some of the new trains are stabled. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday and none of the trains were running between there and Liverpool City Centre.

I tried again, and this time started my journey at Kirkby Station. After consulting the excellent Real Time Trains website, I saw that one of the new trains was running between Kirkby and Liverpool Station. There are normally four trains running between Liverpool Central and Kirkby but one of the regular service trains had been taken off to make way for the new ones to be run in. I waited a few minutes for it to arrive at Kirkby. After getting used to the noisy Class 507 and 508s, and expecting to hear the train approaching very loudly, I was surprised to see the train before I heard it!

First Impressions

First impressions were of a rather odd-looking front end, with the headlights arrange in a letter “M” shape (for “Merseyrail” I guess). The train glided into terminus station, waited a few minutes, and then glided off again towards Liverpool. Have a look at the photographs on this page, and watch the video, to see what you think of it.

Again, having consulted the RTT site, I noticed that the same train, number 777 049, was due to return to Kirkdale Carriage Sidings later that morning, so I caught the next regular service train (Class 507) to Kirkdale Station.

I took a few photographs and videos of the same Class 777 on its run back from Liverpool Central to Kirkby. It was a marked contrast between the old Class 507 that it passed, both in style and sounds. I then recorded 777 049 crawling slowly into the carriage sidings. The train driver sounded the horn as it crossed the foot way in the depot, which was a bonus! The train was literally travelling at around 5MPH! See the video at the top of this page to see all of this happening.

“Yellow and Grey” is here to stay!

Class 777 train seen passing a Class 507 train at Kirkdale Station (c) T. Blackburn

As you can see on the photographs, the new Class 777 trains look really modern and sleek from the outside. They still carry the Merseyrail yellow and grey colours, along with a dark grey banding. The Merseyrail “M” logo is all over the carriages, along with the word “Metro”. I presume this a new branding for Merseyrail, to distinguish the new trains from the old ones.

I’ve heard that the new will be introduced into regular service on some of the Merseyrail lines in early December. The RTT shows the Kirkby route back to four trains from 11th of December, when the winter/spring timetables are introduced. I’m hoping the new Class 777 trains will be part of that service.

Conclusions

Although I haven’t been inside or travelled on one of the new Class 777 trains, my first impressions are that they look and sound great and look clean and comfortable inside. The acceleration looks smooth, and there’s no screeching from the wheels, unlike the Class 507 and 508s! The one that I filmed glided smoothly on the tracks!

Hopefully, I’ll get to ride on one of the new trains when they’re in service and give a better impression of what they’re like to ride on. I’m a big fan of the old trains on Merseyrail, but at least they’re keeping some of the same colours and branding.

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