Bombardier Transportation announced on 6 March 2008 that it has won another contract for its Electrostar Electric Multiple Units for Southern. The contract, valued at around 70 million euros, is for the supply of 11 four-car dual-voltage Class 377 trains. The vehicles will be manufactured at Bombardier’s Derby site and will be delivered during Q1 2009.

The award winning Electrostar train is a well proven product, with over 1,600 cars already in service with three operators in the UK, c2c, Southeastern and Southern. The trains have been named the most reliable modern EMU in the UK for the past three years. Electrostar -type trains were also ordered in 2006 by Transport for London for the “London Overground” services for East London Line and North London Railway.

Since March 2007, the ELECTROSTAR fleet operated by c2c, has switched over to a regenerative braking process designed to reduce power consumption by returning the electrical power generated by applying the brakes directly back into the supply network. c2c is already, thanks to its sophisticated MITRAC Propulsion & Controls system, experiencing energy savings of up to 20% and is the only train operator whose entire fleet of 74 trains has adopted this energy saving process.