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The Class 378 ''Capitalstar'' is a type of electric multiple unit train, part of Bombardier Transportation's Electrostar family. These trains are operating on the London Overground network, for which they were specifically designed. The design is similar to the Class 376 trains used by Southeastern, featuring the same wider metro-style sliding pocket doors for more efficient boarding and alighting, which are faster and more reliable than plug doors, although they do not close flush with the bodyside and hence are less aerodynamic and do not provide that much heat insulation. However, they also have significant differences from the Class 376, such as fully longitudinal seating similar to that used on London Underground rolling stock to give more standing and seating capacity and reduce overcrowding, suitable for the high-volume metro-style services on London Overground. The units also have end gangways, but these are intended for emergency use only. The units were initially announced as coming in two separate batches. ==History== The deal between Bombardier and Transport for London was initially for a total of 152 individual cars costing some £223 million, with deliveries beginning in September 2008, when two trains underwent a 14-week test on the North London Line. The initial contract also contained an option to purchase additional cars up to a total of 216. A newly constructed depot near New Cross Gate station would be responsible for maintaining the new fleet. In 2006, TfL announced the new vehicles, with livery designed by Real 451 and interior concept design by Design Triangle.〔http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/Home/Articles/ac6c887ea949489ba83a01c7b566349b/TfL-design-teams-develop-London-Overground-service.html〕〔http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/News/Sectors/Travel/Transport/Articles/725e3bd9c28d4763b481f053ef260e2a/Going-overground.html〕 On 4 July 2007, TfL announced it had ordered a further 36 Capitalstar carriages for £36 million. The order comprised three additional four-car units for the East London Line, and 24 additional carriages to extend the original 3-car units for the North London Line into 4-car units, to be delivered in 2011. In February 2008, TfL announced that the new stock would now be leased by London Overground, rather than purchased directly, from a newly formed ROSCO named QW Rail Leasing. The terms of the lease also allow for an increase in the order to 216 vehicles. In April 2008, TfL announced it had taken an option to obtain a further seven 4-car dual-voltage units, delivered between 2009 and 2010 and fulfilling the vehicle option. On 16 September 2008, the first complete unit was unveiled and began testing on Bombardier's test track before being delivered for testing on the national network.〔 Unit 378001 was stationed at Depot for testing purposes but was returned to Bombardier Transportation's Litchurch Lane Works in Derby. It then entered service as (four car) 378201. 378004 (temporarily made up to 4 cars) was the first unit to run under power over the East London Line on 5 October 2009 and left the East London Line on 2 November 2009. The Class 378 was originally planned to enter service in January 2009, but was delayed for seven months because of the economic recession causing several suppliers to become bankrupt, resulting in a shortage of parts. This also affected delivery of Class 377/5 units to First Capital Connect. The first Class 378 unit entered service on 29 July 2009. On the first public unveiling of the Class 378, TfL announced that it had reached an agreement to procure a further three dual-voltage units, taking the total number to 57. These units were intended to enhance the fleet once the South London Line was brought under London Overground's control. The trains cannot currently be used on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, as it is not electrified. As a consequence, TfL also ordered eight Class 172 ''Turbostar'' units for use on that line. In 2011, several 378s on the North London Line suffered shutdowns due to harmonic interference from using the line for freight movement. The problem was fixed after Bombardier altered the interference tolerance settings. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「British Rail Class 378」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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