See 'Mock-up' train at Glasgow Central

Commuters and rail travellers will soon have the opportunity to see inside a life-size mock-up of Scotland’s most advanced train – 16 months before the real thing launches on Ayrshire and Inverclyde services.

From 7-20 May, the 23-metre mock-up will be open for public viewing at Central Station.

Offering more seats, better accessibility and improved passenger comfort, the Class 380 will be the most advanced train ever brought into service in Scotland.

The new fleet of 38 eco-friendly electric trains – 130 rail carriages – will add more than 9,000 passenger seats to the Scottish rail network when they are introduced from September 2010.

Steve Montgomery, acting managing director of ScotRail, said: “We would welcome customers who will be the first to use the new trains to be among the first to see the mock up. People will see at first-hand what the Class 380 will look like, inside and out.”

All visitors to the mock-up train will have the opportunity to win one of 10 monthly Season Tickets to/from Glasgow Central.

In June 2009, the mock-up will be gifted to the Museum of Transport in Glasgow where it will be a permanent exhibit.

The mock-up will be on view from 7-20 May 2009 at Central Station, Glasgow, located adjacent to platform 11. Wheelchair ramp access is provided. Public viewing begins on Thursday 7 May at 1pm, thereafter it will be open between the following times:

• Monday-Friday 9.30am-6pm (9.30am-4.00pm – free access, 4.00pm-6pm – access for visitors with rail travel tickets only)

• Saturday 10am-4pm (free access for visitors)

• Sunday 11am-4pm (free access for visitors)

Media Enquiries
For further information please call Weber Shandwick:
Lisa Palompo, 0141 333 0557, 07770 886932, lpalompo@webershandwick.com
Hailey Ross, 0141 333 0557, 07770 886906, hdross@webershandwick.com

Notes to Editors
The Scottish Government is investing more than £200m in the leasing of the new Class 380 trains and the delivery of a new Shields Road depot and infrastructure enhancements to bring these new trains to Scotland.

Transport Scotland is the national transport agency responsible for trunk roads, rail and national concessionary travel. It is an Executive agency directly accountable to Scottish Ministers and came into effect on 1 January 2006. For further information visit www.transportscotland.gov.uk

Transport Scotland is overseeing the new trains’ roll-out. Siemens will build the fleet which HSBC will finance and own. ScotRail will lease the trains to operate the services.