In its procurement documentation, Crossrail Ltd specified the nominal train length for its new fleet (pi) but made no reference to the length of the individual vehicles. The quoted maximum length of 205 m equated to a 10-car formation of 20 m vehicles, the length adopted for most UK suburban stock including the new Siemens fleet for Thameslink. However, the announcement of the order on February 6 revealed that the new Class 345 EMUs would each have nine cars. And the accompanying artist's impression showed the Bombardier Aventra EMU to have three doors per side. These features are likely to have been a significant factor in Bombardier winning the order. Compared with a 10-car formation, a nine-car train will have more interior floor area because it saves the length lost between one pair of cars.
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