Siemens to supply new Great Northern inners trains

I think that it is the case that the cab section is wider to accommodate the central door. The windscreen surrounds look smaller, which is noticeable looking at the headlights. These units have got only 1 (large) LED lamp per cluster, whilst the 700s have got an LED lamp and a conventional bulb.

This photo is of the 700s at a similar angle to your link


Edit: You can also see a break in the panels around the headlamp cluster where it has been widened

I think you're right - the "hamster cheeks" at buffer level are the same size (which is probably a good idea if they ever need to couple up in an emergency) but there is a bigger curve to the outer edges of the windscreens on the Moorgate units so the pillars are narrower at the top - presumably to allow for a reasonably-sized windscreen either side of the emergency door. It is that which makes it look narrower in the three-quarter view.

I don't mind them personally, they look a lot better than exposed anti-climb devices used on the first generation Desiros (the serrated panels). Compare the 700 design to something similar but with exposed anti-climb devices:



And I think you'll agree that it makes the front look a lot neater!

Is there any reason why the trains for Great Northern do not have the same front as Thameslink Class 700's and instead has a door at the front similar the Class 378s?

Bingo! These trains will be operating in the tunnels between Drayton Park and Moorgate, which as you say, is a tight squeeze and in the event of an emergency, you would not be able to evacuate out of the side doors. Therefore, they need a central door for egress, which does have the effect of making them look a little bit ugly, as well as making the driver's cab a lot more cramped. This is similar to the 378s which operate through a number of narrow tunnels along the (former) East London Line.

Indeed looking at it, it would seem that the 'door' could be more of a folded staircase, as you might find in a private jet, where the door opens downwards over the coupler with integral stairs, whilst on the 378s, the door opens to the side and a staircase is then deployed. I suppose that the small lamps just visible at the bottom inside corners of the clusters (most visible in norbitonflyer's photo) are detrainment lights.

They need every inch of space, as the Hertford-Moorgate services get crush-loaded in peak hours, being constrained to 6-car by the GNCR platform lengths, and little spare line capacity for any frequency increase. The new trains will provide some extra space by not having two unused middle cabs, so on balance it's probably best not to take up space with large accessible toilets.

If the Moorgate branch did not exist, Hertford and Welwyn would have been far more suitable for Thameslink than Peterborough and Cambridge, which are only really planned to go in to Thameslink because they happen to sit conveniently on a map.

It's a lot easier to add a toilet to a station than it is to a train.

My bold.

The 313 cabs are larger than other stocks I believe, so the extra space is rather significant. Combined with a possible seating layout akin to the LU S8 stock, this should allow a welcome increase in capacity.

Surely they are mechanically compatible, and most likely electronically compatible too.

That's good to hear as it does make sense for both fleets to be compatible.