Clearly timed to pre-empt any adverse reaction to the decision to order additional Hitachi train-sets for the East Coast Main Line, Southern announced on July 17 that it had selected Bombardier to supply 116 EMU vehicles 'to facilitate the planned Thameslink cascade'. The value of the contract was quoted as around £180m, equivalent to £1.55m per vehicle. An option to the contract covers a further 140 vehicles. Southern says that this could be called 'in the event that further investment opportunities are identified', increasing the potential order value to £385m.
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