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British Rail Class 315

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The British Rail Class 315 is a fleet of alternating current (AC) electric multiple unit (EMU) trains that were built by British Rail Engineering Limited at Holgate Road Carriage Works in York between 1980 and 1981 to replace the Class 306 units. It was a variant of unit derived from British Rail's 1971 prototype suburban EMU design which, as the BREL 1972 family, eventually encompassed 755 vehicles across Classes 313, 314, 315, 507 and 508.[6] Revenue services with Class 315 units commenced in 1980 and continued until 9 December 2022.[2][7]

British Rail Class 315
Image showing a Transport for London Rail liveried Class 315 calling at Forest Gate
TfL Rail Class 315 at Forest Gate in September 2015
Image showing the interior of a Class 315, with 2x3 seating, grey and blue (or red) moquettes and blue grab poles.
The refreshed interior of a TfL Rail Class 315
In service1980 – 9 December 2022
ManufacturerBritish Rail Engineering Limited
Built atHolgate Road Works, York
Family nameBREL 1972
Replaced
Constructed1980–1981
Refurbished
  • All units: 2004–2008 (at Bombardier Derby)[1]
  • LO & TfL Rail units: 2015–2016 (at Bombardier Ilford)
Number built61[2]
Number preserved1
Number scrapped53
Successor
Formation
  • 4 cars per unit:
  • DMSO-PTSO-TSO-DMSO
Diagram
  • DMSO vehicles: EA207
  • PTSO vehicles: EH217
  • TSO vehicles: EH216
Fleet numbers315801–315861
Capacity
  • As built: 318 seats
  • Post-2012: 309 seats, plus 7 tip-up
OwnersEversholt Rail Group
Operators
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel underframe with aluminium body and roof
Car length
  • DM vehs.: 19.800 m (64 ft 11.5 in)
  • Trailers: 19.920 m (65 ft 4.3 in)
Width2.820 m (9 ft 3.0 in)
Height3.582 m (11 ft 9.0 in)
Floor height1.156 m (3 ft 9.5 in)
DoorsDouble-leaf pocket sliding, each 1.288 m (4 ft 2.7 in) wide (2 per side per car)
Wheelbase
  • Over bogie centres:
  • 14.170 m (46 ft 5.9 in)
Maximum speed75 mph (121 km/h)
Weight
  • DMSO vehs.: 35.0 t (34.4 long tons; 38.6 short tons)
  • PTSO vehs.: 32.0 t (31.5 long tons; 35.3 short tons)
  • TSO vehs.: 25.5 t (25.1 long tons; 28.1 short tons)
Traction motors
  • 8 total; 4 per DMSO vehicle
  • (Brush TM61-53 or GEC G310AZ, interchangeably)
Power output660 kW (880 hp)
Acceleration0.75 m/s2 (2.5 ft/s2)[3]
HVACDucted warm air
Electric system(s)25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead
Current collector(s)Pantograph
UIC classificationBo′Bo′+2′2′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′
BogiesBREL BX1
Minimum turning radius70.4 m (231 ft 0 in)
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (disc)
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemTightlock[4]
Multiple workingWithin class
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
Specifications as at November 1987[5] except where otherwise noted.

Description

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Class 315 in British Rail livery at Liverpool Street in August 1987

Each Class 315 unit is formed of four vehicles; DMSO-PTSO-TSO-DMSO.[5] Up to three units can be used together in service for a maximum 12-car formation.

Each DMSO vehicle carries four DC traction motors, each of 82 kW (110 hp) for a total power output of 660 kW (880 hp) per unit.[5] The order included an element of dual-sourcing – 41 units (315801–315841) were fitted with electrical equipment from Brush Traction, while equipment for the remaining 20 units (315842–315861) was provided by the General Electric Company (GEC). The traction motors are interchangeable between equipment providers.[5]

The DMSO vehicles also carry the air compressors and main reservoirs that provide the braking and suspension air supplies.[citation needed] The air supply was originally additionally used to operate the passenger doors, but this system was later replaced by an all-electric one.[citation needed]

The PTSO vehicles carry the main and auxiliary transformers, auxiliary batteries, the Stone Faiveley AMBR Mk.1 pantograph, and the main circuit breaker, while the TSO vehicles only provide passenger accommodation.

Seating is standard-class only and there are no toilet facilities provided onboard. As-built, each four-car unit had seats for 318 passengers, but this was reduced to 309 plus seven tip-up during a refit in 2012.[8]

Vehicles are numbered in the following ranges:[5]

  • DMSO: 64461–64582
  • PTSO: 71281–71341
  • TSO: 71389–71449

Operations

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Following the privatisation of British Rail, the Class 315s were divided between First Great Eastern (43 units) and West Anglia Great Northern (18 units). The leasing company Eversholt Rail Group has owned the entire Class 315 fleet since privatisation.[8]

One / National Express

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'One' Anglia Class 315s at Liverpool Street in March 2007

From April 2004, National Express East Anglia (NXEA) ran the inaugural Greater Anglia franchise, which combined the previous operations of both First Great Eastern and West Anglia Great Northern and thus combined the two Class 315 fleets. The franchise was initially known as 'One' but was rebranded National Express East Anglia (NXEA) in February 2008.[9]

NXEA contracted with Bombardier to refurbish all 61 units at a cost of £60 million. This commenced in mid-2004 with the ex-First Great Eastern examples, and included the full replacement of door operating mechanisms, passenger windows, and seat covers, substantial replacement of floor coverings, and the installation of CCTV.[10]

Greater Anglia / London Overground

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Greater Anglia Class 315 at Forest Gate in February 2015

The Class 315 fleet transferred to new operator Abellio Greater Anglia in February 2012. Abellio repainted the trains in its own livery and commissioned Bombardier to refresh the fleet, which included installation of a new passenger information system with electronic dot-matrix display screens, installation of bays for two wheelchairs and assistance intercoms for passengers in those areas, and accessibility changes to the handrails and inter-car gangways.[11]

Abellio used the fleet for local services between London Liverpool Street to Shenfield on the Great Eastern Main Line (the 'Shenfield Metro' service),[11] and between Liverpool Street and Cheshunt, Enfield Town, and Chingford on the Lea Valley Lines.

They were also used on the Romford–Upminster line, alongside Class 317 units, as well as occasional peak-time services to destinations further from London on the Great Eastern and West Anglia Main Lines such as Bishop's Stortford, Broxbourne, Southminster, and Southend Victoria.[citation needed]

Initially, the Shenfield Metro and Upminster branch line services used only units 315801–315843 and the Lea Valley Lines only 315844–315861, reflecting the allocations of the former franchises, but they were later operated interchangeably out of Ilford EMU Depot.[citation needed]

TfL Rail / Elizabeth line

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The remainder of the fleet was operated by MTR Elizabeth line, who used them for a small number of Elizabeth line services on the Great Eastern Main Line between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield as a continuation of the previous TfL Rail operation.[12]

A farewell tour for the class organised by the Branch Line Society was announced in October 2022 and took place on 26 November.[13]

The last day of service for the Class 315 units was 9 December 2022.[7]

Replacement

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In July 2015, TfL confirmed that it would place a £260 million order for 45 units of Class 710 Aventra trains, which would replace London Overground's Class 315. The Aventras would be introduced on the West Anglia routes in 2018, having taken these over from Abellio Greater Anglia in May 2015.[14][full citation needed] The first units on the Lea Valley lines entered service on 3 March 2020, after a first attempt on 24 February 2020.[15] They replaced all Class 315s on both the Lea Valley lines and the Romford to Upminster branch in October 2020.

Additionally, TfL Rail Class 315 units were replaced by the new Class 345 Aventra from August 2017.[16] On 20 October 2018, the first retired unit, 315850, was hauled to C F Booth of Rotherham to be scrapped.[17] The last Elizabeth line unit in service was on 9 December 2022, after which all of the units had either been scrapped, stored or preserved.[7]

Fleet details

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Class Status Qty. Year built Cars per unit Unit numbers
315 Scrapped 53 1980–1981 4 315801–315809, 315810-315812, 315814–315817, 315818–315827, 315829–315836, 315837–315839, 315842–315844, 315847–315854, 315857–315859, 315860–315861[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]
Preserved 1 315856[13][37]
TBC 7 315813, 315828, 315840–315841, 315845–315846, 315855

Vehicle numbering

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Individual vehicles are numbered in the ranges as follows:[38]

DMSO PTSO TSO
64461–64582 71389–71449 71281–71341

DMSO numbers are sequential within units; thus vehicles 64461 and 64462 were in unit 315801, 64463 and 64464 in 315802, and so on.

Livery diagrams

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British Rail 1980–1986
 
Network SouthEast 1986–1997
 
West Anglia Great Northern 2001–2004
 
NXEA 2005–2012
 
Abellio Greater Anglia 2012–2015
 
London Overground 2015–2020
 
TfL Rail/Elizabeth line 2015–2022

Named units

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The following units have carried names

  • 315827 – Transport for London[39]
  • 315829 – London Borough of Havering Celebrating 40 years[39]
  • 315845 – Herbie Woodward[39]
  • 315857 – Stratford Connections[39]

Preservation

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On 23 July 2021, the Class 315 Preservation Society announced on their website that they had reached an agreement in principle with Eversholt Rail Group to acquire a Class 315 for preservation,[40] and the sale was confirmed on 1 December 2022.[41] The society had originally planned on acquiring unit 315820, but following the finalisation of the sale agreement stated that they had instead secured unit 315856.[13][37]

References

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  1. ^ "News Desk" (PDF). The Railway Herald. No. 125. Northallerton. 21 March 2008. p. 4. ISSN 1751-8091. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b "PEP-talk: the BR second generation EMU". Rail Express. No. 317. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. October 2022. pp. 54–55.
  3. ^ "Class 315". London: Eversholt Rail. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  4. ^ System Data for Mechanical and Electrical Coupling of Rail Vehicles in support of GM/RT2190 (PDF). London: Rail Safety and Standards Board. 22 June 2011. p. 4. SD001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Vehicle Diagram Book No. 210 for Electrical Multiple Units (including A.P.T.)" (PDF). Barrowmore MRG. BRB Residuary Ltd. EA207 & EH216–EH217 (in work pp. 16–17 & 286–289). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  6. ^ "The twilight zone". Railways Illustrated. No. 249. November 2023. pp. 50–53.
  7. ^ a b c "Class 315 farewell set saved". The Railway Magazine. No. 1462. January 2023. p. 73.
  8. ^ a b "Class 315 Electric Multiple Unit" (PDF). London: Eversholt Rail Group. 12 February 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  9. ^ "New brand, new name, new era". Birmingham: National Express Group. 4 February 2008. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  10. ^ "National Express invests in upgrade of Class 315 fleet". Birmingham: National Express Group. 2007. Archived from the original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  11. ^ a b "First refurbished Class 315 units enter service". London: Abellio Greater Anglia. 15 February 2013. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  12. ^ "About us: London's newest railway". London: MTR Elizabeth line. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  13. ^ a b c "Class 315 saved for preservation". Rail Express. No. 320. January 2023. p. 12.
  14. ^ Rail Magazine. No. 778. August 2015. p. 14. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ "Bombardier Class 710/1s finally make their passenger debut on West Anglia suburban routes". Rail Magazine. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. 4 March 2020. Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  16. ^ Clinnick, Richard (13 September 2017). "Peak-time use for Crossrail's new trains". Rail Magazine. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  17. ^ Hewitt, Sam (3 December 2018). "First Class 315 goes for scrap". The Railway Magazine. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  18. ^ "Class 315 Farewell raises over £13,000 for charity". Railways Illustrated. No. 240. February 2023. pp. 12–13.
  19. ^ Russell, David (January 2021). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 296. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
  20. ^ Russell, David (November 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 294. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
  21. ^ Russell, David (February 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 285. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 91.
  22. ^ Russell, David (September 2021). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 304. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 31.
  23. ^ Russell, David (January 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 284. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 91.
  24. ^ Russell, David (June 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 289. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 27.
  25. ^ Russell, David (December 2022). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 307. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
  26. ^ Russell, David (January 2022). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 308. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 31.
  27. ^ Russell, David (December 2019). "Shed Talk". Units. Rail Express. No. 283. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 98.
  28. ^ Russell, David (June 2021). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 301. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 30.
  29. ^ Russell, David (February 2021). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 297. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
  30. ^ "First Class 315 goes for scrapping". Rail Express. No. 271. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. December 2018. p. 90.
  31. ^ Butlin, Ashley (May 2022). "Multiplie Units". Stock Update. The Railway Magazine. No. 1454. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 85.
  32. ^ Russell, David (March 2022). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 310. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
  33. ^ "Class 315s bow out after 42 years service". Today's Railways UK. No. 252. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. February 2023. p. 56.
  34. ^ "Final Class 315s depart Ilford – after serving 52 years". Railways Illustrated. No. 241. March 2023. p. 18.
  35. ^ Russell, David (September 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 292. p. 28.
  36. ^ "London Overground retires its last '315s'". Rail Express. No. 295. December 2020. p. 12.
  37. ^ a b Smith, Roger (2 December 2022). "Class 315 EMU to be based in South Wales after donation by Eversholt Rail". RailAdvent. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  38. ^ "Class 315". British Rail Motive Power Combined Volume. Shepperton: Ian Allan. 1989. Multiple-Units pp. 94–96. ISBN 978-0-7110-1849-5. OCLC 931408393. OL 32082500M.
  39. ^ a b c d "Class 315". Modern Locomotives Illustrated. No. 233. Stamford: Key Publishing. October 2018. pp. 20–28.
  40. ^ "Class 315 Electric Multiple Unit Secured for Preservation!". Class 315 Preservation Society. 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  41. ^ Holden, Michael (2 December 2022). "Class 315 Preservation Society secures unit for preservation". RailAdvent. Retrieved 2 December 2022.

Further reading

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