British Rail Class 332

British Electric passenger trains

The British Rail Class 332 (originally Class 331) were electric multiple unit passenger trains used on the Heathrow Express. These trains went from London Paddington station to Heathrow Airport. There were 14 trains which had four or five carriages each. They were built in 1998 by CAF with traction equipment supplied by Siemens Transportation Systems at a factory in Zaragoza, Spain.

British Rail Class 332
Class 332 at London Paddington in January 2007
Interior of a refurbished standard class carriage
In service19 January 1998 – 28 December 2020
ManufacturerCAF
Built atZaragoza, Spain
Constructed
  • 1997–1998
  • 2002 (5 additional cars)
Refurbishment2012–2013[1]
Scrapped2020–2021
Number built14
Number preserved
  • 0
  • (3 cars from 1 unit)
Number scrapped13
SuccessorClass 387
Formation
  • 9 × 4-car units
  • 5 × 5-car units
Fleet numbers332001–332014
Capacity
  • 4 cars: 203 seats
  • 5 cars: 267 seats
Operator(s)Heathrow Express
Depot(s)Old Oak Common (London)
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Car length
  • End cars:
  • 22.95 m (75 ft 4 in)
  • Intermediate cars:
  • 22.9 m (75 ft 2 in)
Width2.73 m (8 ft 11 in)
Height3.77 m (12 ft 4 in)
Maximum speed109 mph (176 km/h)
Weight
  • 4 cars: 173 t (170 long tons; 191 short tons)
  • 5 cars: 208 t (205 long tons; 229 short tons)
Power output1,400 kW (1,900 hp)[2]
Acceleration1 m/s2 (2.2 mph/s)[2]
Electric system(s)25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead
Current collection methodPantograph
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemScharfenberg Type 10[3]
Multiple workingWithin class
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge

References

change
  1. "Which way from Heathrow?". The Railway Magazine. No. 1454. May 2022. pp. 26–31.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Reference Brochure Trains" (PDF). mobility.siemens.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  3. 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.