List of British Rail electric multiple unit classes
This page lists every electric-powered multiple unit allocated a TOPS classification or used on the mainline network since 1948 (i.e. British Railways and post-privatisation). British Rail operated a wide variety of electric multiple units for use on electrified lines.
- AC units operate off 25 kV alternating current (AC) from overhead wires. Where clearances for the overhead wires on the Great Eastern Main Line and London, Tilbury and Southend railway routes were below standard, a reduced voltage of 6.25 kV AC was used. The Midland Railway units used 6.6 kV AC. Under the computer numbering, AC units (including mixed-voltage units that can also work off a DC supply) were given a class in the range 300-399.
- DC units operate off 650-850 V direct current (DC) from a third rail on the Southern Region and North London, Merseyside and Tyneside networks. The Manchester-Bury Railway line used 1,200 V DC from a side-contact third rail. The Manchester South Junction & Altrincham and "Woodhead" and initially the Great Eastern Railway routes used 1,500 V DC from overhead wires. Under the computer numbering, DC units were given a class in the range 400-599.
AC EMUs and dual-voltage EMUs
changeFirst generation
changeTOPS class | Pre-TOPS class | Name or Information | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Ex-MR units | Lancaster-Morecambe-Heysham | ||
Class 300 | Proposed parcels units | ||
AM1 | 25kV AC prototype units | ||
Class 302 | AM2 | London-Tilbury-Southend | |
Class 303 | AM3 | Strathclyde | |
Class 304 | AM4 | Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham | |
Class 305 | AM5 | Chingford, Enfield | |
Class 306 | AM6 | Shenfield (inner-suburban) | |
Class 307 | AM7 | Southend (outer-suburban) | |
Class 308 | AM8 | Eastern Region lines | |
Class 309 | AM9 | Clacton Express | |
Class 310 | AM10 | Euston outer-suburban | |
Class 311 | AM11 | Strathclyde |
Second generation
changeTOPS class | Built for | Current Operator(s) | Builder | Number built | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class 312 | BR Eastern Region (Great Eastern and Great Northern suburban) and BR London Midland Region (Euston suburban) |
(out of service) | BREL York 1966-74 | 49 x 4-car sets | |
Class 313 | BR Eastern Region (Great Northern suburban) |
London Overground, First Capital Connect |
BREL York 1975-78 | 64 x 3-car sets | |
Class 314 | BR Scottish Region (Argyle Line) |
First ScotRail | BREL York 1979 | 16 x 3-car sets | |
Class 315 | BR Eastern Region (Great Eastern suburban) |
National Express East Anglia | BREL York 1980-81 | 61 x 4-car sets | |
Class 316 (I) | (AC Networker prototype) | (never used in passenger service, now out of service) | converted from class 210 and 313 cars | 1 x 4-car set | |
Class 316 (II) | (test unit) | (never used in passenger service, now out of service) | converted from class 307 | 1 x 3-car set | |
Class 317 | Network SouthEast ('Bedpan' and Great Northern lines) |
National Express East Anglia, First Capital Connect |
BREL York 1981-85 | 72 x 4-car sets | |
Class 318 | Provincial ScotRail (for Strathclyde PTE) |
First Scotrail | BREL York 1985-87 | 21 x 3-car sets | |
Class 319 | Network SouthEast (Thameslink services) |
First Capital Connect, Southern, Northern |
BREL York 1985-88 | 86 x 4-car sets | |
Class 320 | Provincial ScotRail (for Strathclyde PTE) |
First ScotRail | BREL York 1986 | 22 x 3-car sets | |
Class 321 | Network SouthEast (Great Eastern and Euston services); and Regional Railways (for West Yorkshire PTE) |
National Express East Anglia, Northern Rail, London Midland |
BREL York 1986-89 | 117 x 4-car sets | |
Class 322 | Network SouthEast (Stanstead Express service) |
First ScotRail | BREL York 1988-90 | 5 x 4-car sets | |
Class 325 | Rail Express Systems (for Royal Mail) |
FirstGBRf | ABB Derby 1995 | 16 x 4-car units |
Modern Generation
changeThese use electrical switching devices (thyristors and transistors) and have electronic power control.
TOPS class | Built for | Current Operator(s) | Builder | Number Built | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class 323 | Regional Railways (for West Midlands PTE and Greater Manchester PTE) |
Northern Rail, London Midland |
Hunslet 1992-93 | 43 x 3-car sets | |
Class 331 | original classification of Class 332 | - | - | - | |
Class 332 | Heathrow Express | Heathrow Express | Siemens/CAF 1997-2002 | 9 x 4-car sets 5 x 5-car sets |
|
Class 333 | Arriva Trains Northern (for West Yorkshire PTE) |
Northern Rail | Siemens/CAF 2001-03 | 18 x 4-car sets | |
Class 334 Juniper |
ScotRail (for Strathclyde PTE) |
First ScotRail | Alstom Birmingham 1999-2001 | 40 x 3-car sets | |
Class 341 Networker |
proposed units for Crossrail | - | (never built) | - | |
Class 342 Networker |
proposed units for CTRL Domestic Services | - | (never built) | ||
Class 345 Aventra |
Crossrail | Crossrail (TfL Rail) | Bombardier Derby 2016-2019 | 70 x 9-car sets (initially 7-car sets until 2019) | |
Class 350 Desiro |
Silverlink, Central Trains |
London Midland | Siemens 2004-05 | 30 x 4-car sets | |
Class 357 Electrostar |
LTS Rail | c2c | Adtranz/Bombardier Derby 1999-2002 | 74 x 4-car sets | |
Class 360 Desiro |
First Great Eastern, Heathrow Connect |
National Express East Anglia, Heathrow Connect |
Siemens 2002-06 | 21 x 4-car sets 5 x 5-car sets |
|
Class 365 Networker |
Network SouthEast (Great Northern and South Eastern services) |
First Capital Connect | ABB York 1994-95 | 41 x 4-car sets | |
Class 371 Networker |
proposed units for Thameslink 2000 | - | (never built) | - | |
Class 375 Electrostar |
Connex South Eastern, South Eastern Trains |
Southeastern | Adtranz/Bombardier Derby 1999-2004 | 10 x 3-car sets 102 x 4-car sets |
|
Class 376 Electrostar |
South Eastern Trains | Southeastern | Bombardier Derby 2004-05 | 36 x 5-car sets | |
Class 377 Electrostar |
Southern | Southern | Bombardier Derby 2001-05 | 28 x 3-car sets 154 x 4-car sets |
|
Class 378 Capitalstar |
London Overground | London Overground | Bombardier Derby 2008-2011 | ||
Class 380 Desiro |
First ScotRail | (not yet in service) | Siemens (under construction) | ||
Class 381 Networker |
proposed Network SouthEast express units | - | (never built) | - |
High Speed Trains
changeTOPS class | Built for | Current Operator(s) | Builder | Number Built | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class 370 APT-P |
prototype Advanced Passenger Train | (out of service) | BREL Derby 1979 | 6 x 7-car half sets 2 spare cars |
|
Class 373 TGV |
Eurostar | Eurostar IZY |
various builders 1992-95 | 14 x 8-car half sets 64 x 10-car half sets 1 spare car |
|
Class 390 Pendolino |
Virgin West Coast | Avanti West Coast | Alstom Birmingham 2001-05 | 53 x 9-car sets | |
Class 395 Javelin |
Southeastern | Southeastern | Hitachi2007-009 | 29 x 6-car sets |
DC EMUs
changeSouthern Region units
changeThe Southern Railway and its successor, the Southern Region of British Rail, used three letter codes to classify their DC EMU fleets, as shown after the TOPS class numbers.
Pre-Nationalisation
changeTOPS class | SR class | Name or Information |
---|---|---|
2Nol | ||
2SL | South London | |
2Wim | Wimbledon-Croydon | |
3Sub | ||
4Buf | ||
4DD | Double Deck EMU | |
4Gri | ||
4Lav | ||
4Res | ||
6Cit | London Bridge-Brighton | |
6Pan | Pantry units | |
6Pul | Pullman London Victoria-Brighton | |
Class 401 | 2Bil | |
Class 402 | 2Hal 2Pan |
|
Class 403 | 5Bel | |
Class 404 | 4Cor | |
Class 405 | 4Sub |
Mark 1 and 2 Bodyshell
changeTOPS class | SR class | Name or Information |
---|---|---|
Class 410 | 4Bep | |
Class 411 | 4Cep | |
Class 412 | 4Bep | |
Class 413 | 4Cap | 2 x 2Hap permanently coupled |
Class 414 | 2Hap | |
Class 415 | 4EPB | |
Class 416 | 2EPB | |
Class 418 | 2Sap | 2Hap units with declassified 1st Class accommodation |
Class 419 | MLV | London-Dover/Folkestone boat trains |
Class 420 | 4Big | |
Class 421 | 4Cig 3Cop |
2 units still in use, on Lymington Branch Line |
Class 422 | 4Big 8Dig |
|
Class 423 | 4Vep 4Vop |
|
Class 427 | 4Veg | First stock used for Gatwick Express |
Class 430 | 4Rep | |
Class 431 | 6Rep | |
Class 432 | 4Rep | |
Class 438 | 3TC 4TC |
|
Class 480 | 8Vab | |
Class 482 (I) | 8Mig | |
Class 488 | Gatwick Express Trailers | |
Class 489 | GLV | Gatwick Express driving trailers |
Class 499 | TLV |
Tube stock
changeTOPS class | SR class | Name or Information | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Class 482 (II) | Waterloo & City Line sold to LU |
||
Class 483 | Isle of Wight ex LU 1938 stock |
||
Class 485 | 4Vec | ex LU Standard stock | |
Class 486 | 3Tis | ex LU Standard stock | |
Class 487 | Waterloo & City Line |
Modern EMUs
changeTOPS class | SR class | Name or Information | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Class 424 | Networker Classic Prototype | ||
Class 442 | 5Wes | Wessex Express | |
Class 444 | 5Des | Desiro | |
Class 445 | 4Pep | Second Generation EMU prototype - 4 car | |
Class 446 | 2Pep | Second Generation EMU prototype - 2 car | |
Class 447 | Proposed Battersea Bullet | ||
Class 450 | 4Des | Desiro | |
Class 455 | |||
Class 456 | |||
Class 457 | DC Networker prototype | ||
Class 458 | 4Jop | Juniper | |
Class 460 | 8Gat | Juniper - Gatwick Express | |
Class 465 | Networker - 4 car | ||
Class 466 | Networker - 2 car | ||
Class 471 | Proposed Networker - Main Line Express |
Other DC units
changeThe 500 series classes were reserved for DC (third/fourth rail) EMUs not from the Southern Region. This included the DC (third/fourth rail) lines in North London, Merseyside and Greater Manchester. The DC electric network around Tyneside had been de-electrified by the time TOPS was introduced, and the stock withdrawn or transferred to the Southern Region.
TOPS classes
Class | Info | Image |
---|---|---|
Class 501 | North London stock | |
Class 502 | Liverpool-Southport-Ormskirk stock | |
Class 503 | Mersey-Wirral stock | |
Class 504 | Manchester-Bury stock | |
Class 505 | Manchester-Altrincham stock | |
Class 506 | Manchester-Hadfield/Glossop stock | |
Class 507 | Merseyside stock | |
Class 508 | Merseyside stock | |
Class 510 | Original classification of Class 455 |
Pre-TOPS classes
- Ex-LNER Units (Tyneside stock)
- Ex-LNWR Units (North London stock)
- Ex-LYR Units (Manchester-Bury stock)
Battery electric multiple unit (BEMU)
changeThis was a one-off unit, withdrawn before the introduction of TOPS.
Related pages
changeReferences
changeOther websites
change- The Railway Centre Archived 2010-01-23 at the Wayback Machine
- departmentals.com