British Rail Class 315
Encyclopedia
British Rail Class 315 alternating current
(AC) electric multiple units (EMU) were built by BREL
at York
works from 1980 to 1981. They were the fifth and final variety of British Rail
's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles and five Classes (Class 313
/314
/315/507
/508
). Like the Glasgow
-based Class 314 units, they are only able to operate from the 25 kV
overhead line.
The fleet works inner-suburb
an services on the Great Eastern Main Line
run by the train operating company
National Express East Anglia out of London Liverpool Street
.
each and a main compressor
and air reservoir
which carries air for the brakes and suspension. The door system which was pneumatic has been replaced by an all electric door system. The PTSO carries the main and auxillery transformers, batteries
and battery charger, Stone Faiveley AMBR Mk.1 pantograph, vacuum
circuit breaker
and auxiliary compressor. The TSO carries no equipment other than that which is standard to all coaches.
The coaches only contain standard seating and have no toilet facilities. Car numbering is as follows:
Each 4-car set is able to seat 318 passengers.
A refurbishment programme commenced from mid 2004, when National Express East Anglia (then 'one' Railway) contracted Bombardier
to carry out the refurbishment of all 61 units, starting with the ex-First Great Eastern
examples. The low-back 3+2 seating is retained, so the capacity stays the same.
The Class 315 units replaced the life-expired Class 306
units.
(43 units) and WAGN (18 units). On that date, 'one' was awarded the new Greater Anglia rail franchise which combined the First Great Eastern and WAGN routes, and so assumed control of all 61 sets. 'one' has since been rebranded National Express East Anglia (NXEA) by its parent company, National Express Group
.
The Lea Valley Lines
They can occasionally be found further afield, running to Hertford East, Bishop's Stortford, Stansted Airport, Broxbourne, Cambridge, Ely, Southminster, Braintree, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester, Harwich Town, Walton-on-the-Naze, Ipswich and Southend Victoria, particularly at the peak times.
Class 315s are rumoured to be replaced after the London Olympic Games at Stratford in 2012, as by then they will nearly be life expired (around 2014).
Initially, the Shenfield Metro and Upminster Branch Line services used only sets 315801-843 and the Lea Valley Lines only 315844-861. Presently, however, all 61 sets are used interchangeably.
Since "one" and then National Express have been operating the franchise, it has been less common for 315s to run beyond Shenfield. At present, there are only 3 booked workings beyond Shenfield on Mondays to Fridays. These are:
The 17:49 Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria, calling at Stratford, Manor Park, then all stations to Southend Victoria
Apart from these two workings, 315s are rarely used on services on the Great Eastern Main Line
, however can be seen working these routes on occasions, covering for unavailable Class 360
s or Class 321
s.
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
(AC) electric multiple units (EMU) were built by BREL
BREL
British Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
at York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
works from 1980 to 1981. They were the fifth and final variety of British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles and five Classes (Class 313
British Rail Class 313
British Rail Class 313 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York Works between February 1976 and April 1977 and were the first second-generation EMUs to be constructed for British Rail...
/314
British Rail Class 314
British Rail Class 314 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL at York works in 1979. They were the third variety of British Rail's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles and five classes...
/315/507
British Rail Class 507
British Rail Class 507 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York works in two batches from 1978 to 1980. The first thirty sets were constructed from September 1978 to mid-1979 and a further three were added during 1980...
/508
British Rail Class 508
The British Rail Class 508 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York works in 1979-80. They were the fourth variety of BR's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, eventually encompassing 755 vehicles and five classes...
). Like the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
-based Class 314 units, they are only able to operate from the 25 kV
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
overhead line.
The fleet works inner-suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an services on the Great Eastern Main Line
Great Eastern Main Line
The Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
run by the train operating company
Train operating company
The term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
National Express East Anglia out of London Liverpool Street
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
.
Description
Each Class 315 unit is formed of four vehicles: Driving Motor Standard Open (DMSO), Pantograph Trailer Standard Open (PTSO), Trailer Standard Open (TSO), and Driving Motor Standard Open (DMSO). Each DMSO carries four traction motors (315801-841 originally had Brush TM61-53 and 315842-861 had GEC G310AZ but these motors are interchangeable and nowadays any type can be found on any unit) rated at 110hpHorsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
each and a main compressor
Gas compressor
A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
and air reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
which carries air for the brakes and suspension. The door system which was pneumatic has been replaced by an all electric door system. The PTSO carries the main and auxillery transformers, batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
and battery charger, Stone Faiveley AMBR Mk.1 pantograph, vacuum
Vacuum
In everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". A perfect vacuum would be one with no particles in it at all, which is impossible to achieve in...
circuit breaker
Circuit breaker
A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit. Its basic function is to detect a fault condition and, by interrupting continuity, to immediately discontinue electrical flow...
and auxiliary compressor. The TSO carries no equipment other than that which is standard to all coaches.
The coaches only contain standard seating and have no toilet facilities. Car numbering is as follows:
- 64461-64582 - DMSO
- 71281-71341 - PTSO
- 71389-71449 - TSO
Each 4-car set is able to seat 318 passengers.
A refurbishment programme commenced from mid 2004, when National Express East Anglia (then 'one' Railway) contracted Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
to carry out the refurbishment of all 61 units, starting with the ex-First Great Eastern
First Great Eastern
First Great Eastern was an award-winning train operating company that operated suburban, local and medium distance train services from London Liverpool Street via Romford to Essex and Ipswich in the United Kingdom on the Great Eastern Main Line railway.First Group gained the Great Eastern...
examples. The low-back 3+2 seating is retained, so the capacity stays the same.
The Class 315 units replaced the life-expired Class 306
British Rail Class 306
The British Rail Class 306 was a type of electric multiple unit introduced in 1949. It consisted of 92 three-car trains which were used on newly electrified suburban lines between and London Liverpool Street.- Overview :...
units.
Operators
Until 1 April 2004, the fleet was divided between the train operating companies First Great EasternFirst Great Eastern
First Great Eastern was an award-winning train operating company that operated suburban, local and medium distance train services from London Liverpool Street via Romford to Essex and Ipswich in the United Kingdom on the Great Eastern Main Line railway.First Group gained the Great Eastern...
(43 units) and WAGN (18 units). On that date, 'one' was awarded the new Greater Anglia rail franchise which combined the First Great Eastern and WAGN routes, and so assumed control of all 61 sets. 'one' has since been rebranded National Express East Anglia (NXEA) by its parent company, National Express Group
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
.
Services
The usual duties include:- - 'Metro'
- -
The Lea Valley Lines
Lea Valley Lines
The Lea Valley Lines are three commuter lines and two branches in North East London, so named because they run along the valley of the River Lea...
- London Liverpool Street -
- London Liverpool Street -
- London Liverpool Street -
They can occasionally be found further afield, running to Hertford East, Bishop's Stortford, Stansted Airport, Broxbourne, Cambridge, Ely, Southminster, Braintree, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester, Harwich Town, Walton-on-the-Naze, Ipswich and Southend Victoria, particularly at the peak times.
Class 315s are rumoured to be replaced after the London Olympic Games at Stratford in 2012, as by then they will nearly be life expired (around 2014).
Initially, the Shenfield Metro and Upminster Branch Line services used only sets 315801-843 and the Lea Valley Lines only 315844-861. Presently, however, all 61 sets are used interchangeably.
Since "one" and then National Express have been operating the franchise, it has been less common for 315s to run beyond Shenfield. At present, there are only 3 booked workings beyond Shenfield on Mondays to Fridays. These are:
- The 06:29 Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street (arrives 07:29), calling at all stations to Shenfield, then Stratford and Liverpool Street.
- The 07:21 Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street (arrives 08:40), calling at all stations to Ilford, then Stratford and Liverpool Street.
The 17:49 Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria, calling at Stratford, Manor Park, then all stations to Southend Victoria
Apart from these two workings, 315s are rarely used on services on the Great Eastern Main Line
Great Eastern Main Line
The Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
, however can be seen working these routes on occasions, covering for unavailable Class 360
British Rail Class 360
The British Rail Class 360 electric multiple units were built by Siemens in two sub-types from 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. These units are part of the Siemens Desiro family.The Siemens "Desiro UK" family also includes units of Classes 185, 350, 380, 444 and 450....
s or Class 321
British Rail Class 321
The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively...
s.
Naming
Five Class 315 sets have now been named:- 315812 - "London Borough of Newham Host Borough 2012 Olympics Bid" (denamed)
- 315817 - "Transport for London"
- 315829 - "London Borough of Havering Celebrating 40 Years"
- 315845 - "Herbie Woodward"
- 315857 - "Stratford Connections"
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 315 | National Express East Anglia | 61 | 1980-1981 | 4 | 315801 - 315861 |