Networker (train)
Encyclopedia
The Networker is a family of trains which operate on the UK railway system. They were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s by BREL
(which became part of ABB in the 1990s). The trains were built for the Network SouthEast
sector of British Rail
. They are all multiple unit trains.
The Networker design was to become effectively the third generation of British Rail multiple units, and was originally intended to become one of the largest families of trains, bigger even than the largely Mark 3
based Second Generation, and was supposed to cover all the requirements for all future NSE multiple units but, the poor state of the economy in the early 1990s and privatisation prevented this from happening.
Subsequently Bombardier Transportation
has used the Networker as the basis for their successful post-privatisation Turbostar
and Electrostar
units; having obtained the design through their acquisition of ADtranz
which had absorbed ABB.
terminals, Marylebone and Paddington.
Since the privatisation of British Rail
, many of the new train operating companies have purchased Turbostar
trains from Bombardier Transportation
(formerly ADtranz
), which are derived from the Networker-turbo design.
(DMU), built for outer suburban workings. Upon privatisation, Chiltern Railways
and Thames Trains
operated the class. Chiltern Trains still uses the class, whilst Thames Trains have been replaced by First Great Western Link
, and in turn First Great Western
. The Class 165/0 batch are one of the few units in Britain to have ATP
installed. 76 units of the class were built between 1990 and 1992.
(DMU), built for mainline workings. This class is also related to the Turbo family of trains. Used by Network SouthEast
, upon privatisation Thames Trains
(replaced by First Great Western Link
, now First Great Western
). 21 units of the class were built between 1992 and 1993.
(EMU). Although capable of dual voltage operation they have only ever been used in single voltage mode. They were initially supplied with only pick up shoes for use with 750V DC via third rail to Network SouthEast
, which became Connex South Eastern
upon privatisation, and then South Eastern Trains
when the franchise changed. They were then transferred to WAGN (now First Capital Connect
) where the shoe gear was removed and a Brecknell Willis pantograph was fitted for use with 25kv AC overhead line equipment. 41 units of the class were built between 1994 and 1995.
(EMU). It is powered from 750V DC third rail. Built by both GEC Alsthom 465/2s and BREL
, ABB 465/0 and 465/1s in slightly different versions and are known as Metro units. Later some of the GEC Alsthom units received an internal overhaul and a first class section was added these units. They were numbered 465201-465234 and are now numbered 465901-465934 and are known as Weald units. Used by Network SouthEast
, then Connex South Eastern
upon privatisation, succeeded by South Eastern Trains
and currently Southeastern
.
(EMU). It is powered from 750V DC third rail and used extensively in multiple with 4 car 465s to form 6 car and 10 car formations. They were built by GEC Alsthom (who built the 465/2s) and powered by GEC traction. The 466s are numbered 466001-466043. The arrival of new electrostar (class 376/0) stock has seen some units move to rural lines to operate 2 car shuttles, displacing half the Class 508s
. Used by Network SouthEast
, then Connex South Eastern
upon privatisation, succeeded by South Eastern Trains
and currently Southeastern
. 43 units of the class were built between 1993 and 1994.
prior to its cancellation in the early 1990s. The specifications for Class 341 have been utilised in drawing up the rolling stock specifications for the current incarnation of Crossrail. Class 342 was intended for use in the provision of domestic services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link
when it opened in 1994. In the end these services were abandoned, and no trains were constructed
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...
(which became part of ABB in the 1990s). The trains were built for the Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
sector 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...
. They are all multiple unit trains.
The Networker design was to become effectively the third generation of British Rail multiple units, and was originally intended to become one of the largest families of trains, bigger even than the largely Mark 3
British Rail Mark 3
British Rail's third design of standard carriage was designated 'Mark 3' , and was developed primarily for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train...
based Second Generation, and was supposed to cover all the requirements for all future NSE multiple units but, the poor state of the economy in the early 1990s and privatisation prevented this from happening.
Subsequently Bombardier Transportation
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....
has used the Networker as the basis for their successful post-privatisation Turbostar
Turbostar
Turbostar is the name given to a family of diesel multiple units built by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England...
and Electrostar
Electrostar
Electrostar is the name given to a series of related electric multiple-unit passenger trains manufactured by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England...
units; having obtained the design through their acquisition of ADtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
which had absorbed ABB.
DMUs
The Turbos were built as a result of electrification not being possible on the lines out of the LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
terminals, Marylebone and Paddington.
Since the privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, many of the new train operating companies have purchased Turbostar
Turbostar
Turbostar is the name given to a family of diesel multiple units built by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England...
trains from Bombardier Transportation
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....
(formerly ADtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
), which are derived from the Networker-turbo design.
Class 165
The Class 165 is a 2 and 3 car Diesel multiple unitDiesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
(DMU), built for outer suburban workings. Upon privatisation, Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
and Thames Trains
Thames Trains
Thames Trains was a British railway company, owned by the Go-Ahead Group, franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London like Slough, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport...
operated the class. Chiltern Trains still uses the class, whilst Thames Trains have been replaced by First Great Western Link
First Great Western Link
First Great Western Link was a train operating company owned by First Group that provided train services, on a franchise basis, from Paddington Station to destinations such as Greenford, Slough, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Goring and Streatley, Henley-on-Thames, Newbury, Bedwyn, Hereford, Worcester...
, and in turn First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
. The Class 165/0 batch are one of the few units in Britain to have ATP
Automatic Train Protection
Automatic Train Protection in Great Britain refers to either of two implementations of a train protection system installed in some trains in order to help prevent collisions through a driver's failure to observe a signal or speed restriction...
installed. 76 units of the class were built between 1990 and 1992.
Class 166
The Class 166 is a 3 car Diesel multiple unitDiesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
(DMU), built for mainline workings. This class is also related to the Turbo family of trains. Used by Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
, upon privatisation Thames Trains
Thames Trains
Thames Trains was a British railway company, owned by the Go-Ahead Group, franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London like Slough, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport...
(replaced by First Great Western Link
First Great Western Link
First Great Western Link was a train operating company owned by First Group that provided train services, on a franchise basis, from Paddington Station to destinations such as Greenford, Slough, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Goring and Streatley, Henley-on-Thames, Newbury, Bedwyn, Hereford, Worcester...
, now First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
). 21 units of the class were built between 1992 and 1993.
EMUs
Classes 316 and 457
These were actually a single four car EMU that was used as a research prototype. Class 457 was assigned for the tests using third rail DC traction, following which it was converted to test AC OHLE traction and renumbered as Class 316.Class 365
The Class 365 is a 4 car Electric Multiple UnitElectric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
(EMU). Although capable of dual voltage operation they have only ever been used in single voltage mode. They were initially supplied with only pick up shoes for use with 750V DC via third rail to Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
, which became Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent...
upon privatisation, and then South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains was a British train operating company, in public ownership, that provided train services in south east London and South East England from 9 November 2003 to 31 March 2006....
when the franchise changed. They were then transferred to WAGN (now First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
) where the shoe gear was removed and a Brecknell Willis pantograph was fitted for use with 25kv AC overhead line equipment. 41 units of the class were built between 1994 and 1995.
Class 465
The Class 465 is a 4 car Electric Multiple UnitElectric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
(EMU). It is powered from 750V DC third rail. Built by both GEC Alsthom 465/2s and 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...
, ABB 465/0 and 465/1s in slightly different versions and are known as Metro units. Later some of the GEC Alsthom units received an internal overhaul and a first class section was added these units. They were numbered 465201-465234 and are now numbered 465901-465934 and are known as Weald units. Used by Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
, then Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent...
upon privatisation, succeeded by South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains was a British train operating company, in public ownership, that provided train services in south east London and South East England from 9 November 2003 to 31 March 2006....
and currently Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
.
Class 466
The Class 466 is a 2 car Electric Multiple UnitElectric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
(EMU). It is powered from 750V DC third rail and used extensively in multiple with 4 car 465s to form 6 car and 10 car formations. They were built by GEC Alsthom (who built the 465/2s) and powered by GEC traction. The 466s are numbered 466001-466043. The arrival of new electrostar (class 376/0) stock has seen some units move to rural lines to operate 2 car shuttles, displacing half the Class 508s
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...
. Used by Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
, then Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern
Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent...
upon privatisation, succeeded by South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains was a British train operating company, in public ownership, that provided train services in south east London and South East England from 9 November 2003 to 31 March 2006....
and currently Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
. 43 units of the class were built between 1993 and 1994.
Class 341 and 342
Class 341 and 342 were two EMU types that were proposed but never built. Class 341 was intended to be the rolling stock for CrossrailCrossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
prior to its cancellation in the early 1990s. The specifications for Class 341 have been utilised in drawing up the rolling stock specifications for the current incarnation of Crossrail. Class 342 was intended for use in the provision of domestic services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Channel Tunnel Rail Link
High Speed 1 , officially known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and originally as the Continental Main Line , is a high-speed railway line running from London through Kent to the British end of the Channel Tunnel.The line was built to carry international passenger traffic from the United Kingdom...
when it opened in 1994. In the end these services were abandoned, and no trains were constructed