British Rail Class 315
Image showing a Transport for London Rail liveried CLass 315 approaching the viewer at Forest Gate
TfL Rail Class 315 approaching Forest Gate in 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[1]–present
ManufacturerBritish Rail Engineering Limited
Built atHolgate Road, York
Family nameBREL 1972
ReplacedClass 306
Constructed1980–1981
Refurbished
  • 2004–2008 at Bombardier Derby[2]
  • London Overground and TfL Rail sets only:
  • 2015–2016 at Bombardier Ilford
Number built61[1]
Number in service6[3]
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
Specifications
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)
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic
Safety system(s)AWS
TPWS
Coupling systemTightlock[5]
Multiple workingWithin class
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
As-built specifications sourced from [6] unless otherwise noted.

The British Rail Class 315 is a fleet of alternating current (AC) electric multiple unit (EMU) trains, built by British Rail Engineering Limited at Holgate Road Carriage Works in York from 1980 to 1981; they replaced the Class 306 units. It was the fifth and final 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. The fleet currently operates a small number of weekday Elizabeth line services on the Great Eastern Main Line between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield.

Description

Class 315 in British Rail livery at Liverpool Street in 1987

Each Class 315 unit is formed of four vehicles; DMSO-PTSO-TSO-DMSO.[6] 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.[6] 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.[6]

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 [7]

Vehicles are numbered in the following ranges:[6]

Former operations

This section needs expansion with: information on pre-privatisation operation with BR. You can help by adding to it. (September 2022)

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.[7]

One / National Express

'One' Anglia Class 315 at Liverpool Street in 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.[8]

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.[9]

Greater Anglia

Greater Anglia Class 315 at Forest Gate in 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.[10]

Abellio used the fleet for local services between London Liverpool Street to Shenfield on the Great Eastern Main Line (the 'Shenfield Metro' service),[10] 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]

Current operations

Elizabeth line

The remainder of the fleet is currently operated by MTR Elizabeth line, who use 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.[11]

A farewell tour for the class organised by the Branch Line Society was announced in October 2022 and took place on 26 November.[12]

All class 315 EMUs are planned to be withdrawn from service by the end of December 2022.[12]

Replacement

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.[13][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.[14] 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.[15] On 20 October 2018, the first retired unit, 315850, was hauled to C F Booth of Rotherham to be scrapped.[16]

Most of the withdrawn Class 315 were scrapped, but some TfL Rail units were temporarily moved to London Overground as a temporary measure and were in operation until the Class 710 was fully introduced.[citation needed]

Fleet details

This section is missing information about the status of the 18 units not shown in the table. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page. (September 2022)
Class Operator Quantity Year built Cars per unit Unit nos.
Class 315 MTR Elizabeth line 6 1980–1981 4 315837–315838, 315847, 315853, 315856–315857[17]
Scrapped 53 315801–315804, 315807–315809, 315812, 315814–315816, 315318–315823, 315825–315826, 315829, 315831–315835, 315839, 315842–315844, 315848–315851, 315854, 315858, 315860–315861
[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]

Livery diagrams

British Rail 1980–1986
Network SouthEast 1986–1997
West Anglia Great Northern 2001–2004
'One' 2005–2008
Abellio Greater Anglia 2012–2015
London Overground 2015–2020
TfL Rail/Elizabeth line 2015–present

Named units

Preservation

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,[32] and the sale was confirmed on 1 December 2022.[33] 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.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "PEP-talk: the BR second generation EMU". Rail Express. No. 317. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. October 2022. pp. 54–55.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ "Disposal of surplus electric units gathers pace". Rail Magazine. No. 968. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. 19 October 2022. pp. 18–19.
  4. ^ "Class 315". London: Eversholt Rail. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "About us: London's newest railway". London: MTR Elizabeth line. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  12. ^ a b c "Class 315 saved for preservation". Rail Express. No. 320. January 2023. p. 12.
  13. ^ Rail Magazine. No. 778. August 2015. p. 14. ((cite magazine)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "Units". Rail Express. No. 309. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. February 2022. p. 27.
  18. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 296. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. January 2021. p. 29.
  19. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 294. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. November 2020. p. 29.
  20. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 285. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. February 2020. p. 91.
  21. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 304. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. September 2021. p. 31.
  22. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 284. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. January 2020. p. 91.
  23. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 289. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. June 2020. p. 27.
  24. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 307. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. December 2022. p. 29.
  25. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 308. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. January 2022. p. 31.
  26. ^ "Shed Talk". Rail Express. No. 283. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. December 2019. p. 98.
  27. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 301. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. June 2021. p. 30.
  28. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 297. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. February 2021. p. 29.
  29. ^ "First Class 315 goes for scrapping". Rail Express. No. 271. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. December 2018. p. 90.
  30. ^ "Stock Update". The Railway Magazine. No. 1454. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. May 2022. p. 85.
  31. ^ "Units: Class 315". Rail Express. No. 310. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. March 2022. p. 29.
  32. ^ "Class 315 Electric Multiple Unit Secured for Preservation!". Class 315 Preservation Society. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  33. ^ Holden, Michael (2 December 2022). "Class 315 Preservation Society secures unit for preservation". RailAdvent. Retrieved 2 December 2022.

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