Class 317 Profile and Models
317342 at Peterborough in August 2009. ©Peter Skuce
The British Rail Class 315 was a fleet of alternating current (AC) electric multiple unit (EMU) trains, built by British Rail Engineering Limited at Holgate Road Carriage Works in York between 1980 and 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. Revenue services with Class 315 units commenced in 1980 and continued until December 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. The last day of service for the Class 315 units was 9 December 2022. |
|
Type of Unit |
Electric Multiple Unit - 25kV 50Hz AC Overhead |
Builder |
BREL York & Derby Works |
Build Dates |
1981 to 1987 |
Total Built |
72 sets |
Coaches Per Unit |
4-car |
Power Output |
1,328 hp |
Top Speed |
100 mph |
Passenger Capacity |
292 seats |
Operated By |
British Rail c2c Greater Anglia Great Northern First Capital Connect London Overground National Express East Anglia Network SouthEast Thameslink West Anglia Great Northern |
Main Duties |
Suburban Passenger |
In Service Until |
2022 |
Surviving Examples |
2 individual cars preserved 14 stored as of Apr 2023 |