British Rail Class 387

Last updated

British Rail Class 387
Electrostar
Reading - GWR 387162 and GTSR 387306.JPG
Great Western Railway Class 387 units at Reading
GWR Class 387 Interior.jpg
The interior of a GWR Class 387 unit
In service8 December 2014 –present
Manufacturer Bombardier Transportation
Built at Derby Litchurch Lane Works
Family name Electrostar
Replaced
Number built107
Successor
Formation
  • 4 cars per unit:
  • DMSO-MSO-PTSO-DMSO
Operators
Specifications
Car length20.39 metres (66 ft 11 in)
Width2.80 metres (9 ft 2 in)
Height3.77 metres (12 ft 4 in)
Maximum speed110 mph (177 km/h)
Traction system IGBT-VVVF (Bombardier MITRAC DR1000)
Power output1.68 MW (2,250 hp)
Electric system(s)
Current collector(s)
UIC classification 2′Bo′+2′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′2′
Safety system(s)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 387 Electrostar is a type of electric multiple unit passenger train built by Bombardier Transportation. They are part of the Electrostar family of trains. A total of 107 units were built, with the first train entering service with Thameslink in December 2014. The trains are currently in service with Great Western Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway, and Heathrow Express. The Class 387 is a variation of the Class 379 with dual-voltage capability which allows units to run on 750 V DC third rail, as well as use 25 kV AC OLE. The class were the final rolling stock orders from the Bombardier Electrostar family with 2,805 vehicles built over 18 years between 1999 and 2017. [2]

Contents

Description

Class 387/1

The first Class 387/1s were ordered for the Thameslink route, which enabled the existing Class 319 units to be transferred to Northern Rail for use on the newly electrified Manchester Victoria to Liverpool via Newton-le-Willows route. [3] [4]

On behalf of the Department for Transport, Southern issued an OJEU notice in December 2012, [3] with proposals received in January 2013. The invitation to tender for the fleet was released the following month with final offers being submitted by 18 June 2013. Southern announced it had signed a deal with Bombardier on 30 July 2013 for 29 four carriage units. [5] [6]

In October 2015, Porterbrook placed a speculative order for 80 carriages. Fifty-six were later leased to Great Western Railway and the remaining 24 to c2c as 387/3s. [7]

The Class 387/1 fleet is subdivided into a Class 387/1a fleet which has been fitted with the ETCS signalling system for use in the Heathrow Airport railway tunnels [8] (and in along the entire route in future[ citation needed ]). This subfleet was authorised for use in passenger service under ETCS by the ORR on 14 December 2020. [8]

Class 387/2

Govia ordered 27 four-carriage units to replace Class 442 units on the Gatwick Express service. [9] The first units entered service in February 2016. [10] [11] [12]

Class 387/3

In May 2016, c2c announced that it would operate six Class 387 units to add capacity to its network. [13]

Current operations

Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express Class 387 Gatwick Express 387210 , Clapham Junction 24.3.18.jpg
Gatwick Express Class 387

As part of Govia's bid for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise, 27 four-carriage units were ordered to replace Class 442 units on the Gatwick Express service, using some of the optional 140 extra carriages. [9] The order was announced in November 2014 with the first units on test in July 2015 and they began to enter service on 29 February 2016. [10] [11] [12]

The deployment was disrupted by unionised drivers refusing to take passengers, [14] claiming that the twelve-coach Class 387 trains are not covered by their driver only operation agreement which is limited to ten coaches, and that running them without a conductor would be unsafe. In response to this, Govia applied to the high court to seek an injunction to enable to trains to enter service, [14] and the union ultimately dropped the claim. Prior to entering service with Gatwick Express, several units entered service with Thameslink in response to delays with commissioning the Class 700 units. These then returned to Gatwick Express by the end of summer 2016. [15] [16]

In 2021, some units transferred to Great Northern to cover for the withdrawal of the Class 365. [17] [18]

Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway Class 387 at Reading Class 387 at Reading Station.jpg
Great Western Railway Class 387 at Reading

The first Great Western Railway unit entered service on 5 September 2016 running between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington in peak hours to relieve congestion on some of the country's most crowded trains. [19] [20] In January 2017 GWR began running a half-hourly Paddington to Hayes & Harlington service using pairs of these 387/1s. [19]

On 1 January 2018, following further electrification work, Class 387/1 EMUs began operating suburban services between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway, replacing GWR Class 165 DMUs on these services. [21] Due to electrification being suspended from Didcot Parkway to Oxford, the previous Oxford suburban service from London Paddington was cut back to Didcot Parkway to allow electric trains to operate this service and a separate service run by class 165s runs between Didcot Parkway and Oxford. Oxford is still served by the fast services from London Paddington. [22]

In January 2019, Class 387/1 EMUs began operating between Reading and Newbury after electrification works on the Reading–Taunton line was completed. In December 2019, Class 345s took over most of the GWR stopping services between Reading and Paddington. This displaced 12 Class 387s which are now used on Heathrow Express services between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Paddington.

Since the December 2021 timetable change, GWR use Class 387s on daily services on the full length of the electrified sections of the Great Western Main Line and the South Wales Main Line from Paddington to Cardiff, as well as on special services when events are held at the Millennium Stadium.[ citation needed ]

Great Northern

Great Northern Class 387 at Cambridge Cambridge - GTSR Great Northern 387123 empty to depot.JPG
Great Northern Class 387 at Cambridge

From late 2016, 29 of the Class 387/1s operating on Thameslink were displaced by the delivery of Class 700s, and were transferred to Great Northern. They operate mostly on the Kings Cross–Cambridge–King's Lynn route, though they can also be seen on other services. These units were delivered in a white livery, with Southern green doors and Southern moquette.

In 2018, 387105 was transferred to Gatwick Express services, but was not re-liveried into Gatwick Express red. [23] It was transferred back to Great Northern in May 2020, regaining its original branding. [24]

In March 2021, it was announced that Great Northern would be withdrawing the remaining Class 365s from service in May 2021, with Class 387/2s from the Gatwick Express brand used to replace them. [17] [18]

In mid-July 2022, it received the 6 displaced Class 387/3 from c2c, [25] to allow for some Class 387/2s to be sent back to Southern.

Heathrow Express

Heathrow Express Class 387 at London Paddington EMU 387 132.jpg
Heathrow Express Class 387 at London Paddington

In March 2018, Heathrow Airport Holdings came to an agreement with Great Western Railway to take over the operation of the Heathrow Express service between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport from August 2018. [26] In September 2019, Heathrow Express confirmed that operation of the service would pass to GWR with ownership remaining with Heathrow Airport Holdings until at least 2028. GWR would provide and maintain the Class 387 units for the service from 2020, with the Class 332 trains withdrawn from service. [27]

Twelve Class 387 units from the GWR fleet were modified to provide a dedicated set of trains for the service including first class accommodation, high speed Wi-Fi, additional luggage racks and on-board entertainment. [28] [29] The Heathrow Express sub-fleet is designated as Class 387/1a due to their unique fitment of the ETCS signalling system for use in the Heathrow Airport railway tunnels. [8]

The first units entered revenue earning service with Heathrow Express on 29 December 2020. [30]

Former operations

c2c

The first c2c Class 387/3 was delivered in October 2016 and entered service on 14 November 2016. [31] [32] These trains were built primarily as stock units; they were leased out to c2c which at the time was suffering with overcrowding. [33] [34]

The units operated fast limited stop services from Shoeburyness to London Fenchurch Street as 12 car sets during peak hours; following the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the units were temporarily stored at Shoeburyness Carriage Sidings in March 2020. Later in 2020, they were reinstated for use on services in the c2c network, again working peak hour limited stop services between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness.

In May 2021 c2c transferred three units to Great Western Railway owing to their fleet of Class 800s requiring repairs due to bogie defects.

c2c and Great Western Railway withdrew their 387/3 fleets in June 2022. [25] They transferred to Great Northern in mid-July 2022 and have now received Great Northern branding.

Class 387 in Thameslink livery, now operating Great Northern services Class 387 at Luton.jpg
Class 387 in Thameslink livery, now operating Great Northern services

The first Thameslink unit entered service in December 2014 with all in service by July 2015. [35] They were operated by Thameslink on services between Bedford and Brighton.

During Summer 2016, several of Gatwick Express Class 387/2 units entered service with Thameslink prior to introduction on Gatwick Express services due to the delay of the Class 700 units, although these returned to service with Gatwick Express after a few months.

The Class 387/1s have since been transferred to Great Northern working services from Kings Cross to King's Lynn via Cambridge, as well as peak time and weekend services to Peterborough.

Accidents

Fleet details

Units

ClassOperatorNumber builtYear builtCars per unitUnit numbers
387/1 Great Northern 322014–20154387101–387129, 387172–387174
Heathrow Express 122016–2017387130–387141
Great Western Railway 30 [39] 387142–387171
387/2 Great Northern 12015–2016387201 [40]
Gatwick Express 22387202–387204, 387209–387227
Southern 4387205–387208 [40]
387/3 Great Northern [25] 62016387301–387306 [40]

Liveries

Great Northern Class 387-1.png
Illustration of a Great Northern Class 387/1 unit.
Heathrow Express Class 387-1.png
Illustration of a Heathrow Express Class 387/1 unit
GWR Class 387-1.png
Illustration of a Great Western Railway Class 387/1 unit
Gatwick Express Class 387-2.png
Illustration of a Gatwick Express Class 387/2 unit
C2c Class 387-3.png
Illustration of a Great Northern Class 387/3 unit

Named units

The following units have received names:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thameslink</span> Mainline route in the British railway system

Thameslink is a 24-hour mainline route on the British railway network, running from Bedford, Luton, St Albans City, Peterborough, Welwyn Garden City, London Blackfriars and Cambridge via central London to Sutton, Orpington, Sevenoaks, Rainham, Horsham, Three Bridges, Brighton and East Grinstead. The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying more than 28,000 passengers in the morning peak. All the services are currently operated by Govia Thameslink Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gatwick Express</span> British high-frequency rail passenger service

Gatwick Express is an express rail passenger service between London Victoria, Gatwick Airport, and Brighton in South East England. It is the brand name used by the Govia Thameslink Railway train operating company on the Gatwick Express route of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern (Govia Thameslink Railway)</span> British train operating company

Southern is the brand name used by the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) train operating company on the Southern routes of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise in England. It is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead and Keolis, and has operated the South Central franchise since August 2001 and the Gatwick Express service since June 2008. When the passenger rail franchise was subsumed into GTR, Southern was split from Gatwick Express and the two became separate brands, alongside the Thameslink and Great Northern brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heathrow Express</span> Airport rail link in England

Heathrow Express is a high-frequency airport rail link operating between London Heathrow Airport and London Paddington. Opened in 1998, trains run non-stop, with a journey time of 15 minutes. The service is operated jointly by Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express Operating Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Heathrow Airport Holdings. Around 16,000 passengers use the service each day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Western Railway (train operating company)</span> Train operating company in Great Britain

Great Western Railway (GWR) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that operates the Greater Western passenger railway franchise. It manages 197 stations and its trains call at over 270. GWR operates long-distance inter-city services along the Great Western Main Line to and from the West of England and South Wales, inter-city services from London to the West Country via the Reading–Taunton line, and the Night Riviera sleeper service between London and Penzance. It provides outer-suburban services in West London; commuter services from its London terminus at Paddington to the Thames Valley region, including parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire; and regional services throughout the West of England and South Wales to the South coast of England. Great Western Railway provides and maintains the Electrostar Class 387 fleet for Heathrow Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 317</span> British electric passenger trains

The British Rail Class 317 is an electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train constructed by British Rail Engineering Limited in two batches: 48 sets were produced in 1981–82 and 24 sets in 1985–87. They were the first of several classes of British Rail EMU to be based on the all-steel Mark 3 bodyshell, departing from the PEP-aluminium design which had spawned the earlier Class 313 to Class 315, Class 507 and Class 508. The Mark 3 bodyshell was also the basis of Class 318, Class 455 and the diesel Class 150. The Class 317 uses overhead alternating current electrification. All units were withdrawn in July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 377</span> Fleet of electric multiple units in Britain

The British Rail Class 377 Electrostar is a British dual-voltage electric multiple unit passenger train (EMU) built by Bombardier Transportation on its Electrostar platform at Derby Litchurch Lane Works from 2001 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 365</span> British electric passenger trains

The British Rail Class 365 Networker Express was a class of dual-voltage electric multiple unit passenger train built by ABB at Holgate Road Carriage Works in 1994 and 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombardier Electrostar</span> Family of British electric passenger trains

The Bombardier Electrostar is a family of electric multiple-unit (EMU) passenger trains manufactured by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Litchurch Lane Works in England between 1999 and 2017. It has become the most common new EMU type in the United Kingdom since the privatisation of British Rail with a number of variants. Electrostar trains are most common on high-volume suburban commuter routes around London; and on mainline services from London south to Surrey and the south coast, east to Essex, and north to Cambridge and Stansted Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 332</span> British electric passenger train

The British Rail Class 332 was a type of electric multiple unit passenger train built between 1997 and 1998 by CAF, with traction equipment supplied by Siemens Transportation Systems. Fourteen units were built for dedicated use on Heathrow Express services between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport.

The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948 until 1992 when railways were re-privatised. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex and Surrey. The region was largely based upon the former Southern Railway area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Northern route</span> Suburban rail service in Great Britain

The Great Northern route is the name given to suburban rail services run on the southern end of Britain's East Coast Main Line and its associated branches. Services operate to or from London King's Cross and London Moorgate in London. Destinations include Hertford North, Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, and Cambridge, and in peak hours, additional services run to Peterborough and King's Lynn. Services run through parts of Greater London, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Oak Common TMD</span> Former railway traction maintenance depot in West London

Old Oak Common TMD was a traction maintenance depot located west of London Paddington, in Old Oak Common. The depot codes were OC for the diesel depot and OO for the carriage shed. In steam days the shed code was 81A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of rail transport in Great Britain 1995 to date</span> History of British rail transport since 1995

The period from 1995 covers the history of rail transport in Great Britain following the privatisation of British Rail. During this period, passenger volumes have grown rapidly, safety has improved, and subsidies per journey have fallen. However, there is debate as to whether this is due to privatisation or to better government regulation. During this period, High Speed 1, the West Coast Main Line upgrade and Crossrail were completed and more construction projects are currently under way. The period also saw the demise of privately-owned Railtrack and its replacement with government-owned Network Rail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Networker (train)</span> Passenger train family built for British Rail

The Networker is a family of passenger trains which operate on the UK railway system. They were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s by British Rail Engineering Limited and Metro Cammell. The trains were built for the Network SouthEast (NSE) sector of British Rail, which is where their name comes from. They are all multiple-unit trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 700</span> Electric multiple unit in use on Thameslink

The British Rail Class 700 is an electric multiple unit passenger train from the Desiro City family built by Siemens Mobility. It is capable of operating on 25 kV 50 Hz AC from overhead wires or 750 V DC from third rail. 115 trainsets were built between 2014 and 2018, for use on the Thameslink network, as part of the Thameslink Programme in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, they are operated by Govia Thameslink Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alstom Aventra</span> Family of electric passenger trains

The Alstom Aventra is a family of electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger trains produced at Derby Litchurch Lane Works in the United Kingdom, originally by Bombardier Transportation and later by Alstom, as a successor to the Bombardier Electrostar. A large proportion of its design is based on the Electrostar, adding new technologies and achieving compliance with more stringent requirements and operator demands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Govia Thameslink Railway</span> British train operating company

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is a train operating company that operates the TSGN rail franchise in England. Within the franchise, GTR runs trains under the sub-brands Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express. GTR is a subsidiary of Govia, which is itself a joint venture between the British Go-Ahead Group (65%) and French company Keolis (35%).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 720</span> British EMU train from the Bombardier Aventra family

The British Rail Class 720 Aventra is a class of electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train designed and produced by the rolling stock manufacturer Bombardier Transportation and Alstom. Orders for the type have been placed by both Greater Anglia and c2c.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 769</span> Multi-mode multiple unit train

The British Rail Class 769 Flex is a class of bi-mode multiple unit (BMU) converted by Brush Traction, and running in service with Northern Trains. The train is a conversion of the existing Class 319 electric multiple unit (EMU), a conventional unit type which had become surplus to requirements during the 2010s.

References

  1. ↑ Robinson, Elliot (25 October 2022). "GTR Class 387 sent for UK's first major fleet retrofit for ETCS in-cab signalling". Global Railway Review.
  2. ↑ "Last-ever Electrostar finished in Derby as 18 years of production come to an end". www.railtechnologymagazine.com. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Bombardier to manufacture 116 new train carriages for Thameslink rolling stock cascade" (Press release). Southern. 17 July 2013. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Thameslink Southern & Great Northern Invitation to Tender Department for Transport 26 September 2013
  5. ↑ "Commuters to benefit from state-of-the-art electric trains". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "Bombardier Transportation Wins UK Rolling Stock Contract". Berlin: Bombardier Transportation. 31 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Porterbrook orders 387s to meet electrification demands" Rail issue 787 11 November 2015 page 13
  8. 1 2 3 Office of Rail and Road (14 December 2020). "Authorisation of Class 387/1a against CCS TSI for the onboard use of ETCS Level NTC, ETCS Level 0, 1 and 2" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 January 2021.
  9. 1 2 "New trains for Gatwick Express and Thameslink". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Govia and Bombardier sign Gatwick Express train contract". Railway Gazette International . DVV Media Group. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Gatwick Express Class 387/2 EMU on test". Railway Gazette International. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Late-February debut for Gatwick Express Class 387/2s". Rail. Bauer Consumer Media. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  13. ↑ "C2C CLASS 387/3S ARE IN SERVICE – TENDERING BEGINS FOR NEW TRAINS". The Railway Magazine . 22 December 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  14. 1 2 "High Court injunction looms in GatEx new trains row". Rail. No. 799. 23 December 2015. pp. 6–7.
  15. ↑ Lea, Robert (11 April 2016). "Gatwick Express drivers' strike threat over longer trains". The Times. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  16. ↑ "THE SAFETY-CRITICAL ROLE OF THE GUARD" (PDF). RMT. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 December 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Great Northern - Future-changes-to-trains-on-Great-Northern-routes". www.greatnorthernrail.com. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  18. 1 2 Stand down for GTR 365s Railways Illustrated May 2021 page 10
  19. 1 2 "Introducing our new trains". www.gwr.com. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  20. ↑ "First Electrostars enter service on Great Western Railway". www.railtechnologymagazine.com.
  21. ↑ "GWR Electrostar fleet enters service after electrification completed". 2 January 2018. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  22. ↑ "New GWR trains enter service after electrification". BBC News. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  23. ↑ 387/1 joins GatEx Rail issue 866 21 November 2018 page 29
  24. ↑ Track Record The Railway Magazine issue 1432 July 2020 page 81
  25. 1 2 3 "More '387s' for GTR". Modern Railways. No. August 2022. p. 101.
  26. ↑ "GWR to manage Heathrow Express operations". International Railway Journal . 28 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  27. ↑ "Heathrow Express service confirmed to at least 2028". Heathrow Express . Archived from the original on 6 December 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  28. ↑ 2018-03-28T09:58:56+01:00. "GWR to manage Heathrow Express service". Railway Gazette International. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ↑ "Heathrow Express | New Fleet". Heathrow Express . Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  30. ↑ "Today's the day we're rolling out our new Heathrow Express fleet!". Heathrow Express.
  31. ↑ "c2c Class 387s enter service". The Railway Magazine. 22 December 2016.
  32. ↑ "New Electrostars enter traffic with c2c". Rail. No. 814. 23 November 2016. p. 21.
  33. ↑ "c2c delays: late night crush on trains so bad that 'businessmen wet themselves'". Evening Standard. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  34. ↑ "What complaints did you have about overcrowding before the timetable change, and how does it compare to now?". c2c. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  35. ↑ "Media centre | Thameslink". www.thameslinkrailway.com.
  36. ↑ "Collision with buffer stops at King's Cross station, London, 15 August 2017". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  37. ↑ Hartley-Parkinson, Richard (15 August 2017). "Meanwhile, a train at London's King's Cross Station appeared to have hit the buffers on platform nine". Metro. Associated Newspapers. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  38. ↑ Trim, Liam (27 November 2018). "Photos show derailed train causing 'chaos' at Paddington". getwestlondon. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  39. ↑ "Three ex-GWR 387s to GN". Today's Railways UK. No. 256. June 2023. p. 60.
  40. 1 2 3 "Units". Rail Express. No. 318. November 2022. p. 27.
  41. 1 2 "Stock Changes". Today's Railways UK. No. 245. July 2022. p. 70.
  42. 1 2 "Depot Talk". Rail Express . No. 314. July 2022. p. 28.
  43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "HEx 387s start to receive names". Today's Railways UK. No. 242. April 2022. p. 67.
  44. 1 2 "Stock Update". The Railway Magazine. No. 1455. June 2022. p. 85.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.