British Rail Class 317

British Rail Class 317
Class 317 at London Liverpool Street
Specifications
Car length	19.83 m

A Network SouthEast Class 317 at Harlow Town railway station in the mid 1990s

Class 317/1, no. 317305 at Cambridge on 23rd May 2003. This unit was one of several loaned by WAGN to LTS Rail from 1996-1999, which involved the red stripe of the NSE livery being repainted green. This unit is now numbered 317505 and operated by National Express East Anglia.

The British Rail Class 317 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York Works in two batches, from 1981-82 and 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. The Mark 3 bodyshell was also the basis of Class 318, Class 455, and the diesel "sprinters" pioneered by the Class 150.

Description

Class 317/1

The first batch of 48 units, built in 1981-82, were classified as Class 317/1. Units were numbered in the range 317301-348, and had a maximum speed of 100 mph. Each unit consisted of four carriages; two outer driving 2nd class only vehicles, an intermediate trailer with both 1st and 2nd class, and a motor vehicle with 2nd class seating. The technical description of the formation of the units is DTOS+PMOS+TSOL+DTOS. Individual carriages were numbered as follows:

• 77000-77047 - DTOS
• 62661-62708 - PMOS
• 71577-71624 - TOSL
• 77048-77095 - DTOS

These units were built to operate services on the newly electrified London St. Pancras to Bedford route. They replaced the elderly and unreliable Class 127 "Bed-Pan" diesel multiple units. However, they did not enter service immediately due to an industrial dispute with the unions, and the "Bed-Pan" diesel units lingered on until final being replaced in mid-1983. Units were delivered in the standard livery of BR Blue/Grey.

The use of the Class 317 units on Bedford services was always intended to be a temporary measure. In 1986, the route came under control of the Thameslink subsector of newly created Network SouthEast. From 1987, new dual-voltage Class 319 units were introduced on the route, allowing the creation of a new cross-London service, from Bedford to Brighton, via Farringdon and City Thameslink station. The Class 317 units were displaced to outer-suburban services on the WCML out of London Euston station, to Milton Keynes and Northampton. They replaced the slam-door Class 310 units, which subsequently transferred to the London-Tilbury-Southend route.

However, again, the use of Class 317 units out of Euston proved to be short-lived. In 1989, the second batch of new Class 321 were introduced onto WCML services. The Class 317 units were again displaced, this time to the Great Northern and West Anglia routes out of London King's Cross and London Liverpool Street, where they joined the second batch units. Therefore, for the first time, the entire Class 317 fleet was operating in the same place.

Class 317/2

The second batch of 20 units, built in 1985-86, were classified as Class 317/2. Units were numbered in the range 317349-368. In 1987, a further four units were built, numbered 317369-372. The formation of the second batch sets was similar to that of the earlier units, except the first class seating was moved to one of the driving vehicles. Thus, each unit was formed DTOS+PMOS+TOSL+DTOC. Individual carriages were numbered as follows:

• 77200-77219 and 77280-77283 - DTOS
• 62846-62865 and 62886-62889 - PMOS
• 71734-71753 and 71762-71765 - TSOL
• 77220-77239 and 77284-77287 - DTOC

The second batch units were built to operate outer-suburban trains on the Great Northern route from London King's Cross to Stevenage, Cambridge and Peterborough. Like the first batch units, they were delivered in BR Blue/Grey livery. The units replaced the slam-door Class 312 units, dating from 1975, which subsequently transferred to the Great Eastern, and London-Tilbury-Southend routes.

In 1986, the route came under the control of the newly created Network SouthEast, which introduced a bold new blue, red and white livery. The extension of the electric wires soon allowed the units to work services on the West Anglia route from London Liverpool Street to Cambridge. In 1991, electrication spread north from Cambridge to Ely and King's Lynn, allowing the replacement of locomotive-hauled trains.

The closely related Class 318 units which were built for the Ayrshire Coast electrification in Scotland, are effectively a 3-car version of the same design, but with a lower speed capability of 90mph.

Former operations

With the privatisation of Britain's railways, the Class 317 fleet was incorporated into the West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) franchise. Since then, various changes have occurred to the fleet, as units have been swapped and franchises have changed. The following companies operated Class 317s after privatisation but are no longer involved or no longer exist.

West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN)

Class 317/6, no. 317666 at Peterborough on 9th April 2003. This unit is painted in the earlier WAGN livery applied to all second-batch units. It is now operated by National Express East Anglia.

Class 317/1, no. 317316 at Cambridge on 15th May 2004. This unit is painted in the 2001 WAGN purple livery, and was leased to Thameslink during its 2004/05 engineering blockade.

WAGN used the Class 317 fleet on various services, including all London Liverpool Street to Cambridge services on the West Anglia route, and many stopping services to intermediate destinations. The fleet also worked services on the Great Northern route, from London King's Cross to Cambridge, Peterborough, Hertford, Stevenage and King's Lynn, plus at weekends when the line to Moorgate was closed, the units operated inner suburban services from London King's Cross to Letchworth Garden City, Hertford and Welwyn Garden City.

In 1998/99, WAGN started to refurbish its Class 317/2 fleet. The work was carried out by Railcare (now owned by Alstom) at Wolverton Works, and involved new interiors and seating arrangements. The units were outshopped in a new livery of white, with a grey band across the window area, blue and yellow bands on the lower half of the body, red doors, and a grey sweep at the cab ends. Units were reclassified as Class 317/6 and were renumbered into the range 317649-672.

Many of the WAGN Class 317/1 units still wore the Network SouthEast (NSE) blue and red livery dating from 1986. In 2001, a new livery of metallic purple, with lilac doors was introduced. The first unit so treated was no. 317312, which had recently returned from loan to LTS Rail. The livery was progressively applied to the Class 317/1 fleet, with the final NSE examples disappearing by mid-2004. By April 2004, the only units not repainted were nos. 317301-307, which were hired to Thameslink and remained in LTS livery. The livery has also been applied to Class 313 and Class 315 units.

In April 2004, the WAGN franchise was split into the Great Northern and West Anglia routes. The latter became part of the new Greater Anglia franchise, which operates under the title National Express East Anglia. The Great Northern was temporarily operated independently under the wagn brand name, until it was merged with the Thameslink franchise in April 2006. These changes resulted in the Class 317 fleet being divided among First Capital Connect and National Express East Anglia.

LTS Rail/c2c

In 1996, LTS Rail began to hire Class 317/1 units from its sister Prism Rail franchise WAGN. At first only two units were hired, but by mid-1997 this had increased to a total of 18 units. Units were maintained at LTS Rail's main depot at East Ham.

The Class 317 units enabled LTS Rail to replace the elderly Class 302 slam-door EMUs, the last examples of which were withdrawn in 1998. The Class 317 units also replaced some of the Class 310 fleet on off-peak workings, pending introduction of new Class 357 "Electrostar" units.

Many of the units hired to LTS Rail were repainted in a variation of the existing Network SouthEast blue, red and white livery. The red stripe was replaced with a green stripe, and both the blue band and green stripe extended to the cab ends.

The units were slowly returned to WAGN from 1999, with the introduction of the new "Electrostar" units. The last examples were returned by 2000. However, unreliability of the "Electrostars" meant that four units were still hired on a daily basis until 2002. These units were maintained as part of the main WAGN fleet, and therefore the specific units involved changed when units required maintenance at WAGN's Hornsey depot.

Thameslink

In 2002, Thameslink began hiring four Class 317/1 units from WAGN to allow it to run additional Bedford to Moorgate services. Unlike when units were hired to LTS Rail, specific units were not involved. Instead, units were still maintained by WAGN and only hired for a fortnight. Two units each week were transferred in each direction, generally being hauled over the non-electrified route by two Class 31 locomotives provided by Fragonset Railways or Class 47 locomotives with barrier vehicles at either end of the Class 317

In 2004, when the WAGN franchise was split, twelve Class 317/1 units were transferred to Thameslink from the Great Northern route. This was because a planned route blockade for engineering works meant that extra units were required for Bedford services. The Class 317 units were replaced on Great Northern by Class 365 "Networkers", themselves displaced from South Eastern Trains by new Class 375 "Electrostars".

The Class 317 units transferred to Thameslink were maintained at a new depot built at Bedford. They were restricted to services on the Northern half of the franchise only, as only multi-voltage or DC units can operate South of Farringdon. All of the units were returned to National Express East Anglia following the end of the blockade.

Current operations

As of spring 2006, all Class 317s are operated by First Capital Connect or National Express East Anglia.

First Capital Connect

The First Capital Connect (FCC) franchise was created on 1 April 2006, combining the Great Northern part of the wagn franchise with the Thameslink franchise. FCC operates services out of London King's Cross and Moorgate to Peterborough, Cambridge, King's Lynn and intermediate stations, as well as operating Thameslink services from Bedford to Brighton. Its fleet of 12 Class 317/1 units supplement the Class 365 "Networkers" on the former wagn outer-suburban and fast services out of King's Cross.

Refurbishment of these Class 317/1 units began in 2005 under wagn and is being continued by FCC.

Two of the First Capital Connect (FCC) class 317s have now transferred to Thameslink services, operating on Moorgate to Bedford services. They are normally only used during the peak, and at the weekend they are kept in Cricklewood Depot. Though set swaps do occur and are hauled by a Class 319 Electric multiple unit to Hornsey Depot for maintenance. It is then another two Class 317s get hauled back to Cricklewood.

It is anticipated that in due course other Class 317s will join them. Most of FCC's fleet remain in the dark purple colour scheme used by WAGN, however so far one unit has received the new First Group corporate livery.

National Express East Anglia

Class 317/7, no. 317708 at London Liverpool Street on 6 March 2004. This unit is operated by National Express East Anglia, and is dedicated to Stansted Express services.

Class 317/6, no. 317655 at Cambridge on 21 July 2005. This unit carries the distinctive 'one' livery.

On 1 April 2004, the West Anglia and Stansted Express routes became part of the new Greater Anglia franchise. This was operated under the brand name 'one' until the 26th February 2008, when it was rebranded as National Express East Anglia. Currently, the units have one of six different liveries: the old WAGN white; a debranded version of 'one' livery (minus the rainbow car ends); the same but with a white, National Express branded, stripe; two different Stansted Express liveries and the new National Express corporate scheme, similar to that of National Express East Coast and National Express Coaches.

Stansted Express

In 2000, nine Class 317/1 units were selected to be rebuilt for the dedicated Stansted Express service, from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport, replacing the previously dedicated Class 322 units. The work was again carried out by Railcare at Wolverton, and included the fitting of luggage racks. The units also received a revised front end design, and a new metallic blue livery. The nine units were reclassified as Class 317/7, and were renumbered such that the last two digits of the set number remained unchanged. In 2006 twelve further units were rebuilt, to a slightly different design. These units were reclassified as Class 317/8, and given a light blue (distinct from that used on the rest of the 'one' fleet) livery. Both 317/7 and 317/8 units are occasionally to be found working on West Anglia services, and it is not uncommon for unconverted 317/1 and 317/6 units to work Stansted Express services.

West Anglia

The National Express West Anglia route is operated using the 24 strong Class 317/6 fleet, supplemented with 27 standard Class 317/1 units. They are mainly used on outer-suburban services from London Liverpool Street to Bishop's Stortford, Hertford East and Cambridge. One Class 317/1 unit is also used each Saturday on the boat-train to Harwich International. Some of these units have recently been refurbished, including passenger information systems.

As of December 2005, some of National Express East Anglia's Class 317/1 units were renumbered into the 3175xx series. The units are still labelled up as Class 317/1 though.

External links

Media related to British Rail Class 317 at Wikimedia Commons