British Rail Class 385
| British Rail Class 385 AT200 | |
|---|---|
 385003 at Linlithgow with a service to Edinburgh Waverley | |
 Standard class interior | |
| In service | 24 July 2018 – 4 October 2018 [1] 13 October 2018 – present |
| Manufacturer | Hitachi Rail |
| Built at | Kasado Works, Japan Newton Aycliffe, UK |
| Family name | A-Train |
| Replaced | Class 156 Class 158 Class 170 Class 314 |
| Constructed | 2015 – present |
| Number under construction | 70 units to be built 10 unit optional follow up order after 2020 |
| Formation | 46 x 3-carriage (385/0) 24 x 4-carriage (385/1) |
| Capacity | 385/0 = 206 seats
385/1 = 273 seats (20 first class, 253 standard)[2] |
| Operators | Abellio ScotRail |
| Lines served | Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line Stirling / Alloa / Dunblane Lines Shotts Line Carstairs Line North Berwick Line Cathcart Circle Lines |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 23 m (75 ft)[2] |
| Maximum speed | 160 km/h (100 mph)[2] |
| Acceleration | 3.6 km/h per second (2.25 mph per second) (1 metre per second, per second) |
| Electric system(s) | 25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead |
| Current collector(s) | Pantograph |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Notes/references | |
| Sources : Rolling Stock overview Except where noted | |
The Class 385[3] is an electric multiple unit being built by Hitachi Rail for Abellio ScotRail. A total of 70 units are planned to be built, divided into 46 three-car and 24 four-car sets.[4] The new trains were bought to operate services on newly electrified lines in the Central Belt on a mixture of both suburban and inter-urban routes and entered service in July 2018.
History
In October 2014, immediately after being awarded the ScotRail franchise, Abellio, a subsidiary of the Dutch national rail operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen, announced that it had concluded an agreement with the Japanese manufacturer Hitachi Rail to procure 234 new EMU carriages from its AT-200 product series for use on routes in Scotland that were being electrified.[5] The trains, which are formed into a mix of three and four-car units, were intended to operate along the main Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line from December 2017,[6] and across Central Scotland.[7][needs update] The electrification programme, and purchase of new EMUs to operate services, will allow a subsequent cascade of the diesel multiple units currently used elsewhere on the network.
The order for the new EMUs was the first operator-based purchase of a Hitachi product for use in the UK following the IEP procurement, and its subsequent construction of its new Hitachi Newton Aycliffe facility at Newton Aycliffe, England. The bulk of the new fleet will be constructed there, with the first seven units being built at Hitachi's Kasado Works factory in Kudamatsu, Japan.[8] Construction of the first units began in November 2015 and the first units were delivered in December 2016.[9][4][10][11]
An additional ten 3-car units will be purchased by Abellio if Transport Scotland exercise the option to extend the Scotrail contract from 7 to 10 years. These units would enter service in 2023.[12]
It was reported in February 2018 that during testing, problems had been found with the visibility and curvature of the driver windows, which are smaller than usual, leading to drivers seeing "two or three signals", when only one exists.[13][14][15] It was also reported in March 2018 that there were software issues with the trains, causing the entry into service to be further deferred to December 2018. However, following progress to resolve the windscreen issue, the trains entered service on 24 July 2018.[16] Due to a critical brake failure involving the brakes being locked off and isolated, all units were withdrawn on the 4th October 2018.[17], but the units re-entered service on 13 October 2018.
Operation
As of 2 October 2018, 9 Class 385 units (003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 016, 103, 104 and 122) have entered service. The units currently operate on the Glasgow-Edinburgh via Falkirk line and the North Berwick Line.
The new trains will also operate on the newly electrified Croy, Dunblane and Shotts lines as well as replacing existing stock on the currently electrified Carstairs and Cathcart Circle Lines. This will allow for the replacement of ScotRail's Class 314 fleet, and allow for the cascading of a number of Class 156, Class 158 and Class 170 units.[18]
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 385/0 | Abellio ScotRail | 46 | 2015-2018 | 3 | 385001–385046 |
| 10 | 2022-2023 | 385047–385056[1] | |||
| Class 385/1 | 24 | 2015-2018 | 4 | 385101–385124 |
1: ^ Conditional on Abellio ScotRail franchise being extended.[19]
References
- ^ https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/brand-new-scotrail-trains-withdrawn-over-defective-brakes-1-4810373
- ^ a b c https://www.railengineer.uk/2017/11/01/building-scotrails-385s/
- ^ Clinnick, Richard (30 October 2015). "Hitachi's new Scottish EMU construction starts next month". Rail Magazine. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ^ a b "AT200 for Scotland: 70 new trains for the upcoming ScotRail franchise". Hitachi Rail Europe. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Hitachi to build ScotRail EMUs". Railway Gazette. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ^ "ScotRail punctuality on the rise - but row over free travel".
- ^ "Electrification programme". Transport Scotland. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ^ http://www.hitachi.com/environment/select/list/kasado/index.html
- ^ "ScotRail takes delivery of first new electric train". BBC News. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ "ScotRail on Twitter".
- ^ https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/scotrail-s-delayed-new-trains-not-now-expected-until-march-1-4607932
- ^ "Scotrail Franchise Agreement" (PDF). Transport Scotland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Safety worry over new ScotRail trains". BBC News. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ "Drivers of new ScotRail trains 'can't see signals'". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ "Fish bowl vision problem scuppers plans for new trains". www.aslef.org.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/angus-mearns/618745/deeply-disappointing-delay-to-introduction-of-new-hourly-rail-service-for-broughty-ferry-and-angus/
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-45764238
- ^ "Scotrail unveil £475m improvement plan". BBC News. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ Pritchard, Robert (March 2016). "Rolling Stock Update". Today's Railways (171). Platform 5 Publishing: 56–60.
