British Rail Class 317
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 317 alternating current
electric multiple unit
s (EMUs) were built by BREL
York
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 Class 150
.
These units were built to operate services on the newly electrified London St. Pancras to Bedford
"Bed-Pan" route. They replaced the elderly and unreliable Class 127
diesel multiple unit
s. However, they did not enter service immediately due to an industrial dispute with the unions over Driver only operation, and the diesel units lingered on until finally being replaced in mid-1983. Units were delivered in the standard livery of BR blue/grey.
The use of the Class 317 units on Bed-Pan 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 and Southend railway
.
However, the use of Class 317 units out of Euston again 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.
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 Main Line
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 overhead line equipment
soon allowed the units to work services on the West Anglia route from London Liverpool Street to Cambridge
. In 1992, electrification 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 90 mph and are fitted with Brush traction motors in place of GEC traction motors.
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 the fitting of Chapman seats in the 2+2 variant, and 3+2 in the PTSO under the pantograph. The TCO vehicle became TSO as first class was moved to a cabin aboard a DTSO vehicle, which is now known as a DTCO vehicle. 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. The Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph was replaced by the industry standard Brecknell Willis High Speed design. 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 317 312, 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 (317 328 & 317 345) disappearing by mid-2004. By April 2004, the only units not repainted were 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.
franchise WAGN for use on the London, Tilbury and Southend railway
. 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 East Ham Depot
.
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 TMD
depot.
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 the newly built Cauldwell
depot in Bedford
. They were restricted to services on the Northern half of the franchise only, as only dual-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.
(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, as well as limited work on the Northern section of the Thameslink route.
Light refurbishment of these Class 317/1 units was completed in 2005 under WAGN (the work was carried out 'in house' at Hornsey) and an interior refresh and exterior relivery is being undertaken by Wabtec Doncaster Works, under contract from First Capital Connect.
The last Class 317 diagrammed working on the First Capital Connect
(FCC) Thameslink route was a single 4 car unit on the Mondays to Fridays only 1818 Farringdon - Bedford service. When not in use, the unit was stabled at Cricklewood sidings. This ended on Friday 09/10/2009, prior to the introduction of the 2009 Leaf fall working timetable.
All 12 units have received the new First Group corporate livery (317337/38/39/40/41/42/43/44/45/46/47/48).
Class 317 No. 317345 was the first Class 317 to receive the First Capital Connect livery at Wabtec Doncaster, however it has not received an interior refresh. This unit was the 11th Class 317 in the First Capital Connect class 317 fleet to be given an interior refresh. All other Class 317s have received a refresh consisting of the following:
All bodyside panels have had corrosion repairs.
The last Class 317 to receive an exterior relivery and interior refresh was 317344, the last train to carry the old West Anglia Great Northern livery and thus all 12 FCC sets have now been refreshed.
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.
National Express East Anglia have secured the bid for thirty brand new Bombardier Class 379
trains which had all entered service as of August 2011.
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. Again some Class 317/7 units have had their original Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph replaced by the Brecknell Willis High Speed design.
In 2006 twelve further units were refurbished by Wabtec Doncaster, 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 Classes 317/7 and 317/8 could occasionally be found working on West Anglia services and also it was not uncommon for Classes 317/5 and 317/6 units to work Stansted Express services alongside the dedicated Classes 317/7 and 317/8.
Following the arrivals of the new Class 379 units on Stansted Express services, the Class 317/7s have either found use on other lines or have been stored. One set (no. 317719) has seen use on the Romford-Upminster line. Three sets (Nos. 317710/14/32) have been stored at Harwich Parkestone Quay since August 19.
They are mainly used on outer-suburban services from London Liverpool Street to Bishop's Stortford
, Hertford East
and Cambridge
. The fifteen Class 317/1 units have been refurbished and renumbered into the 3175xx series.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 317 alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s (EMUs) were built by BREL
BREL
British Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
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
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
Mark 3
British Rail Mark 3
British Rail's third design of standard carriage was designated 'Mark 3' , and was developed primarily for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train...
bodyshell, departing from the "PEP"
British Rail Class 445
The PEP Stock were prototype electric multiple units used on British Rail's Southern Region during the early 1970s. They were forerunners of the BR Second Generation electric multiple unit fleet. Three units were built, one two-car unit , and two four-car units...
-aluminium design which had spawned the earlier Class 313
British Rail Class 313
British Rail Class 313 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York Works between February 1976 and April 1977 and were the first second-generation EMUs to be constructed for British Rail...
to Class 315
British Rail Class 315
British Rail Class 315 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL at York works from 1980 to 1981. They were the fifth and final variety of British Rail's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles and five Classes...
. The Mark 3 bodyshell was also the basis of Class 318
British Rail Class 318
The British Rail Class 318 is an electric multiple unit train, which operates exclusively in the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network in West Central Scotland. The units were introduced fully on 29 September 1986 as part of the electrification of the Ayrshire Coast Line between and...
, Class 455
British Rail Class 455
The British Rail Class 455 is a type of electric multiple unit drawing power from a 750 V DC third rail. Built by BREL at York works in the early and mid-1980s, they were initially categorised as Class 510 as the successor to the Class 508...
, and the diesel Class 150
British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
.
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, roof mounted Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph and four GEC G315BZ traction motors. The technical description of the formation of the units is DTSO(A)+MSO+TCO+DTSO(B). Individual carriages were numbered as follows:- 77000-77047 - DTSO(A)
- 62661-62708 - MSO
- 71577-71624 - TCO
- 77048-77095 - DTSO(B)
These units were built to operate services on the newly electrified London St. Pancras to Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
"Bed-Pan" route. They replaced the elderly and unreliable Class 127
British Rail Class 127
The British Rail Class 127 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby in 1959. Thirty 4-car units were built, formed of two outer driving motor vehicles, sandwiching two intermediate trailers which were classified class 186...
diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s. However, they did not enter service immediately due to an industrial dispute with the unions over Driver only operation, and the diesel units lingered on until finally being replaced in mid-1983. Units were delivered in the standard livery of BR blue/grey.
The use of the Class 317 units on Bed-Pan 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
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
. From 1987, new dual-voltage Class 319
British Rail Class 319
The British Rail Class 319 dual-voltage electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches in 1987–88 and 1990. The trains were introduced for new north-south cross-London services from Bedford to Brighton, and since privatisation these services have been operated by Thameslink and...
units were introduced on the route, allowing the creation of a new cross-London service, from Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, via Farringdon
Farringdon station
Farringdon station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Clerkenwell, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington...
and City Thameslink station. The Class 317 units were displaced to outer-suburban services on the WCML
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
out of London Euston station, to Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
and Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
. They replaced the slam-door Class 310
British Rail Class 310
The British Rail Class 310 is a slam-door, alternating current electric multiple unit introduced in 1963 as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification project. They were initially classified as Class AM10 units before the introduction of the TOPS classification system. Constructed at BR's...
units, which subsequently transferred to the London, Tilbury and Southend railway
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
.
However, the use of Class 317 units out of Euston again proved to be short-lived. In 1989, the second batch of new Class 321
British Rail Class 321
The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively...
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. 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, roof mounted Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph and four GEC G315BZ traction motors. Thus, each unit was formed DTSO(A)+MSO+TCO+DTSO(B). Individual carriages were numbered as follows:- 77200-77219 and 77280-77283 - DTSO(A)
- 62846-62865 and 62886-62889 - MSO
- 71734-71753 and 71762-71765 - TCO
- 77220-77239 and 77284-77287 - DTSO(B)
The second batch units were built to operate outer-suburban trains on the Great Northern route from London King's Cross to Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
. Like the first batch units, they were delivered in BR Blue/Grey livery. The units replaced the slam-door Class 312
British Rail Class 312
The British Rail Class 312 is a type of alternating current electric multiple unit built in 1975-1978 for use on outer-suburban passenger services. It was the last class of multiple unit to be constructed with the British Rail Mark 2 bodyshell, and also the last with slam doors...
units, dating from 1975, which subsequently transferred to the Great Eastern Main Line
Great Eastern Main Line
The Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
and London-Tilbury-Southend routes.
In 1986, the route came under the control of the newly created Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
, which introduced a bold new blue, red and white livery. The extension of the overhead line equipment
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
soon allowed the units to work services on the West Anglia route from London Liverpool Street to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. In 1992, electrification spread north from Cambridge to Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
and King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
, allowing the replacement of locomotive-hauled trains.
The closely related Class 318
British Rail Class 318
The British Rail Class 318 is an electric multiple unit train, which operates exclusively in the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network in West Central Scotland. The units were introduced fully on 29 September 1986 as part of the electrification of the Ayrshire Coast Line between and...
units which were built for the Ayrshire Coast
Ayrshire Coast Line
The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow...
electrification in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, are effectively a 3-car version of the same design, but with a lower speed capability of 90 mph and are fitted with Brush traction motors in place of GEC traction motors.
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 Railway (WAGN)
WAGN used the Class 317 fleet on various services, including all London Liverpool Street to CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
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
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, Hertford
Hertford
Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. Forming a civil parish, the 2001 census put the population of Hertford at about 24,180. Recent estimates are that it is now around 28,000...
, Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
and King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
, plus at weekends when the line to Moorgate
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
was closed, the units operated inner suburban services from London King's Cross to Letchworth Garden City, Hertford
Hertford
Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. Forming a civil parish, the 2001 census put the population of Hertford at about 24,180. Recent estimates are that it is now around 28,000...
and Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City
-Economy:Ever since its inception as garden city, Welwyn Garden City has attracted a strong commercial base with several designated employment areas. Among the companies trading in the town are:*Air Link Systems*Baxter*British Lead Mills*Carl Zeiss...
.
In 1998/99, WAGN started to refurbish its Class 317/2 fleet. The work was carried out by Railcare (now owned by Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
) at Wolverton Works
Wolverton railway works
Wolverton railway works was established in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at the midpoint of the 112 mile-long route from London to Birmingham...
, and involved the fitting of Chapman seats in the 2+2 variant, and 3+2 in the PTSO under the pantograph. The TCO vehicle became TSO as first class was moved to a cabin aboard a DTSO vehicle, which is now known as a DTCO vehicle. 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. The Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph was replaced by the industry standard Brecknell Willis High Speed design. 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
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
(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 317 312, 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 (317 328 & 317 345) disappearing by mid-2004. By April 2004, the only units not repainted were 317301-307, which were hired to Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
and remained in LTS livery. The livery has also been applied to Class 313
British Rail Class 313
British Rail Class 313 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York Works between February 1976 and April 1977 and were the first second-generation EMUs to be constructed for British Rail...
and Class 315
British Rail Class 315
British Rail Class 315 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL at York works from 1980 to 1981. They were the fifth and final variety of British Rail's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles and five Classes...
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
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
and National Express East Anglia.
LTS Rail/c2c
In 1996, LTS Rail began to hire Class 317/1 units from its sister Prism RailPrism Rail
Prism Rail was established in 1995 to acquire passenger rail franchises being made available under the Government's rail privatisation programme. It bid for 17 franchises, was shortlisted for 12 and was ultimately awarded 4, which were LTS Rail, Wales and West, WAGN and Valley Lines Trains.Of the...
franchise WAGN for use on the London, Tilbury and Southend railway
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
. 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 East Ham Depot
East Ham Depot
East Ham EMU Depot is a depot on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line between East Ham tube station and Barking railway station with the depot code EM, between 6 to 7 miles from London Fenchurch Street station, and just west of the River Roding...
.
The Class 317 units enabled LTS Rail to replace the elderly Class 302
British Rail Class 302
The British Rail Class 302 was a type of electric multiple unit introduced between 1958 - 1960 for outer suburban passenger services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway route...
slam-door EMUs, the last examples of which were withdrawn in 1998. The Class 317 units also replaced some of the Class 310
British Rail Class 310
The British Rail Class 310 is a slam-door, alternating current electric multiple unit introduced in 1963 as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification project. They were initially classified as Class AM10 units before the introduction of the TOPS classification system. Constructed at BR's...
fleet on off-peak workings, pending introduction of new Class 357
British Rail Class 357
The British Rail Class 357 "Electrostar" alternating current electric multiple units were built by ADtranz at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England, in two batches from 1999 to 2002 at a cost of approximately £292 million...
"Electrostar" units.
Many of the units hired to LTS Rail were repainted in a variation of the existing Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
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 TMD
Hornsey TMD
Hornsey Electric Multiple Unit Depot is a railway maintenance depot for First Capital Connect's Great Northern fleet of electric multiple units, as well as carrying out those maintenance tasks on FCC's Thameslink Class 319 and 377 units which Bedford Cauldwell depot is unable to do...
depot.
Thameslink
In 2002, ThameslinkThameslink (train operating company)
Thameslink was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, run by Govia . It operated the London commuter railway line known by the same name...
began hiring four Class 317/1 units from WAGN to allow it to run additional Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
to Moorgate
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
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
British Rail Class 31
The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and originally as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957-62.- Description :...
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
British Rail Class 365
The British Rail Class 365 "Networker Express" are dual-voltage 25 kV AC and 750 V DC) electric multiple units built by ABB at York from 1994 to 1995. These were the last units to be built at the York factory before it closed...
"Networkers", themselves displaced from South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains was a British train operating company, in public ownership, that provided train services in south east London and South East England from 9 November 2003 to 31 March 2006....
by new Class 375
British Rail Class 375
The British Rail Class 375 Electrostar electric multiple unit train was built by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Works, from 1999 to 2005...
"Electrostars".
The Class 317 units transferred to Thameslink were maintained at the newly built Cauldwell
Cauldwell, Bedford
Cauldwell is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.The boundaries of Cauldwell are approximately the Rope Walk to the north, Redwood Grove and Willow Road to the east, with the Midland Main Line railway line to the south...
depot in Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
. They were restricted to services on the Northern half of the franchise only, as only dual-voltage or DC units can operate South of Farringdon
Farringdon station
Farringdon station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Clerkenwell, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington...
. All of the units were returned to National Express East Anglia following the end of the blockade.
Current operations
As of August 2011, all Class 317s are operated by First Capital Connect or National Express East Anglia.First Capital Connect
The First Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
(FCC) franchise was created on 1 April 2006, combining the Great Northern part of the WAGN franchise with the Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
franchise. FCC operates services out of London King's Cross and Moorgate
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
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
British Rail Class 365
The British Rail Class 365 "Networker Express" are dual-voltage 25 kV AC and 750 V DC) electric multiple units built by ABB at York from 1994 to 1995. These were the last units to be built at the York factory before it closed...
"Networkers" on the former WAGN outer-suburban and fast services out of King's Cross, as well as limited work on the Northern section of the Thameslink route.
Light refurbishment of these Class 317/1 units was completed in 2005 under WAGN (the work was carried out 'in house' at Hornsey) and an interior refresh and exterior relivery is being undertaken by Wabtec Doncaster Works, under contract from First Capital Connect.
The last Class 317 diagrammed working on the First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
(FCC) Thameslink route was a single 4 car unit on the Mondays to Fridays only 1818 Farringdon - Bedford service. When not in use, the unit was stabled at Cricklewood sidings. This ended on Friday 09/10/2009, prior to the introduction of the 2009 Leaf fall working timetable.
All 12 units have received the new First Group corporate livery (317337/38/39/40/41/42/43/44/45/46/47/48).
Class 317 No. 317345 was the first Class 317 to receive the First Capital Connect livery at Wabtec Doncaster, however it has not received an interior refresh. This unit was the 11th Class 317 in the First Capital Connect class 317 fleet to be given an interior refresh. All other Class 317s have received a refresh consisting of the following:
- New 'easy to mop' flooring
- New heater covers
- Retrimmed seats in First Capital Connect moquette
- Fitment of the industry standard Brecknell Willis High Speed pantograph, replacing the Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph
All bodyside panels have had corrosion repairs.
The last Class 317 to receive an exterior relivery and interior refresh was 317344, the last train to carry the old West Anglia Great Northern livery and thus all 12 FCC sets have now been refreshed.
National Express East Anglia
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
National Express East Coast
National Express East Coast was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, running high speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London and Scotland, as part of the East Coast passenger franchise...
and National Express Coaches.
National Express East Anglia have secured the bid for thirty brand new Bombardier Class 379
British Rail Class 379
The Class 379 Electrostar is a British electric multiple-unit train type ordered in April 2009 for Stansted Express services operated by National Express East Anglia . The trains will also be used on services between , and...
trains which had all entered service as of August 2011.
Stansted Express
In 2000, nine Class 317/1 units were selected to be refurbished for the dedicated Stansted ExpressStansted Express
Stansted Express is a sub-brand of National Express East Anglia. It is the direct train service linking central London to Stansted Airport, one of London's major air hubs...
service, from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport, replacing the previously dedicated Class 322
British Rail Class 322
The British Rail Class 322 electric multiple units were built by BREL in 1990. Five 4-car units were built for the dedicated Stansted Express service from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport. The units were then used by First ScotRail, operating on the North Berwick Branch Line, between /...
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. Again some Class 317/7 units have had their original Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph replaced by the Brecknell Willis High Speed design.
In 2006 twelve further units were refurbished by Wabtec Doncaster, 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 Classes 317/7 and 317/8 could occasionally be found working on West Anglia services and also it was not uncommon for Classes 317/5 and 317/6 units to work Stansted Express services alongside the dedicated Classes 317/7 and 317/8.
Following the arrivals of the new Class 379 units on Stansted Express services, the Class 317/7s have either found use on other lines or have been stored. One set (no. 317719) has seen use on the Romford-Upminster line. Three sets (Nos. 317710/14/32) have been stored at Harwich Parkestone Quay since August 19.
West Anglia
The National Express West Anglia route is operated using the 24 strong Class 317/6 fleet, supplemented with 15 standard Class 317/1 units.They are mainly used on outer-suburban services from London Liverpool Street to Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford railway station
Bishop's Stortford railway station serves the town of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia; this includes the 2 or 3tph Stansted Express service.-History:...
, Hertford East
Hertford East railway station
Hertford East railway station is one of two stations in Hertford in Hertfordshire, England. The station is 39 km north of London Liverpool Street. It is fifteen minutes' walk from Hertford North station....
and Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
. The fifteen Class 317/1 units have been refurbished and renumbered into the 3175xx series.
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 317/1 | First Capital Connect | 12 | 1981-82 | 4 | 317337 - 317348 | |
| Class 317/5 | National Express East Anglia | 15 | 317501 - 317515 | Originally classed as 317/1 | ||
| Class 317/6 | 24 | 1985-87 | 317649 - 317672 | Originally classed as 317/2 | ||
| Class 317/7 | 9 | 1981-82 | 317708 - 317710, 317714, 317719, 317722 - 317723, 317729, 317732 | Originally classed as 317/1 | ||
| Class 317/8 | 12 | 317881 - 317892 | Originally classed as 317/1 |