British Rail Class 507
Encyclopedia
British Rail Class 507 electric multiple units were built by BREL
at York
works in two batches from 1978 to 1980. The first thirty sets were constructed from September 1978 to mid-1979 and a further three were added during 1980. They were the second variety of British Rail
's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles and five Classes (Class 313
/314
/315
/507/508
). The 507s were the first variant to be 750V DC third rail
only. They have worked on the Merseyrail
network from new, and continue to do so, now refurbished by Alstom
's Eastleigh Works
.
units now life-expired, unable to cope with the demands of the new "Link" tunnel and approaching 40 years old, by 1977 a replacement was sought. Owing to the success of the Class 313
fleet on suburban services from Kings Cross, two sets were temporarily transferred to Merseyside
and based at Hall Road TMD
. Sets 313003/013 were used for over 250 miles of extensive testing on the Southport
, Ormskirk
and Kirkby
-Garston
lines. The results revealed a similar version of PEP
-derived stock would be suitable for the Merseyrail Northern Line
.
Initially, 47 sets were ordered (507001-507047) but cost issues forced this number to be reduced to 38 units, then as low as 30 by early 1978 when the first sets were under construction. Ultimately, 33 units were built between 1978 and October 1979.
On 25 October 1978, a Class 507 conveyed the HM the Queen
and several other VIPs on a special service between Moorfields
and Kirkby
. Following the journey, she declared the new-look Merseyrail network officially open. The first passenger working occurred on 1 November 1978 with pioneer set 507001 working the 0739 Southport
-Liverpool Central
service wearing a unique commemorative headboard
. This set worked services between Liverpool
and Southport for the remainder of the day, while 507002 operated services between Liverpool and Ormskirk the same day. From then on, further 507s steadily entered service and the 502s were in turn withdrawn. By mid-1980, Northern Line services were entirely in the hands of the 507s.
Following privatisation
, the 507s were used interchangeably between both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line
, working a further four routes regularly. A host of new liveries appeared following sectorisation of British Rail
. The remaining 32 units were refurbished by Alstom Eastleigh
during the period 2002-2005. They received a new interiors, CCTV, light clusters and dot matrix display
s. Unit 507033 was the last Merseyside set to be refurbished, entering service having been named "Cllr George Howard" in August 2005.
in 1991. Driving motor 64388 is now part of 507004 (as the latter's motor carriage was damaged beyond repair) and the other motor carriage, with a changed identity, now forms part of Glasgow
-based 314203. To date, this is the only withdrawn Class 507 set.
Two other collisions at Kirkdale depot have resulted in Class 507s formed as hybrid sets. In 1982, 507011 and 507027 were severely damaged (one leading car each); carriage 64415 from 507011 was attached to the rest of 507027 as a result. The second occurred in 1987, this time involving 507010 and 507014. Again, driving carriages of both were damaged to the extent a hybrid set was temporarily formed.
An arson attack at Rock Ferry
in 2001 caused a third hybrid set to occur. Sets 507023 and 508130 had different carriages burnt out and had to be repaired, leaving the remaining coaches to be formed while repairs took place.
Various collisions with buffer stop
s at terminal stations have also occurred. Sets 507029 and 507032 have both received damage due to overrunning at Kirkby in 1991 and 1997 respectively. Set 507019 was involved in a collision at West Kirby
on 11 January 2007 and carriage 64423 had to be sent to Crewe Works
for repair.
On 30 June 2009 unit 507002 without a driver rolled out of Kirkdale TMD, later derailing at a set of points further down. The incident, which caused disruption to many services, was caused by leaving the train in gear whilst maintenance was performed so that when isolating wooden paddles were removed from between the conductor rail and pick-up shoes, the train moved off without a driver onboard. On 23 May 2011, it was announced by the Office of Rail Regulation
that Merseyrail were fined £85,000 and ordered to pay legal costs of £20,970.15 due to the breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which resulted in this incident.
Originally, each 3-car set was able to seat 230 or 232 passengers, but after the introduction of high back seats during refurbishment in 2004/2005 this was reduced to 192; however, space for cyclists and the disabled has been improved.
The 507s (and 508s) replaced the LMS
-designed Class 502
EMUs on the Northern Line
and the Class 503
EMUs on the Wirral Line
.
It was expected by Merseyrail that the Class 507 / 508 would be withdrawn around 2014 and replaced by a new build EMU however this has been postponed following the latest refurbishment.
Four prime liveries have featured on the Class 507s throughout the course of their career:
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...
at 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...
works in two batches from 1978 to 1980. The first thirty sets were constructed from September 1978 to mid-1979 and a further three were added during 1980. They were the second variety of British Rail
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...
's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles and five Classes (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...
/314
British Rail Class 314
British Rail Class 314 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL at York works in 1979. They were the third variety of British Rail's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles and five classes...
/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...
/507/508
British Rail Class 508
The British Rail Class 508 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York works in 1979-80. They were the fourth variety of BR's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, eventually encompassing 755 vehicles and five classes...
). The 507s were the first variant to be 750V DC third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
only. They have worked on the Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
network from new, and continue to do so, now refurbished 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...
's Eastleigh Works
Eastleigh Works
Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh in the county of Hampshire in England.-History under the LSWR:...
.
History
With the Class 502British Rail Class 502
The British Rail Class 502 was a type of electric multiple unit originally built by the London Midland and Scottish Railway at their Derby Works...
units now life-expired, unable to cope with the demands of the new "Link" tunnel and approaching 40 years old, by 1977 a replacement was sought. Owing to the success of the 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...
fleet on suburban services from Kings Cross, two sets were temporarily transferred to Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
and based at Hall Road TMD
Hall Road TMD
Hall Road TMD was a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated adjacent to Hall Road railway station. The depot was a facility for storage and servicing of Merseyrail multiple units and rolling stock...
. Sets 313003/013 were used for over 250 miles of extensive testing on the Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
, Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
and Kirkby
Kirkby
Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about...
-Garston
Garston, Merseyside
Garston is a district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is bordered by Aigburth, Allerton, and Speke.-History:Gaerstun, meaning 'grazing settlement' or 'grazing farm' in Old English, is one possible root of the name....
lines. The results revealed a similar version of 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...
-derived stock would be suitable for the Merseyrail Northern Line
Northern Line (Merseyrail)
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines operated by Merseyrail in Merseyside, England. The other line is the Wirral Line. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.The Northern Line passes...
.
Initially, 47 sets were ordered (507001-507047) but cost issues forced this number to be reduced to 38 units, then as low as 30 by early 1978 when the first sets were under construction. Ultimately, 33 units were built between 1978 and October 1979.
On 25 October 1978, a Class 507 conveyed the HM the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and several other VIPs on a special service between Moorfields
Moorfields railway station
Moorfields station is an underground railway station in Liverpool, England. It is situated on both the Northern and Wirral Lines of the Merseyrail network and is the only station on the network which has services to all other Merseyrail stations....
and Kirkby
Kirkby railway station
Kirkby railway station is situated in Kirkby, Merseyside, England. The station is an interchange between Merseyrail services from Liverpool Central and Northern Rail services from Manchester Victoria via Wigan Wallgate....
. Following the journey, she declared the new-look Merseyrail network officially open. The first passenger working occurred on 1 November 1978 with pioneer set 507001 working the 0739 Southport
Southport railway station
Southport railway station serves the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. It is at the end of one of the branches of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network, and at the end of the Manchester-Southport Line which runs via Wigan...
-Liverpool Central
Liverpool Central railway station
Liverpool Central railway station is a railway station in Liverpool, England, and forms the central hub of the Merseyrail network, being on both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. In the years 2008/09, Liverpool Central station was shown to be the busiest station in Liverpool, despite being...
service wearing a unique commemorative headboard
Headboard (train)
A Train headboard is a board hung on the front of a locomotive. Generally it can depict a named train, although other purposes also exist. Headboards are distinct from locomotive nameplates....
. This set worked services between Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Southport for the remainder of the day, while 507002 operated services between Liverpool and Ormskirk the same day. From then on, further 507s steadily entered service and the 502s were in turn withdrawn. By mid-1980, Northern Line services were entirely in the hands of the 507s.
Following privatisation
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, the 507s were used interchangeably between both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line
Wirral Line
The Wirral Line is one of the two commuter railway lines operated by Merseyrail that are centred around Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line...
, working a further four routes regularly. A host of new liveries appeared following sectorisation of British Rail
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...
. The remaining 32 units were refurbished by Alstom Eastleigh
Eastleigh Works
Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh in the county of Hampshire in England.-History under the LSWR:...
during the period 2002-2005. They received a new interiors, CCTV, light clusters and dot matrix display
Dot matrix display
A dot matrix display is a display device used to display information on machines, clocks, railway departure indicators and many other devices requiring a simple display device of limited resolution...
s. Unit 507033 was the last Merseyside set to be refurbished, entering service having been named "Cllr George Howard" in August 2005.
Incidents
A Class 507 set (507022) was destroyed as a result of a serious collision with 507004 at Kirkdale TMDKirkdale TMD
Kirkdale TMD is a Traction Maintenance Depot located beside Kirkdale railway station in north Liverpool, England. It is the largest depot on the Merseyrail network, located on the Northern Line and is used primarily for stabling units, carrying out minor repair works and cleaning units both...
in 1991. Driving motor 64388 is now part of 507004 (as the latter's motor carriage was damaged beyond repair) and the other motor carriage, with a changed identity, now forms part of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
-based 314203. To date, this is the only withdrawn Class 507 set.
Two other collisions at Kirkdale depot have resulted in Class 507s formed as hybrid sets. In 1982, 507011 and 507027 were severely damaged (one leading car each); carriage 64415 from 507011 was attached to the rest of 507027 as a result. The second occurred in 1987, this time involving 507010 and 507014. Again, driving carriages of both were damaged to the extent a hybrid set was temporarily formed.
An arson attack at Rock Ferry
Rock Ferry railway station
Rock Ferry railway station is situated in the Rock Ferry area of Birkenhead, Wirral, England. It lies south west of on the Chester and Ellesmere Port branches of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network...
in 2001 caused a third hybrid set to occur. Sets 507023 and 508130 had different carriages burnt out and had to be repaired, leaving the remaining coaches to be formed while repairs took place.
Various collisions with buffer stop
Buffer stop
A buffer stop or bumper is a device to prevent railway vehicles from going past the end of a physical section of track.The design of the buffer stop is dependent in part upon the kind of couplings that the railway uses, since the coupling gear is the first part of the vehicle that the buffer stop...
s at terminal stations have also occurred. Sets 507029 and 507032 have both received damage due to overrunning at Kirkby in 1991 and 1997 respectively. Set 507019 was involved in a collision at West Kirby
West Kirby railway station
West Kirby railway station is situated in the town of West Kirby, Wirral, England. It is situated at the end of one of the branches of the Wirral Line, part of the Merseyrail network.The beach can be reached easily from the station....
on 11 January 2007 and carriage 64423 had to be sent to Crewe Works
Crewe Works
Crewe railway works is a British railway engineering facility built in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway. It is located in the town of Crewe, in the county of Cheshire....
for repair.
On 30 June 2009 unit 507002 without a driver rolled out of Kirkdale TMD, later derailing at a set of points further down. The incident, which caused disruption to many services, was caused by leaving the train in gear whilst maintenance was performed so that when isolating wooden paddles were removed from between the conductor rail and pick-up shoes, the train moved off without a driver onboard. On 23 May 2011, it was announced by the Office of Rail Regulation
Office of Rail Regulation
The Office of Rail Regulation is a statutory board which is the combined economic and safety regulatory authority for Great Britain's railway network. It was established on 5 July 2004 by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, replacing the Rail Regulator...
that Merseyrail were fined £85,000 and ordered to pay legal costs of £20,970.15 due to the breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which resulted in this incident.
Description
507s are formed of three cars, numbered in the range 507001 to 507033. Original plans were drawn up for 47, later 38 507s to be built, but costs enforced a reduction in the number constructed. Sets are made up of two outer driving motor cars ('A' motor with the compressor; 'B' motor with the battery gear), and an inner trailer car. Car numbering is as follows:- 64367-64399 - DMSO (Driving Motor Second Open)
- 71342-71374 - TSO (Trailer Second Open)
- 64405-64437 - BDMSO (Battery Driving Motor Second Open)
Originally, each 3-car set was able to seat 230 or 232 passengers, but after the introduction of high back seats during refurbishment in 2004/2005 this was reduced to 192; however, space for cyclists and the disabled has been improved.
The 507s (and 508s) replaced the LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
-designed Class 502
British Rail Class 502
The British Rail Class 502 was a type of electric multiple unit originally built by the London Midland and Scottish Railway at their Derby Works...
EMUs on the Northern Line
Northern Line (Merseyrail)
The Northern Line is one of the two commuter rail lines operated by Merseyrail in Merseyside, England. The other line is the Wirral Line. A third line of the Merseyrail Network, the City Line, is not owned or operated by Merseyrail, although funded by Merseytravel.The Northern Line passes...
and the Class 503
British Rail Class 503
British Rail Class 503 trains were 70 mph electric multiple units. They were introduced in two batches — in 1938 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway with a further batch in 1956 by the then nationalised British Railways...
EMUs on the Wirral Line
Wirral Line
The Wirral Line is one of the two commuter railway lines operated by Merseyrail that are centred around Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern Line...
.
Current operations
From new, all 507s have worked the Merseyrail network. Sets have been used interchangeably between the Northern Line and the Wirral Line since 1997, so work the following:- Southport - Hunts CrossHunts CrossHunt's Cross is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is located on the southern edge of the city, bordered by Woolton, Allerton, Speke and Halewood.-History:...
line - Ormskirk line
- Kirkby line
- New BrightonNew Brighton, MerseysideNew Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
line - West Kirby line
- ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
line - Ellesmere PortEllesmere PortEllesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
line
Fleet information
- 507001 was the first to enter service; it worked the 0739 Southport - Liverpool Central service carrying a special headboard on 1 November, 1979. 507002 followed, working the Ormskirk line that afternoon.
- At first all 507s were fitted with blue "Northern Line" blinds fixed in the destination box on the secondman's side. These were removed shortly after they were painted into Regional RailwaysRegional RailwaysRegional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
livery, as they were used on both the Northern Line and Wirral Line. - The 507s were mainly refurbished later than the 508s as per Merseyrail's £32.5million refurbishment scheme.
| Class | Operator | No. Built | No. in service | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 507 | Merseyrail | 33 | 32 | 1978-1980 | 3 | 507001 - 507021 507023 - 507033 |
It was expected by Merseyrail that the Class 507 / 508 would be withdrawn around 2014 and replaced by a new build EMU however this has been postponed following the latest refurbishment.
Liveries
- BR blue and grey (1978-1994): the standard corporate colours for British Rail, the BR blue and grey livery with the Merseyside Passenger Transport ExecutiveMerseyside Passenger Transport ExecutiveThe Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
(MPTE) "69" logo and Merseyrail branding on the driver's side of the outer ends of the driving vehicles, carried from new. - Merseyrail original (1993-2001; repaints 2001-2005): when BR was sectorised, Regional Railways assumed control of the Merseyrail network, painting stock into a new livery exclusive to Merseyside. This was yellow, with white around the doors and windows and a thin grey and thick black stripe with Regional Railways branding in the same position as the previous logos. These were removed post privatisation and it was not until Arriva Trains MerseysideArriva Trains MerseysideArriva Trains Merseyside was a train operating company operating passenger trains in Merseyside . The previous franchise holder was Merseyrail Electrics. Arriva bought the parent company MTL following bankruptcy in 1999, upon which the franchise was renamed Arriva Trains Merseyside...
took over the franchise from MTL Holdings Ltd that logos on the bodysides reappeared. - Merseyrail revised (1998-2005): the revised paint scheme was the same as the original Merseyrail livery, but with a brighter yellow and the removal of the black stripe.
- Merseyrail refurbished (2003-): no proper name has emerged for the newest Merseyrail livery. Radically different from the others, it involves a silver basecoat, with addition of yellow stripes which resemble that of a tiger. Additional 'M' branding appears on the front ends and on the sides, as does a 'Merseyrail' vinyl. This does not wear well if vandalised, as several sets are running round the network with Ms missing.
- Capital of Culture advertising livery (2008-2009): four unique and colourful liveries were unveiled in February 2008, to celebrate Liverpool's year as the European Capital of CultureEuropean Capital of CultureThe European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
. Each has a unique colour scheme and theme, three of which feature on Class 507s. Set 507008 in blue represents maritime with pictures of ships and Liverpool's waterfront; 507019 is the sport themed set with pictures of Liverpool F.C.Liverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Everton F.C.Everton F.C.Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
footballers, Björn BorgBjörn BorgBjörn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
and other sports stars in a predominantly red background; and 507033 celebrates the city's heritage in a light green, pictures including the Royal Liver BuildingRoyal Liver BuildingThe Royal Liver Building is a Grade I listed building located in Liverpool, England. It is sited at the Pier Head and along with the neighbouring Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building is one of Liverpool's Three Graces, which line the city's waterfront...
and Superlambanana. A fourth set in purple is based on the theme of creativity, however, this was applied to a Class 508 set (508134) instead. The theme adorns the centre car in its entirety, but only reaches halfway along the motor carriages. Doors have grey and black stripes in a similar vein to the Virgin TrainsVirgin TrainsVirgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
PendolinoBritish Rail Class 390The Class 390 Pendolino is a type of train used in Great Britain. They are electric multiple units using Fiat's tilting train pendolino technology and built by Alstom. Fifty-three 9-car units were originally built for Virgin Trains from 2001 to 2004 for operation on the West Coast Main Line , with...
trains. Views on these rather "in your face" liveries appear mixed.
Naming
- 507004 - "Bob PaisleyBob PaisleyRobert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
" - 507009 - "Dixie DeanDixie DeanWilliam Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
" - 507020 - "John PeelJohn PeelJohn Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
" - 507021 - "Red RumRed RumRed Rum was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years...
" - 507033 - "Cllr George Howard"
- On 23 August 2005 at SouthportSouthport railway stationSouthport railway station serves the town of Southport, Merseyside, England. It is at the end of one of the branches of the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network, and at the end of the Manchester-Southport Line which runs via Wigan...
, 507033 was named 'Cllr George Howard' in memory of Merseytravel's former deputy chairman, who died earlier that year. The naming reflected 507033 being the final refurbished unit to be completed. Similar to 508136's naming of 'Capital of Culture' the previous year, a ceremony took place where a proper yellow nameplate was unveiled. This was removed before the unit returned to service and a vinyl transfer was later affixed at KirkdaleKirkdale railway stationKirkdale railway station is a railway station in Kirkdale, Liverpool, England, located to the north of the city centre on the Northern Line of the Merseyrail network...
. - Three sets have been named after sports stars as part of a naming programme for Merseyside icons. The names "Bob Paisley", "Dixie Dean" and "Red Rum" have been applied to 507004, 507009 and 507021 respectively. A fourth unit will bear the name "The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
", although potentially it could be a 508.
See also
- Class 508British Rail Class 508The British Rail Class 508 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York works in 1979-80. They were the fourth variety of BR's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, eventually encompassing 755 vehicles and five classes...
- MerseyrailMerseyrailMerseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...