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The British Rail Class 319 is an electric multiple unit passenger train built by
British Rail Engineering Limited British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) was the railway systems engineering subsidiary of British Rail. Established in 1970, the maintenance arm was split as British Rail Maintenance Limited in 1987, and the design and building of trains was ...
's
Holgate Road carriage works The Holgate Road carriage works was a railway carriage manufacturing factory in the Holgate area of York, England. The factory began production in 1884 as a planned expansion and replacement of the North Eastern Railway's Queen Street site; ...
for use on north–south cross-London services. These dual-voltage trains are capable of operating on from AC overhead wires or 750V DC from a
third rail A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway ...
. Built in two batches in 1987–88 and 1990, the units were primarily used on the then-new
Thameslink Thameslink is a 24-hour main-line route in the British railway system, running from , , , and via central London to Sutton, , , Rainham, , , , and . The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying ...
service from
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
to Brighton and various other destinations south of London. The majority of the fleet remained in use on the Thameslink route after its reshaping and privatisation in 1997. Some of the fleet was also used by
Connex South Central Connex South Central was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Connex that operated the South Central franchise from 26 May 1996 until 25 August 2001. History On 26 May 1996, Connex commenced operating the Network SouthCent ...
and latterly Southern on various services operating out of
London Victoria Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street (not the Q ...
, including flagship expresses to Brighton. Since delivery of new rolling stock for Thameslink services began in 2015, the Class 319 units have been redeployed for use on electrified lines in North West England but by 2023 will be replaced by units cascaded from
West Midlands Trains West Midlands Trains (WMT) is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates passenger trains on the West Midlands franchise between London and the English Midlands under two trade names: West Midlands Railway (WMR) (within the ...
. Of the 86 Class 319s built, 22 remain in active service, 12 with
Northern Trains Northern Trains, branded as Northern, (legally Northern Trains Limited) is a publicly owned train operating company in England. It is owned by DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT), after the previous operator Arriva Rail N ...
and 10 with West Midlands Trains. A total of 44 sets will be converted to s which is a mixture of Bi-mode multiple units (BMU) and Tri-mode multiple units. Two Class 319s have been converted to a tri-mode Class 799 which runs on
hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic ...
and electricity with the 25kVAC and 750 VDC equipment retained.


Description

Plans for north–south railways across central London go back to the 1940s at least, when there were several proposals in the 1943
County of London Plan The County of London Plan was prepared for the London County Council in 1943 by John Henry Forshaw (1895–1973) and Sir Leslie Patrick Abercrombie (1879–1957) Its main purpose was to point out the main directions of development and ...
which were developed further in a following report in 1946. The
Victoria line The Victoria line is a London Underground line that runs between in south London and in the north-east, via the West End. It is printed in light blue on the Tube map and is one of the only two lines on the network to run completely underg ...
, which opened in stages from 1968, had been one of the routes suggested in these plans. Another involved reviving the disused Farringdon to Blackfriars route for passenger trains, and this began to be considered seriously in the 1970s. The
British Railways Board British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
then developed plans for what would become Thameslink, and the newly created business sector of Network SouthEast inherited responsibility for the project in 1986. Services between Bedford, Farringdon, Blackfriars and Brighton began under the Thameslink brand in 1988. As the Thameslink service was to use a route with 25kV AC
OHLE An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipment ...
north of Farringdon and along the branch to
Moorgate Moorgate was one of the City of London's northern gates in its defensive wall, the last to be built. The gate took its name from the Moorfields, an area of marshy land that lay immediately north of the wall. The gate was demolished in 1762, bu ...
, and 750V DC
third-rail A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway ...
electrification south of Farringdon, the Class 319 trains were equipped for dual-voltage operation. They were also the first British Rail units to use modern
thyristor A thyristor () is a solid-state semiconductor device with four layers of alternating P- and N-type materials used for high-power applications. It acts exclusively as a bistable switch (or a latch), conducting when the gate receives a current ...
control in place of a camshaft and resistor bank. The body shape of the Class 319 is slightly different from contemporary electric units due to restrictions in the loading gauge in Kings Cross Tunnel, which meant that other dual-voltage units were not suitable. They were also required to have emergency end doors in the cabs, due to the twin single-bore layout of Smithfield tunnel preventing normal train evacuation. Two sub-classes of Class 319 units, 60 Class 319/0s and 26 Class 319/1s, were originally built. Over the years, the units have been refurbished, creating five sub-classes, of which four still exist. passenger units and postal units were developed from the Class 319 design, using similar traction equipment and the same steel body design, with revised cab designs. The 325 units used a Networker style cab design.


Class 319/0

The first batch of 60 units, built in 1987 and 1988, was classified as Class 319/0. Units were numbered in the range 319001–060 and had a maximum speed of . Each unit consisted of four steel carriages: two outer driving trailers, an intermediate motor with a roof-mounted Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph and four DC GEC G315BZ traction motors (two per bogie), and an intermediate trailer housing a compressor, motor alternator and two toilets. Seating was standard-class only, in 2+3 layout. The technical description of the unit formation is DTSO(A)+MSO+TSO+DTSO(B). Individual vehicles were numbered as follows: *77291–77381 (odd) and 77431–77457 (odd) — DTSO(A) *62891–62936 and 62961–62974 — MSO *71772–71817 and 71866–71879 — TSO *77290–77380 (even) and 77430–77456 (even) — DTSO(B) Vehicles were numbered in two ranges, corresponding to units 319001–046 and 319047–060. The gaps in the number series (''e.g.'' 77382–77429) were filled by the units, built around the same period. The DTSO(B) vehicles originally featured a lockable sliding door between the driving cab and the first set of power doors and tip-up longitudinal seating to enable parcels to be carried securely. This facility was rarely used and the sliding door has been removed. Units 319001-319003 and 319005-319013 are the remaining members of the 319/0 subclass; all others were converted to Class 319/2 or Class 319/4 in the late 1990s. One unit (319004) was scrapped in January 2020.


Class 319/1

Built in 1990, this second batch of 26 units was numbered in the range 319161–186. The formation of the second batch of sets was similar to that of the earlier units, with the addition of first-class seating at one end of the train for use on longer-distance Bedford to Brighton services. Like the first batch, standard-class seating was of a 2+3 layout. First-class seating was in 2+2 layout. Units were formed in the arrangement DTCO+MSO+TSO+DTSO. Individual vehicles were numbered as follows: *77459–77497 (odd) and 77971–77983 (odd) — DTCO *63043–63062 and 63093–63098 — MSO *71929–71948 and 71979–71984 — TSO *77458–77496 (even) and 77972–77984 (even) — DTSO Vehicles were numbered in two ranges, corresponding to units 319161–180 and 319181–186. A more modern
Brecknell Willis high speed pantograph Brecknell Willis is a British company headquartered in Chard, Somerset, and brand-name of electrification equipment for railways, mostly pantographs and contact shoes. History Henry Brecknell and Sons began operating in 1854. In 1894, it mo ...
was also fitted. All were converted to Class 319/3 in the late 1990s.


Class 319/2

In 1997, seven of the Class 319/0 sets were converted especially for use on
Connex South Central Connex South Central was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Connex that operated the South Central franchise from 26 May 1996 until 25 August 2001. History On 26 May 1996, Connex commenced operating the Network SouthCent ...
express services between London Victoria and Brighton. Work carried out at Railcare Wolverton included new, lower-density seating, a disabled toilet, and a special 'lounge' seating area in the saloon space below the pantograph in the MSO, where stowage for a refreshment trolley and a small serving counter were also fitted. Units involved were renumbered from 319014–020 to 319214–220. They retain their low-density layout, but the lounge area has been replaced by standard seating since their return to use on Thameslink services.


Class 319/3

In the period 1997–99, Thameslink arranged for all of its 319/1 units to be converted at
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 LSWR The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) opened a carriage and wagon works at Ea ...
for use on the shorter-distance
Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable a ...
to
Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a location * Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire * ...
/
Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...
services, then known as 'Thameslink CityMetro'. These units lost their first-class seating and were renumbered into the 319/3 series. They were painted in a navy-blue and yellow livery at this time. Various refurbishments have taken place since 1999, including: * Minor refresh by
Thameslink Thameslink is a 24-hour main-line route in the British railway system, running from , , , and via central London to Sutton, , , Rainham, , , , and . The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying ...
including new seat covers between 2003 and 2005 * Relivery and interior refresh by Railcare Wolverton for
First Capital Connect First Capital Connect (FCC) was a British train operating company, owned by FirstGroup, that operated the Thameslink and Great Northern sectors from April 2006 to September 2014 which later became the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (T ...
completed in 2010 * New passenger information system, new seat covers and an internal and external repaint for units transferring to
Northern Rail Northern Rail, branded as Northern, was an English train operating company owned by Serco-Abellio that operated the Northern Rail franchise from 2004 until 2016. It was the primary passenger train operator in Northern England, and operated th ...
and similar work for those remaining on Thameslink in the interim, starting in 2014.


Class 319/4

Units 319021-060 were refurbished for Thameslink at Railcare Wolverton from 1997 to 1998. Work included the installation of a first-class compartment at one end, in the DTSO(A) vehicle and the removal of some seating in the centre of each vehicle to give 2+2 layout. Cosmetic improvements included new carpets and seat coverings, as well as application of the navy-blue Thameslink livery. Upon completion, these units were renumbered as 319421-460 and moved on to the Bedford to Brighton service, branded as 'Thameslink Cityflier'. From 2003 to 2005, during the Thameslink blockade, some minor interior updating took place such as recovering seats with an updated Thameslink moquette. First-class compartments were refurbished with new carpet, retrimmed seats and chrome-plated heater panels, apart from unit 319444, which retained its 1997-designed interior. A later refresh was unveiled by the then-new operator
First Capital Connect First Capital Connect (FCC) was a British train operating company, owned by FirstGroup, that operated the Thameslink and Great Northern sectors from April 2006 to September 2014 which later became the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (T ...
on 26 October 2006. Unit 319425 was renamed ''Transforming Travel'' for the occasion and showcased the following improvements: * Emergency brake pressure increased to the +12% G standard, giving an extra 1 Bar brake cylinder pressure in emergency * Emergency brake 'timeout' period reduced from 2 minutes to 20 seconds * DC traction motors rewound to improve reliability * Improved motor control hardware with a new Remote Communications Frame * New 'easy to clean' flooring * Retrimmed seats into the First Capital Connect moquette * Some seats in standard class were removed and vertical luggage stacks installed in their place; a further two seats were removed in the TSO vehicle to allow easier access to the toilet * Repainted dado side panels and wall ends * Existing stanchions painted pink * New stanchions leading from some seats to the overhead luggage rack to provide standing passengers with something to hold on to and more support * Improved, brighter fluorescent lighting diffusers The refresh took place at Railcare Wolverton works and also featured both a mechanical overhaul (under the solebar) and a full exterior relivery, again in vinyl. Some Class 319/4 units have had their Stone Faiveley AMBR air and spring pantograph replaced by the more modern Brecknell Willis High Speed air-only pantograph design.


Current operations


Northern Trains

To operate on newly electrified routes in the North West of England, Northern Rail received twenty Class 319/3 units after they were replaced by brand new units. The first Northern Rail service to be operated by Class 319s was the Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Airport via Chat Moss service on 5 March 2015. From 17 May 2015, the Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western via
Huyton Huyton ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, England. Part of the Liverpool Urban Area, it borders the Liverpool suburbs of Dovecot, Knotty Ash and Belle Vale, and the neighbouring village of Roby, with which ...
route followed suit. The first batch of units which transferred to Northern Rail underwent a light refurbishment at
Wolverton Works Wolverton railway works, known locally as Wolverton Works or just The Works, was established in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at the midpoint of the route from London to Birmingham. The line w ...
and were repainted into a dedicated
Northern Electrics Northern Rail, branded as Northern, was an English train operating company owned by Serco-Abellio that operated the Northern Rail franchise from 2004 until 2016. It was the primary passenger train operator in Northern England, and operated th ...
livery, although all of these units had been repainted into Northern's livery by mid 2018. Other services now operated by Class 319s include Crewe to
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
via
Earlestown Earlestown is a town and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in Merseyside, England. It forms the western part of the wider Newton-le-Willows urban area. At the 2011 Census the ward population was 10,830. History Earlestow ...
, Liverpool to Warrington Bank Quay and Liverpool to Wigan North Western and Blackpool North. In April 2016, these units transferred to the then-new franchise operator
Arriva Rail North Arriva Rail North, branded as Northern by Arriva (legal name Arriva Rail North Limited) was a train operating company in Northern England which began operating the Northern franchise on 1 April 2016 and inherited units from the previous operato ...
, who have since leased an additional fifteen Class 319s to operate on newly electrified services from , with these commencing in May 2018. In December 2016, it was announced that Northern's allocation of 319/4s were to be converted to ''Flex'' bi-mode multiple units by
Brush Traction Brush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives in Loughborough, England. It is a subsidiary of Wabtec. History Hughes's Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works Henry Hughes had been operating at the Falcon Works since t ...
at
Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second large ...
, with the remaining 319/3s due to operate on existing and future electrified services. In August 2019, it was confirmed that all 319s would leave Northern to be replaced by 17 of the 26 Class 323 units operated by
West Midlands Trains West Midlands Trains (WMT) is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates passenger trains on the West Midlands franchise between London and the English Midlands under two trade names: West Midlands Railway (WMR) (within the ...
. This is expected to occur once new rolling stock is in operation with West Midlands Trains in 2021. On 1 March 2020, following the collapse of previous operator Arriva Rail North, the Northern 319s transferred to new government-owned operator
Northern Trains Northern Trains, branded as Northern, (legally Northern Trains Limited) is a publicly owned train operating company in England. It is owned by DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT), after the previous operator Arriva Rail N ...
.


West Midlands Trains

Seven units were transferred to
London Midland London Midland was a train operating company in England which operated the West Midlands franchise between 11 November 2007 and 10 December 2017. It was owned by the British transport group Govia. London Midland was created as a result of Gov ...
in 2015 to operate the
Watford Junction Watford Junction is a railway station that serves Watford, Hertfordshire. The station is on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), 17 miles 34 chains from London Euston and the Abbey Line, a branch line to St Albans. Journeys to London take between 16 ...
to St Albans service and some peak
West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
services out of
London Euston Euston railway station ( ; also known as London Euston) is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, managed by Network Rail. It is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, the UK's busiest inter-city rail ...
. These replaced the seven units that transferred to
Abellio ScotRail Abellio ScotRail, operating services under the name ScotRail, was the national train operating company of Scotland. A subsidiary of Abellio, it operated the ScotRail franchise from 1 April 2015, taking over from predecessor First ScotRail. ...
. In April 2017, one of the five Class 319/4 units, 319455, was swapped for 319433, with the latter receiving a light refresh and a repaint before entering service. In December 2017,
West Midlands Trains West Midlands Trains (WMT) is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates passenger trains on the West Midlands franchise between London and the English Midlands under two trade names: West Midlands Railway (WMR) (within the ...
(a consortium of Abellio, JR East and
Mitsui is one of the largest ''keiretsu'' in Japan and one of the largest corporate groups in the world. The major companies of the group include Mitsui & Co. ( general trading company), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Nippon Paper Industries ...
) took over the operation of the West Midlands rail franchise, with the seven Class 319 units initially leased by London Midland transferring to the new operator under the London Northwestern Railway brand. A week after the start of the new franchise, West Midlands Trains leased additional Class 319 units, which had previously operated with
Thameslink Thameslink is a 24-hour main-line route in the British railway system, running from , , , and via central London to Sutton, , , Rainham, , , , and . The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying ...
. These extra units enabled the company to take their Class 350/1 and 350/3 ''Desiro'' units out of service for their planned refurbishment. All of the Class 319 units operated by West Midlands Trains are scheduled to be replaced by new Class 730 units.


Future operations


Rail Operations Group/Orion

Orion High Speed Logistics is aiming to launch its first trial service conveying parcels and light freight in April 2021, with the Midlands to Mossend now likely to be the debut flow. Arlington Fleet Services at
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 LSWR The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) opened a carriage and wagon works at Ea ...
is modifying the interiors of the units to accommodate roller cages for parcels, with the aim of operating primarily under electric power but with the 769s using their diesel engines to act as tractor units for the 319s over non-electrified routes. Orion unveiled its first modified 319, No 319373, at Eastleigh in August 2020, and from 18 to 20 January 2021 showcased the unit to potential partners and customers at Maritime Transport's Birmingham Intermodal Freight Terminal at Birch Coppice. The first of ten Class 768s was scheduled to enter service in 2021.


Former operations


Thameslink

With the first units entering service for Thameslink in 1988, Class 319s were a mainstay on the Thameslink network for almost three decades. In early 2015, the first batch of units were withdrawn from the network after being displaced by units. Twenty Class 319/3s transferred to
Northern Rail Northern Rail, branded as Northern, was an English train operating company owned by Serco-Abellio that operated the Northern Rail franchise from 2004 until 2016. It was the primary passenger train operator in Northern England, and operated th ...
for newly electrified lines in the North West, with the first units entering service in March 2015 after a light refurbishment. A further seven units left the network in 2015, transferring to
London Midland London Midland was a train operating company in England which operated the West Midlands franchise between 11 November 2007 and 10 December 2017. It was owned by the British transport group Govia. London Midland was created as a result of Gov ...
to replace their units, which had transferred to
Abellio ScotRail Abellio ScotRail, operating services under the name ScotRail, was the national train operating company of Scotland. A subsidiary of Abellio, it operated the ScotRail franchise from 1 April 2015, taking over from predecessor First ScotRail. ...
. Since the introduction of the new units in June 2016, Class 319s departed the network as new trains have entered service. A further batch of twelve units transferred to the North West of England for service with
Arriva Rail North Arriva Rail North, branded as Northern by Arriva (legal name Arriva Rail North Limited) was a train operating company in Northern England which began operating the Northern franchise on 1 April 2016 and inherited units from the previous operato ...
, with the remainder being placed into storage at Long Marston. The six remaining Class 319 units were withdrawn from Thameslink service on 27 August 2017, around 30 years after their initial introduction to service. Since their withdrawal, a number of additional units have been allocated to Northern and
West Midlands Trains West Midlands Trains (WMT) is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates passenger trains on the West Midlands franchise between London and the English Midlands under two trade names: West Midlands Railway (WMR) (within the ...
to boost capacity.


Southern

When British Rail was privatised in the mid-1990s, the first 13 units (319001–013) were used for outer-suburban services by
Connex South Central Connex South Central was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Connex that operated the South Central franchise from 26 May 1996 until 25 August 2001. History On 26 May 1996, Connex commenced operating the Network SouthCent ...
, with some temporarily losing their 25 kV AC overhead equipment. Seven more of the Class 319/0 sets (319014–020) were refurbished and dedicated to express services between London Victoria and Brighton, before later finding work on peak-only London Victoria to Guildford via West Croydon and London Victoria to Horsham via Three Bridges services. The dual-voltage capability was also used to introduce new services linking
Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
and
Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after H ...
via the West Coast and West London Lines in the 1990s. Successor company Southern continued to operate the fleet and reliveried it into its own colour scheme. It later went on to sublease Class 319/0 units to
First Capital Connect First Capital Connect (FCC) was a British train operating company, owned by FirstGroup, that operated the Thameslink and Great Northern sectors from April 2006 to September 2014 which later became the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (T ...
for use on the Thameslink route, before eventually releasing the entire fleet.


Notable units

Units 319008 ''Cheriton'' and 319009 ''Coquelles'' are notable for two reasons: * On 10 December 1993, they travelled through the Channel Tunnel from Sandling to Calais-Fréthun and back with a party of invited guests, after the construction consortium
TransManche Link TransManche Link (Cross Channel Link) or TML was a British-French construction consortium responsible for building the Channel Tunnel under the English Channel between Cheriton in England, and Coquelles in France. History In April 1985 the Briti ...
(who were responsible for the construction of the Tunnel) had transferred responsibility for operations and management over to
Eurotunnel Getlink, formerly Groupe Eurotunnel, is a European public company based in Paris that manages and operates the infrastructure of the Channel Tunnel between England and France, operates the Eurotunnel Shuttle train service, and earns revenue o ...
. Their pantographs were modified at Selhurst Depot beforehand to account for the higher OHL height at Cheriton and in the tunnel. For the subsequent "Folkestone 1994" event on 7 May 1994, which saw the first paying members of the public taken into the tunnel by train. On 26 March 1994 units 319008 and 319009 were named ''Cheriton'' and ''Coquelles'' respectively at Victoria and plaques adorned with the
Union Flag The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
and Tricolore were installed on their motor carriages. ''Cheriton'' has been transferred to
Transport for Wales Transport for Wales (TfW; cy, Trafnidiaeth Cymru; cy, TrC, label=none) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consi ...
to be introduced on the Valley Lines after release by Thameslink, whilst ''Coquelles'' has been transferred for use with
Rail Operations Group Rail Operations Group (ROG) specialises in ad-hoc movement of rolling stock for rolling stock companies and train operating companies as well as locomotive spot hire services and the operation of charter trains. It has its headquarters and main ...
. * On 26 March 1994, they set a record for the shortest London to Brighton journey time, at 37 minutes 57 seconds. This record stood until 2005 when the "Speed Run" event, organised by Southern, using units 377472 and 377474 set a slightly quicker record of 36 minutes 56 seconds.


Named units

Named units are as follows: * 319008 (now 769008) – '' Cheriton'' (nameplates removed) * 319009 – ''
Coquelles Coquelles (; vls, Kalkwelle, lang) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department near Calais in northern France. The town comprises a shopping centre, hotels and farm in Vieille Coquelles (old Coquelles), part of the L'Européenne autoroute ...
'' (nameplates removed) * 319011 – ''
John Ruskin College John Ruskin College is a further education college in South Croydon offering full-time vocational courses and apprenticeships as well as part-time courses for adults. In 2019, following a merger with ''East Surrey College'' incorporating ''Reig ...
'' (nameplates removed) * 319362 – ''
Northern Powerhouse The Northern Powerhouse is a proposal to boost economic growth in the North of England by the 2010–15 coalition government and 2015–2016 Conservative government in the United Kingdom, particularly in the " Core Cities" of Hull, Manchester ...
'' (nameplates removed)


Accidents

* In January 1999 a
Connex South Eastern Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Connex that operated the South Eastern franchise from October 1996 until November 2003. History On 13 October 1996 Connex commenced operating the South Easter ...
train formed of and slam door stock
passed a signal at danger A signal passed at danger (SPAD), known in the United States as a stop signal overrun and in Canada as passing a stop signal, is an event on a railway where a train passes a stop signal without authority. In the United States and Canada, this ...
and collided with a pair of
Thameslink Thameslink is a 24-hour main-line route in the British railway system, running from , , , and via central London to Sutton, , , Rainham, , , , and . The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying ...
Class 319s at Spa Road junction. * In January 2014 unit 319369 operated by First Capital Connect was involved in a minor accident when the pantograph failed to lower at Farringdon station due to a technical fault. As a result, it struck the roof of Blackfriars station at about 09:55. No-one was injured and the train was later removed.


Future


Conversion to bi-mode and tri-mode

In December 2016,
Arriva UK Trains Arriva UK Trains Limited is the company that oversees Arriva's train operating companies in the United Kingdom. It gained its first franchises in February 2000. These were later lost, though several others were gained. In January 2010, with th ...
subsidiary Northern and
Porterbrook Porterbrook is a British rolling stock company (ROSCO), created as part of the privatisation of British Rail. Together with Angel Trains and Eversholt Rail Group, it is one of the three original ROSCOs. Porterbrook was established in March 19 ...
announced a plan to convert eight Class 319/4 electric multiple units to bi-mode units, to allow through working between electrified and non-electrified routes. These units, which were initially marketed as "Class 319 Flex" before being designated as Class 769 under
TOPS Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) is a computer system for managing railway locomotives and rolling stock, known for many years of use in the United Kingdom. TOPS was originally developed between the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), S ...
, will use two diesel powered alternators fitted under each of the driving trailer vehicles, to power the traction motors through the train's existing DC bus. The modifications, which will be carried out by Brush, will enable units to operate on electrified and non-electrified routes, using both 25 kV AC overhead wires and 750 V DC third rail. Each generator set will consist of a
MAN A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...
D2876
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...
driving an
ABB ABB Ltd. is a Swedish- Swiss multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. The company was formed in 1988 when Sweden's Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) and Switzerland's Brown, Boveri & Cie merged to crea ...
alternator An alternator is an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current. For reasons of cost and simplicity, most alternators use a rotating magnetic field with a stationary armature.Gor ...
. The first units were expected to enter service with Northern by spring 2018, but were delayed until 2019, and now 2020 with new operator
Northern Trains Northern Trains, branded as Northern, (legally Northern Trains Limited) is a publicly owned train operating company in England. It is owned by DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT), after the previous operator Arriva Rail N ...
. Other planned operators of the Class 769 include
Transport for Wales Transport for Wales (TfW; cy, Trafnidiaeth Cymru; cy, TrC, label=none) is a not-for-profit company owned by the Welsh Government and managed at arms length by its appointed board. TfW oversees the Transport for Wales Group (TfW Group) consi ...
and Great Western Railway. Great Western Railway's units will retain their third-rail pickup shoes. In December 2018,
Rail Operations Group Rail Operations Group (ROG) specialises in ad-hoc movement of rolling stock for rolling stock companies and train operating companies as well as locomotive spot hire services and the operation of charter trains. It has its headquarters and main ...
(ROG) ordered two Class 769s that were in the process of being developed by
Brush Traction Brush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives in Loughborough, England. It is a subsidiary of Wabtec. History Hughes's Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works Henry Hughes had been operating at the Falcon Works since t ...
from redundant Class 319s. However unlike the Class 769s that remained as passenger trains, ROG's Orion High Speed Trains subsidiary intends to operate them as parcel carriers from
London Liverpool Street Liverpool Street station, also known as London Liverpool Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, in the ward of Bishopsgate Without. It is the t ...
to
London Gateway DP World London Gateway is a port within the wider Port of London, United Kingdom. Opened in November 2013, the site is a fully integrated logistics facility, comprising a semi-automated deep-sea container terminal on the same site as the UK ...
. In February 2020, a further three were ordered to allow services to be introduced the Midlands to Scotland via the
West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
. A further five has since been ordered. Originally to be classified as Class 769/5s, they were reclassified as the Class 768 before first was completed.Anglo-Scottish Debut for Orion ''
Modern Railways ''Modern Railways'' is a British monthly magazine covering the rail transport industry which was published by Ian Allan until March 2012, and Key Publishing since then. It has been published since 1962. The magazine was originally based in She ...
'' issue 875 August 2021 page 21
Two Class 319s, 319001 and 319382, have been converted to a Class 799. They will run on
hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic ...
on non-electrified routes whilst retaining the existing 25 kV AC and 750 V DC equipment for electrified routes.


Other uses

In 2020
GB Railfreight GB Railfreight (GBRf) is a rail freight company in the United Kingdom. As of 2022, it is owned by the global investment company Infracapital. GB Railfreight was established in April 1999 as the rail freight operating subsidiary of the train o ...
used a Class 319 in a trial of a parcel delivery service.


Fleet details


Livery details


References


Sources

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Further reading

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External links


Porterbrook Brochure

Porterbrook FLEX Video
{{British Rail EMU 319 319 Train-related introductions in 1987 750 V DC multiple units 25 kV AC multiple units