British Rail Class 332
| British Rail Class 332 | |
|---|---|
|
Five-car Heathrow Express EMU 332002 at Paddington | |
|
The interior of a Class 332 (standard class) | |
| In service |
23 June 1998 - 29 February 2016[1] 12 March 2016[2] - Current |
| Manufacturer | CAF and Siemens |
| Built at | Zaragoza, Spain |
| Refurbishment | 2012-2013 |
| Number built | 14 trainsets |
| Formation | 4-5 cars per set |
| Capacity |
175 seats (4 cars) 239 seats (5 cars) |
| Operator(s) | Heathrow Express |
| Specifications | |
| Maximum speed | 100 mph (161 km/h) |
| Weight |
188.4 t (185.4 long tons; 207.7 short tons) (4 cars) 233.6 t (229.9 long tons; 257.5 short tons) (5 cars) |
| Power output | 1.4 MW (1,900 hp) |
| Electric system(s) | 25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead |
| Braking system(s) | Regenerative and air brake |
| Safety system(s) | AWS, ATP |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
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British Rail Class 332 electric multiple units are used by Heathrow Express between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport.
Description
The fleet was originally ordered as Class 331[3] from CAF and Siemens, and was built in 1997-1998 at the former’s factory in Zaragoza, Spain. There are 14 four/five carriage units.[4] There were original plans for this fleet not to have yellow warning panels on the front of the trains, but these plans were not approved due to safety reasons from Network Rail.
The units have Automatic Train Protection (ATP) equipment, one of the few fleets in the UK to do so. This is largely as a consequence of the Paddington-Heathrow route being mainly on the Great Western Main Line, which was equipped with ATP in the early 1990s as part of a trial of the system by British Rail.[5]
The units are not fitted with Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS). A derogation was issued in 2001 which exempted the class from mandatory TPWS installation.[5]
The units were the first electric trains to operate over the Great Western Main Line out of Paddington when the line was electrified as far as Airport Junction.
The 332s were originally constructed as three-car sets and were for the initial Fast Train service which started in a January 1998. Fast Train ran between Paddington and the temporary single platform siding station called Heathrow Junction. Heathrow Junction was constructed on the down side of the Down Airport line just before the tunnel portal. After the opening of the airport stations, the full Heathrow Express service started and the units were gradually increased to four cars. In 2002 five units were lengthened to five cars, allowing trains of up to ten cars to be operated.
The service frequency is four trains per an hour, one every 15 minutes. The units can work on their own or in pairs.[6]
The units have First class and Standard class accommodation: the four-car sets can accommodate up to 175 standard class passengers, with up to 239 in the five-car sets. First class accommodation is in one of the driving cars, referred to as 'DMF' (Driving-Motor-First) cars. The First class cars have two different layouts: 332002, 332004 and the five-car sets can accommodate up to 26 First class passengers, while in the other four-car sets up to 14 first class passengers can be accommodated. This is due to the checked luggage compartments installed in some DMF cars in 1999.[4]
One driving car in each set is usually in all-over advertising livery; currently Vodafone is providing this advertising, who replaced RBS.[7]
The units are capable of working in multiple only with each other, and theoretically with the related Class 333 units operated by Northern Rail, based on the same design.[8]
The units are maintained at the purpose-built train care depot at Old Oak Common.[4]
Interior Layout
The standard class saloons consist of 2+2 seating, arranged in airline-style layout. The majority of seats face the luggage stacks. The seats are finished in three complementary textile colours.
The first class saloons in the DMF vehicles consist of 1+1 seating, mostly in facing layout around tables.
All saloons have large luggage stacks adjacent to the vestibules. Video screens display news and information.
All carriages are air-conditioned and carpeted.
Although the vehicle were designed before the introduction of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations, various features were incorporated into the interior of the Standard class TSO vehicles in consultation with DPTAC (Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee), including a wheelchair space with communication device and a wheelchair-accessible toilet.
At the Design Business Association's Design Effectiveness Awards in 2000, a team of Design Triangle, Wolff Olins and Glazer won the Grand Prix and Design Management awards for the design of the units.[9]
In 1999, seven DMF First class vehicles were converted to include checked luggage compartments, with a partition in the centre of the car. The compartments were taken out of service when the checked luggage service was withdrawn some years ago.
2016 recall
On 29 February 2016, the entire class was recalled by Siemens "as a safety precaution" and was taken out of service.[10] A structural defect was found on some of the trains and they were replaced in service by British Rail Class 360 units.[11] The class 332 trains were gradually returned to service from 11 March 2016 onwards.[12]
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | Number of Trains | Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 332 | Heathrow Express | 9 | 1997-1998 | 4 | 332001 - 332004 332010 - 332014 |
| 5 | 5 | 332005 - 332009 |
See also
- British Rail Class 333 - similar units used by Northern in Yorkshire.
References
- ↑ "Heathrow Express fleet recalled". Global Rail News. Rail Media. 2016-02-29.
- ↑ "Heathrow Express gets back on track". Rail News. 2016-03-12.
- ↑ The All-time Guide to EMU Classifications (PDF), Modern Locomotivs Illustrated, 2011, p. 2, retrieved 19 February 2014
- 1 2 3 Class 332 & 360/2 - Heathrow Express - Siemens Mobility. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- 1 2 Certificate of Derogation from a Railway Group Standard 01/109/DGN re-issued 25/02/2008 Archived October 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. - RSSB. Retrieved 2014-10-27
- ↑ Heathrow Express Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. - CAF. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- ↑ ‘Union Jack’ wrapped Heathrow Express fleet ready to roll Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. - Rail News from rail.co. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- ↑ Class 333 - Northern Rail - Siemens Mobility. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
- ↑ http://www.designweek.co.uk/news/joint-honours-at-dba-awards/1132198.article
- ↑ "Heathrow Express fleet recalled". Global Rail News. Rail Media. 2016-02-29.
- ↑ "UPDATE: Heathrow Express fleet out of service for "foreseeable future"". Global Rail News. Rail Media. 2016-03-02.
- ↑ "Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect fleet update". Heathrow Express. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
Further reading
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 332. |
- "First Heathrow Express unit arrives in Britain from Spain". RAIL. No. 303. EMAP Apex Publications. 23 April – 6 May 1997. p. 10. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.