The Class 323 is a fleet of high-density electric multiple units (EMUs) built in the early 1990s for British Rail. They were built to replace older EMUs coming to the ends of their lives and to supply the Birmingham Cross-City Line, which was finally being electrified with new rolling stock [1]. Forty three three-car units were built by Hunslet Transportation Projects during 1992-3 for the Cross City Line and for the North West for services to Manchester Airport.
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| West Midland Railway 323 204 at Bromsgrove |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Number built: | 129 (43 3-car sets) |
| Built: | 1992-93 |
| Builder: | Hunslet TPL |
| Motor: | 4 Holec DMKT 52/24 traction motors (25kV AC OHLE) |
| Power: | 1, 566 hp (1, 168 kW) |
| Formation: | Driving Motor Standard Open (DMSO)+Pantograph Trailer Standard Open Lavatory (PTSOL)+DMSO |
The Class 323 proved unreliable when first delivered, the traction package causing a number of problems especially with cooling. It was a couple of years after delivery before they became fully operational. Later on however, Northern's fleet won awards for its reliability.
Twenty six sets currently serve with West Midlands Railway (previously London Midland) and seventeen with Northern Rail, operating on electrified commuter lines around Birmingham and Manchester. The EMUs have completed a retractioning programme replacing the original Gate Turn-Off thyristor equipment with a more advanced Integrated Gate Bipolar Transistor set-up [2].
West Midlands Railway's 323s are due for replacement from 2024 by the Class 730, part of the Bombardier Aventra family, some of the sets are moving to Northern to strengthen their fleet. The Northern fleet is meanwhile being refurbished with LED lighting, new passenger information screens and an accessibility compliant toilet [3].
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| Northern 323 239 arrives at Holmes Chapel |
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| Back in London Midland days, 323 220 at Lichfield Trent Valley |
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| WMR 323 205 at Chester Road |
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| Aboard a WMR 323 |
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| Northern 323 234 at Sandbach |
[1] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 262
[2] Ian Walmsley, "A traction heart transplant", Modern Railways (March 2017) p. 43
[3] "First refurbished 323 for Northern", Modern Railways (December 2019) p. 84