The Class 319 are electric multiple units (EMUs) which were built for "Thameslink" cross-London services in the late 1980s. As they were dual voltage (AC overhead and DC third rail) units so they could operate both north and south of the river Thames [1]. The 319 was based on the Class 317 EMU though had a modified front end without a gangway connection, it retained a door for emergency evacuation in the tunnels which they had to travel through when crossing under London.
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| Northern 319 375 at Rainhill |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Number built: | 344 (86 4-car sets) |
| Built: | 1987-90 |
| Builder: | BREL York |
| Engine: | 4 GEC G315BZ traction motors (750V DC third rail or 25kV AC OHLE) |
| Power: | 1, 327 hp (990 kW) |
| Formation: | 319/0: Driving Trailer Standard Open (DTSO)+Motor Standard Open (MSO)+Trailer Standard Open Lavatory (TSOL)+DTSO 319/1: Driving Trailer Composite Open (DTCO) +MSO+TSOL+DTSO |
The class was built in two batches, 319/0 and 319/1, which had some first class accommodation plus an improved pantograph. During their long career there have been a number of changes to the fleet. In the 1990s some 319/0s were converted to 319/2 standard with low-density seating and a disabled toilet for London Victoria services through to Brighton. A number of 319/1s have also had their first class seating removed during refurbishment to become 319/3. Some 319/0s have also had first class seating added and a lower density seating arrangement for Bedford-Brighton services as 319/4.
A feature unique to the 319s was an area behind one of the cabs was fitted with fold down seats and made securable with a lockable door in order to carry mail [2]. This area was removed during refurbishment and the ceasing of transporting mail by train.
Class 319s were replaced on Thameslink services by the Class 700 [3]. However, there was life remaining in these units and a number were cascaded to the North West (Northern) and South Midlands (London Northwestern Railway). These units have probably finally now reached the end of their service lives with the LNWR 319s leaving service in late 2023 and the Northern units in early 2024.
Work also went ahead to give some of the units a new life as electro-diesel or bi-mode multiple units. A bi-mode version of the 319 called the 319 Flex (Class 769) has been developed by Brush and Porterbrook. Diesel engines and alternators are carried under the driving cars and these feed the unit's traction motors with the electricity needed when away from third rail or overhead lines. Although the project has been much delayed due to technical difficulties and unreliability, the Class 769 entered passenger service with Northern in May 2021 and Transport for Wales in November 2020 though originally the planned service date was 2018 [4][5]. The GWR was also at one stage to use the type on the North Downs Line, though these have not entered service.
Another new role for the Class 319 is for parcels traffic operated by Orion Logistics. A bi-mode version of this has also been created as the Class 768. A Class 319 has also been converted to hydrogen operation as the Class 799!
One notable event in the life of the 319s came in 1994 when 319 008 and 319 009 became the first trains to carry passengers through the Channel Tunnel [6].
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| LNWR 319 457 at Milton Keynes Central |
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| Northern 319 374 at Huyton |
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| 319 364 at Liverpool Lime Street |
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| 319 436 in Thameslink livery at Farringdon |
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| Northern 319 368 at Manchester Piccadilly |
[1] Brian Haresnape & Alec Swain, Third Rail DC Electric Multiple Units (Ian Allan, 1989) p. 85
[2] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 251
[3] "Class 700s Branch Out", Railways Illustrated No. 161 (July 2016)
[4] "B-Mode Class 319 Flex from Porterbrook", Railways Illustrated No. 169 (March 2017)
[5] "Northern to get bi-modes", Modern Railways (February 2017)
[6] Southern E-Group: Class 319 <http://www.semgonline.com/gallery/class319_01.html>