British Rail Class 333
British Rail Class 333 | |
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![]() 333002 at Ilkley in February 2020 | |
![]() Interior of a refurbished unit | |
In service | 12 January 2001 – present |
Manufacturer | CAF |
Built at | Zaragoza, Spain |
Replaced | Class 308 |
Constructed | 2000–2003 |
Refurbished | 2018–2020 |
Number built | 16 |
Formation |
|
Capacity | |
Operator(s) |
|
Depot(s) | Neville Hill (Leeds) |
Line(s) served | |
Specifications | |
Car body construction | Steel[1] |
Car length |
|
Width | 2.75 metres (9 ft 0 in)[4] |
Maximum speed | 100 mph (160 km/h) |
Weight |
|
Power output | 1,400 kW (1,900 hp)[5] |
Acceleration | 0.9 m/s2 (2.0 mph/s)[5] |
Electric system(s) | 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead[1] |
Current collection method | Pantograph |
Braking system(s) | Disk[1][6] |
Safety system(s) |
|
Coupling system | Scharfenberg[1] |
Multiple working | Within class[1] |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 333 are electric multiple unit passenger trains built by CAF between 2000 and 2003 for Northern Spirit (later Arriva Trains Northern), with traction equipment supplied by Siemens Transportation Systems. All have passed to subsequent franchises and subsequent operators Northern Rail, Arriva Rail North and Northern Trains.
History[]
In March 1998, Angel Trains ordered 16 three-carriage sets from Siemens Transportation Systems for Northern Spirit to replace the slam-door Class 308s on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines from Leeds to Bradford Forster Square, Ilkley and Skipton.[7][8] Construction of the trains was sub-contracted to CAF with Siemens Transportation Systems providing the traction equipment.[9]
The first was delivered to Neville Hill TMD in March 2000.[10][11] The first entered service on 12 January 2001.[12]
In April 2000, a further eight trailer carriages were ordered with funding from West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and inserted into the first eight sets in 2002.[13][14][15] Subsequently a further order was placed with funding from the Strategic Rail Authority to increase the remaining sets to four carriages.[16] These were delivered in 2003.[17]
However, the funding for the fourth carriages in the latter eight sets expired in 2007 and as a consequence of this they could have been removed.[18][19] Had this happened the four-car Class 321s would have been removed from Leeds to Doncaster services. As a result, the fourth cars were funded by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, despite not running in South Yorkshire, to ensure that four-car units are available on Doncaster services.[20]
In 2008, all were repainted into a new livery by Wabtec at Doncaster Works that incorporated West Yorkshire Metro branding.[21]
Between December 2018 and April 2020, all were refurbished by Chrysalis Rail, Holbeck and repainted into Arriva Rail North and later Northern Trains livery.[22][23][24]
Performance[]
The units are capable of 100 mph (160 km/h),[1][6][25] but the maximum speed on their routes is 90 mph (140 km/h). They have standard class only 2+3 high-density seating, and each set has one toilet.[26]
Fleet details[]
Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. | Formation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class 333 | Northern Trains | 16 | 2000–2003 | 4 | 333001–333016 | DMSO-PTSO-TSO-DMSO |
Named units[]
Some units have previously carried names:
- 333007: Alderman J Arthur Godwin, First Lord Mayor of Bradford 1907[27] (Unit denamed)[27]
- 333011: Olicana, Ilkley’s Roman Fort [28] (Unit denamed)[28]
Gallery[]
Northern Rail/West Yorkshire Metro livery on 333010 at Guiseley
The Northern Rail/West Yorkshire Metro livery which was seen from 2008 until 2020 applied on a DMSO
The original Northern Spirit livery on 333011
333004 on a Skipton service.
The original interior of an intermediate TSO vehicle
A Class 333 in the original Northern Spirit livery.
See also[]
- British Rail Class 332, similar units operated by Heathrow Express until 28 December 2020
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Class 333 - Northern Rail (by Arriva)". www.angeltrains.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Electric Multiple Unit Class 333, UK". Siemens. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Northern Franchise Agreement" (PDF). Gov.uk. Gov.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "Class 333". angeltrains.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Reference Brochure Trains" (PDF). mobility.siemens.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ a b "NORTHERN SPIRIT". CAF. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ "West Yorkshire's new trains to be of Heathrow Express quality". The Railway Magazine. No. 1165. May 1998. p. 9.
- ^ "World Update". Railway Age. September 1998. p. 31.
- ^ "HEx clones for Leeds triangle". Modern Railways. No. 595. April 1998. p. 213.
- ^ "Arriva's Northern Spirit Class 333 EMU is delivered". Rail. No. May 379. 22 March 2000. p. 7.
- ^ "First Class 333 arrives". The Railway Magazine. No. 1189. May 2000. p. 39.
- ^ "Class 333s in service at last". The Railway Magazine. No. 1199. March 2001. p. 11.
- ^ "Class 333 order strengthened". Rail Express. No. 47. April 2000. p. 9.
- ^ "£12m investment in new train carriages". Telegraph & Argus. 21 March 2002. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020.
- ^ "All eight 333 trailers in traffic". Rail. No. 436. 29 May 2002. p. 58.
- ^ "First 333 trailer arrives as SRA confirms eight more". Rail. No. 426. 9 January 2002. p. 54.
- ^ "New Class 333 trailers arrive". Rail. No. 464. 25 June 2003. p. 13.
- ^ "Overcrowding fears if rail carriages on loan are recalled". Wharfedale Observer. 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Boost for Ilkley and Skipton travellers". Telegraph & Argus. 28 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020.
- ^ Hill, Neville (May 2015). "0-60!". Rail Express. No. 228. p. 27. ISSN 1362-234X.
- ^ "EMU to be Reliveried". Rail. No. 597. 30 July 2008. p. 67.
- ^ "First refurbished Northern 333 in service". Today's Railways UK. No. 208. April 2019. p. 67.
- ^ "Refreshed Northern Class 333". Railways Illustrated. May 2019. p. 14.
- ^ "Final refurbished 333 released". Rail Express. No. 289. June 2020. p. 27.
- ^ "SUBURBAN TRAIN NORTHERN SPIRIT". CAF. Archived from the original on 1 June 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Class 333 makes its debut". Railway Gazette International. 1 May 2000. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019.
- ^ a b "NAME GAME". Rail Express. No. April 2020. p. 83.
- ^ a b "NAME GAME". Rail Express. No. July 2019. p. 91.
External links[]
Media related to British Rail Class 333 at Wikimedia Commons
- British Rail electric multiple units
- CAF multiple units
- Train-related introductions in 2001