The
British RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 321 alternating currentIn alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
(AC)
electric multiple unitAn electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s (EMU) were built by
BRELBritish Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
YorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar
Class 320The British Rail Class 320 is an alternating current electric multiple unit train found on the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport rail network in Central Scotland, and is used exclusively on the North Clyde Line between Helensburgh and Airdrie, North Lanarkshire via Glasgow Queen Street...
and
Class 322The British Rail Class 322 electric multiple units were built by BREL in 1990. Five 4-car units were built for the dedicated Stansted Express service from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport. The units were then used by First ScotRail, operating on the North Berwick Branch Line, between /...
units for use by
Strathclyde PTEThe Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is a public body which is responsible for planning and co-ordinating regional transport, and especially the public transport system, in the Strathclyde area of western Scotland...
and
Stansted ExpressStansted Express is a sub-brand of National Express East Anglia. It is the direct train service linking central London to Stansted Airport, one of London's major air hubs...
(now used by
First ScotRailScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
) respectively. The
British Rail Mark 3British Rail's third design of standard carriage was designated 'Mark 3' , and was developed primarily for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train...
bodyshell design was also used for construction of the
Class 456The British Rail Class 456 electric multiple-unit trains were built by BREL at York Works from 1990-91.- Description :24 two-car units were built as direct replacements for the elderly Class 416 2EPB units which operated on the Central Division of the Southern Region of British Rail. Units were...
direct currentDirect current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
(DC) units.
Description
Three sub-classes of unit were built. The first two were built for the
Network SouthEastNetwork SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
sector, whilst the final batch was built for services around
LeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
Class 321/3
The first batch of 66 EMU trains, built between 1988-90 were classified under
TOPSTotal Operations Processing System, or TOPS, is a computer system for managing the locomotives and rolling stock owned by a rail system...
as
Class 321/3. Units were numbered in the range 321301-366 and have a maximum speed of 100 mph (161 km/h). Each EMU consisted of four carriages; two outer driving trailers, one of which contained first class seating; an intermediate motor coach with standard class seating only, roof mounted Brecknell Willis High Speed pantograph and four Brush TM2141C traction motors (two per bogie); and an intermediate trailer with standard class seating. The technical description of the formation is DTCO+PMSO+TSO+DTSO. These units were delivered in two groups, with individual vehicles numbered as follows:
|
Units 321301-346 |
Units 321347-366 |
| DTCO |
78049-78094 |
78131-78150 |
| PMSO |
62975-63020 |
63105-63124 |
| TSO |
71880-71925 |
71991-72010 |
| DTSO |
77853-77898 |
78280-78299 |
These EMU trains were built for outer-suburban trains on the
Great Eastern Main LineThe Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
, primarily from London Liverpool Street to
Southend VictoriaSouthend Victoria is one of two major railway stations in the town of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. The station is the terminus of the Shenfield to Southend Line, which is a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line...
,
IpswichIpswich railway station is a railway station serving the town of Ipswich in Suffolk, England. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line 68¾ miles east of London Liverpool Street towards Norwich...
,
SouthminsterSouthminster railway station serves the small town of Southminster in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia...
,
ClactonClacton-on-Sea railway station serves the town of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, England. It is located to the north of Clacton town centre, within walking distance of the sea and pier....
,
ColchesterColchester or Colchester North is the main railway station for Colchester in Essex, England. It is on the former Great Eastern Railway main line from London Liverpool Street to Norwich and is a junction for the line to Walton-on-the-Naze and Clacton-on-Sea, which diverges southwards from the main...
and
BraintreeBraintree railway station is owned by Network Rail and managed by train operating company National Express East Anglia. Most trains run direct to London Liverpool Street, joining the Great Eastern Main Line at Witham...
. They replaced the ageing slam-door
Class 305The British Rail Class 305 was an alternating current electric multiple unit . Under the pre-1973 British Rail numbering system, the class was known as AM5...
,
Class 308The British Rail Class 308 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BR at York, in three batches, from 1959–61. They were initially classified as AM8 units before the introduction of TOPS.-Class 308/1:...
and
Class 309The British Rail Class 309 "Clacton Express" electric multiple units were built by British Rail York Works from 1962-1963. They were initially classified as Class AM9 before the introduction of TOPS...
units on trains to
ClactonClacton-on-Sea railway station serves the town of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, England. It is located to the north of Clacton town centre, within walking distance of the sea and pier....
and
Southend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
, and worked services on the newly electrified routes to
IpswichIpswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
and
HarwichHarwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
. They also displaced many
Class 312The British Rail Class 312 is a type of alternating current electric multiple unit built in 1975-1978 for use on outer-suburban passenger services. It was the last class of multiple unit to be constructed with the British Rail Mark 2 bodyshell, and also the last with slam doors...
slam-door units to the
London, Tilbury and Southend RailwayThe London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
. Some of the Class 309 "Clacton Express" units were retained until 1994, and 24 of the newer Class 312 units were retained long-term to work services to
Walton-on-the-NazeWalton-on-the-Naze is a small town in Essex, England, on the North Sea coast in the Tendring district. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich. It abuts Frinton-on-Sea to the south, and is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton. It is a resort town, with a permanent population of...
and peak services to Clacton, Ipswich and
WithamWitham railway station is a railway station serving the town of Witham in Essex. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line and is also the junction of the Witham-Braintree line...
. Units carried the distinctive
Network SouthEastNetwork SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
livery from new. 321361 was named 'Phoenix' in March 2008 at Ilford depot after it was rebuilt at the disused Colchester shed to repair damage caused by an arson attack at Southend Victoria on 10 July 2007.
Class 321/4
The second batch of 48 units, built between 1989–90, were classified as
Class 321/4. Units were numbered in the range 321401-448 and again have a maximum speed of 100 mph (161 km/h). The formation of these units is identical to that of the first batch, each unit being formed DTCO+PMSO+TSO+DTSO. They were delivered in two groups, with individual vehicles numbered as follows:
|
Units 321401-430 |
Units 321431-442 |
Units 321443-448 |
| DTCO |
78095-78124 |
78151-78162 |
78125-78130 |
| PMSO |
63063-63092 |
63125-63136 |
63099-63104 |
| TSO |
71949-71978 |
72011-72022 |
71985-71990 |
| DTSO |
77943-77972 |
78300-78311 |
78274-78279 |
These units were built for outer-suburban services on the
West Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
, from London Euston to
WatfordWatford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
,
Milton KeynesMilton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
,
NorthamptonNorthampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
,
RugbyRugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
,
CoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
and Birmingham New Street.
All Units were delivered in
Network SouthEastNetwork SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
blue, red and white livery. They displaced the recently cascaded
Class 317The British Rail Class 317 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches, from 1981-82 and 1985-87. They were the first of several classes of British Rail EMU to be based on the all-steel Mark 3 bodyshell, departing from the "PEP"-aluminium design which had...
units dating from 1981 that had themselves only just been introduced to the route to replace
Class 310The British Rail Class 310 is a slam-door, alternating current electric multiple unit introduced in 1963 as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification project. They were initially classified as Class AM10 units before the introduction of the TOPS classification system. Constructed at BR's...
units.
As built, 321/4 units had an enlarged First Class area comprising half of the DTC vehicle, instead of one third in the 321/3 units. An additional partition with folding double doors in the centre of the coach created this additional space.
Units 321438 to 321 448 were transferred for
Great Eastern Main LineThe Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
services. Following this, their First Class area was reduced in size to standardise with the existing 321/3 units on that route. This involved removal of the centre partition and double doors and re-upholstering the First Class style 2+2 seats (that were retained at that time) in the de-classified area into the same fabric as the Standard Class seats. Later, the First Class 2+2 seats in this de-classified area were replaced with the standard style 2+3 seating. These 11 units were also fitted with a facility to lock out the power door operation within the unit (a basic kind of Selective Operation) to permit operation of 12-car trains on the Braintree and Southminster branch lines, where some platforms were only long enough for 8-car trains.
Class 321/9
The final batch of three
Class 321's were classified as
Class 321/9 and were constructed in 1991, as an add-on to the main batches. These units have a similar formation to the earlier units, except that there is no first class seating. Therefore, the formation is DTSO+PMSO+TSO+DTSO. Units are numbered in the range 321901-903, and individual vehicles are numbered as follows:
- 77990-77992 - DTSO
- 63153-63155 - PMSO
- 72128-72130 - TSO
- 77993-77995 - DTSO
They were ordered by
West Yorkshire PTEThe West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive for the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is the executive arm of the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority and was originally formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport...
for the newly electrified
Doncaster-LeedsThe Wakefield line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro/South Yorkshire P.T.E. area of northern England. The service connects Leeds and Wakefield with Sheffield and Doncaster. The section of the line between Leeds and Doncaster forms part of the East Coast Main...
route, and therefore carried the West Yorkshire Metro maroon livery from new.
Due to a quirk to the units entering traffic, five redundant
Class 307The British Rail Class 307 electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh Works from 1954-1956. They were initially classified as AM7 before the introduction of TOPS.-Description:...
units were introduced on the route as a stop-gap measure in 1991. These elderly units continued in service until 1993, when the Class 321 units finally entered traffic. In 1994, they were joined by several
Class 308The British Rail Class 308 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BR at York, in three batches, from 1959–61. They were initially classified as AM8 units before the introduction of TOPS.-Class 308/1:...
units, which were introduced on services around
LeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
following electrication of the
Airedale LineThe Airedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the Metro area of northern England. The service is operated by Northern Rail, on the route connecting Leeds and Bradford with Skipton in the North of England. Some services along the line continue to Morecambe or Carlisle...
and
Wharfedale LineThe Wharfedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service connects Ilkley with Leeds and Bradford, and is operated by Northern Rail. West Yorkshire Metrocards are available for use on the line, covering Zones 3 - 5...
routes from
LeedsLeeds railway station is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England...
to
IlkleyIlkley railway station is a railway station in Ilkley, in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. On the Wharfedale Line, it is served by Class 333 electric trains run by Northern Rail, who also manage the station.-Services:...
,
SkiptonSkipton railway station serves the town of Skipton in North Yorkshire, England on the Airedale Line. It is operated by Northern Rail and is situated north-west of Leeds....
and
BradfordBradford Forster Square station is a railway station in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The majority of services to/from the station use Class 333 electrified trains operated by Northern Rail, on the Airedale Line to Skipton, the Wharfedale Line to Ilkley and the Leeds-Bradford Line to Leeds.The...
.
The Class 321/9 units were refurbished at Hunslet-Barclay,
KilmarnockKilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
from late 2006 to early 2007. The refurbishment included a new livery, refurbished interiors and reliability improvements, similar to the
Class 322The British Rail Class 322 electric multiple units were built by BREL in 1990. Five 4-car units were built for the dedicated Stansted Express service from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport. The units were then used by First ScotRail, operating on the North Berwick Branch Line, between /...
EMUs, that were also refurbished at Hunslet-Barclay,
KilmarnockKilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
.
Northern Rail
Arriva Trains NorthernArriva Trains Northern was a train operating company that operated passenger trains in Yorkshire and the North East of England. The company had previously been known as Northern Spirit before being taken over by Arriva....
(previously
Northern SpiritThis article is about the railway company Northern Spirit. For the Australian football club of the same name, see Northern Spirit FC.Northern Spirit was a UK train operating company which ran local and regional train services in the north east of England during the late 1990s.-Operations:Created...
) inherited the three Class 321/9 units 321901, 321902 and 321903. These units operate on the Leeds -
DoncasterDoncaster railway station serves the town of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross, and is about five minutes walk from Doncaster town centre. The station is managed by East Coast...
Wakefield LineThe Wakefield line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro/South Yorkshire P.T.E. area of northern England. The service connects Leeds and Wakefield with Sheffield and Doncaster. The section of the line between Leeds and Doncaster forms part of the East Coast Main...
service and occasionally on the
WharfedaleThe Wharfedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the West Yorkshire Metro area of northern England. The service connects Ilkley with Leeds and Bradford, and is operated by Northern Rail. West Yorkshire Metrocards are available for use on the line, covering Zones 3 - 5...
and
AiredaleThe Airedale Line is the name given to one of the rail services in the Metro area of northern England. The service is operated by Northern Rail, on the route connecting Leeds and Bradford with Skipton in the North of England. Some services along the line continue to Morecambe or Carlisle...
lines alongside
Class 333The British Rail Class 333 electric multiple units were built by Siemens and CAF are based on the Class 332 trains operated by Heathrow Express.-Description:...
units.
First Great Eastern/National Express East Anglia
First Great EasternFirst Great Eastern was an award-winning train operating company that operated suburban, local and medium distance train services from London Liverpool Street via Romford to Essex and Ipswich in the United Kingdom on the Great Eastern Main Line railway.First Group gained the Great Eastern...
inherited all 66 Class 321/3 units and 11 Class 321/4 units, which have now been fitted with dot matrix and audio passenger information systems by 'one'. The
Great Eastern Main LineThe Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
franchise has now been taken over by National Express East Anglia, previously branded 'one'.
These trains are primarily used for London Liverpool Street to
BraintreeBraintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
, , , , , ,
Colchester TownColchester Town railway station serves the town centre of Colchester in Essex, England. It is located on the Colchester to Clacton line and is one of only a small number of drive in/reverse out stations on the British network. It was formerly known as St Botolph's...
and on the London to
ShenfieldShenfield is a former village and now an outer suburb of Brentwood in the borough of the same name in Essex, England.-History:The name originates from the Anglo-Saxon Chenefield, meaning 'good lands'....
Metro service, but can be seen running on any electrified route if other trains fail. These are usually formed from 4, 8 or 12 carriages on any routes.
Silverlink/London Midland
SilverlinkSilverlink Train Services Ltd was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operated routes in North London and from London to Northampton...
inherited the 37 of the 48 Class 321/4 units. The remaining 11 units had been transferred to the
Great Eastern Main LineThe Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
region some years previously.
In September 2003, Silverlink's class 321 units were temporarily withdrawn following the discovery of loose bolts on brake discs in some units.
In September 2004, London Euston - Birmingham local services were divided into two separate services: Silverlink retained Northampton - London, with
Central TrainsCentral Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
taking over all local services between Birmingham and Northampton. Initially, Central Trains hired in several Class 321 units from Silverlink to work their new services, but the arrival of the new
Class 350The British Rail Class 350 "Desiro" is class of electrical multiple unit built by Siemens AG from 2004–05 and 2008–09. Thirty of these units, designated Class 350/1, were built for use by Central Trains and Silverlink on regional express services and services on the southern section of the West...
"Desiro" units means that very few Class 321 units are now required.
To accommodate this sub-lease, 3 Class 321/3 units were transferred from 'one' (since rebranded National Express East Anglia) to Silverlink. These were not permitted north of
RugbyRugby railway station serves the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. It opened during the Victorian era, in 1885, replacing earlier stations situated a little further west...
due to lack of the National Radio Network system (Eastern Region units only had the Cab Secure Radio System used for Driver Only Operated Passenger services) and therefore could not be used on Central Trains services (although they occasionally appeared on services to Rugby at weekends due to the line being closed between Rugby and Birmingham New Street). This ceased in late 2005 with the introduction of Class 350 trains on the Birmingham - Liverpool route. One of these sub-leased units was involved in a low-speed derailment at Watford Yard.
In May 2007,
Central TrainsCentral Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
began using Class 321 units on some morning services from Birmingham New Street to Walsall.
In November 2007,
London MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
took over operation of the Class 321 fleet previously used by Silverlink and Central Trains. An order was placed by London Midland with
Siemens AGSiemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
for 37
Class 350The British Rail Class 350 "Desiro" is class of electrical multiple unit built by Siemens AG from 2004–05 and 2008–09. Thirty of these units, designated Class 350/1, were built for use by Central Trains and Silverlink on regional express services and services on the southern section of the West...
'Desiro' EMU's; these were intended replace the Class 321 units.
In mid 2009,
London MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
stood down most of the units and reduced their fleet to just 321411 - 321417. These units are to be repainted by London Midland and given a very basic and minor interior refresh (replaced carpet and new First Class markings). All current fleet was refurbished. They feature on both Peak Hour workings between Northampton - London Euston and all day on the 'Abbey Flyer' Watford Junction - St. Albans Abbey branch line.
First Capital Connect
First Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
has received thirteen units (321401-10/18-20) from
London MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
following deliveries of the new Siemens Desiro
Class 350/2The British Rail Class 350 "Desiro" is class of electrical multiple unit built by Siemens AG from 2004–05 and 2008–09. Thirty of these units, designated Class 350/1, were built for use by Central Trains and Silverlink on regional express services and services on the southern section of the West...
. All 13 units have now received a new look, FCC indigo blue and 'city lights' branding, plus a full internal refresh. The units are working on the Great Northern services (London Kings Cross to Peterborough and London Kings Cross to Cambridge). At first, only 321401-6/10 saw regular use, the remainder required bogie overhauls before they could enter traffic. Since the start of the December 2010 timetable, all 13 units are now in use.
Recent Changes
It was announced on 30 January 2008 that as part of the
Department for TransportIn the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
's Rolling Stock Plan, the London Midland operated EMUs would be split between two other train operating companies (TOCs) after the arrival of the 37 additional Class 350/2 'Desiro' EMUs currently on order.
They were transferred as follows:
- 17 4-car units to National Express East Anglia sets 321421-321437
- 13 4-car units to First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
sets 321401-321410/321418-321420
First Capital Connect received their first Class 321, No. 321404, on 5 March 2009. All Units transferred to First Capital Connect have been internally refreshed at Hornsey TMD and re-painted into First Capital Connect livery. 321418 - 321420 have since also transferred to First Capital Connect.
321411 - 321417 will remain with London Midland on peak time journeys such as 321411 and 321412 which are both currently carrying LM livery. 321411 is also the first 321 to carry LM livery. All current fleet was refurbished.
321421 - 321437 were fitted with dot-matrix passenger information systems following their transfer to NXEA. They have also had their First Class area reduced and were fitted with the facility to lock-out Power Operated Doors within the unit, in the same way that 321438 - 321448 were treated many years before. These changes standardised them with the rest of the 321/4 fleet that was already operating on that route (Note: these 11 Units retain the First Class style 2+2 seating in the de-classified First Class section though). All have been progressively re-painted into National Express livery as they went through a C6 overhaul, in common with the rest of the Class 321 fleet at NXEA.
Fleet details
| Class |
No. Built |
Cars per set |
Year Built |
Operator |
No. in Traffic |
Unit nos. |
| Class 321/3 |
66 |
4 |
1988-90 |
National Express East Anglia |
66 |
321301 - 321366 |
| Class 321/4 |
48 |
1989-90 |
National Express East Anglia |
28 |
321421 - 321448 |
| London Midland |
7 |
321411 - 321417 |
| First Capital Connect |
13 |
321401 - 321410
321418 - 321420 |
| Class 321/9 |
3 |
1991 |
Northern Rail |
3 |
321901 - 321903 |
External links