BRITISH RAIL CLASS 350

The British Rail 'Class 350' "Desiro" electrical multiple units were built by Siemens AG from 2004-2005. Thirty of these units were built for use by Central Trains and Silverlink on regional express services and Central Citylink services on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line. The "Desiro" family also includes units of Classes 185, 360, 444 and 450.

Contents

Description

Current operations

Slight Alteration

Description

These units were originally part of an order for thirty-two 5-car Class 450 units for South West Trains. However, they were never built as such. Of the 160 carriages ordered, 40 were diverted as an additional ten 4-car Class 450 units, and the remaining 120 were modified as thirty 4-car Class 350 units. The main difference in design between Class 350 and Class 450 units is the power source. The Class 450 units operate from 750 V dc from a third rail, whilst the Class 350 units operate from both 25 kV ac from an overhead power supply, and also 750 V dc from a third-rail (although this capacity is not used in service at the present time, but has been on test both at Northampton and Southampton depots.).

Current operations

The units are currently in service on Silverlink County services between Northampton and London Euston, and Central Trains services between Birmingham and Northampton via Coventry, a new Birmingham-Preston service (via Crewe and Wigan) and almost all Birmingham - Liverpool services having replaced Class 170 and class 323 units. Most recently Desiros have taken over some peak services between Birmingham and Walsall.
They are painted in an overall grey livery with blue doors and blue window surrounds. They have the mandatory yellow front-end warning panel required by safety rules. They are painted in this livery due to them being jointly owned.
Every set of doors has its own set of guard operated door controls behind a lockable panel, allowing the guard to check tickets on the train without having to return to a single control position to operate the doors, an important consideration on local services with frequent stops.
Driving cabs have three radio systems - Cab Secure Radio (CSR), National Radio Network (NRN) and the newest system, GSM-R. This allows a great deal of operational flexibility.
Flip Dot destination screens (Passenger Information System - PIDs) are both situated at the Driving Ends and Side of each carriage of the train. LED based PIDs are located inside the carriage. CCTV is fitted throughout the train.
The trains are managed at a new purpose built depot at Northampton, which opened in June 2006, and can also service class 321's and other Desiro members if so required. It is located at Kings Heath, near Kingsthorpe which is just North of Northampton station. The depot equipped to maintain the entire Class 350 fleet. The depot is managed by Siemens on behalf of Angel Trains for Central Trains and Silverlink.
Recently after a much publicised period of low reliability the Class 350 for April 07 topped the MPC (Miles per casualty) charts for the first time managing just over 60,000; the only unit to run it close on operations North of London was Silverlink's own 321's, which still despite being 20 years old managed a respectable 43,000 Mpc.
London Midland, the successful winner of the West Midlands franchise (which includes much of the old Central and all of the Silverlink County franchises) has announced that it will purchase a further 37 class 350 units to replace the 321s. The loss of Virgin services during the peaks for Milton Keynes commuters means that the additional capacity required from Silverlink/London Midland will be provided by the Class 321s until sufficient further Desiros arrive.

Slight Alteration

350103,105 and 108 have had the front carriages switched with each other after one of these units hit a tree whilst on test in the UK in 2005. the formations are as follows:
350103 63765 66813 66863 63713,
350105 63763 66815 66868 63715,
350108 63768 66818 66865 63718,