BRITISH RAIL CLASS 503

'British Rail Class 503' trains were 70mph (110km/h) electric multiple units. They were introduced in two batches - in 1938 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) with a further batch (built to a similar design) in 1956 by the then nationalised British Railways (BR).
When first introduced they were seen to be of a very advanced design for a mainline railway's suburban passenger trains, featuring things such as air operated sliding doors which were opened & closed by the guard (hitherto trains either had slam doors or hand operated sliding doors).
The units spent most of their working lives on the commuter routes between Liverpool and the Wirral; routes which latterly became known as the Wirral Line of Merseyrail. In the early 1980s some units were transferred to the Northern Line for a short period, where they mainly worked the Kirkby to Garston service.
Originally these trains featured a flat front - the doors were added in the 1970s to meet safety requirements for when the city centre single-track underground loop was built.

Contents

Withdrawal and Preservation

External links

Withdrawal and Preservation

The class was replaced by Class 508 units transferred from the Southern Region. The 503s were progressively withdrawn from June 1984, the final service train running on 29 March 1985. This was followed by a farewell tour on 13 April 1985.
A single set, formed of vehicles 28690, 28720 and 29289, was earmarked for preservation. It was kept in serviceable condition and operated occasional special trains on the Merseyrail network until 1988. The unit is now owned by the Suburban Electric Railway Association and is stored at their site on the outskirts of Coventry. It is not currently on public display.

External links

★ The Railway Centre

★ Suburban Electric Railway Association