British Rail Class 333

The British Rail Class 333 is an electric multiple unit built by Siemens Mobility and CAF between 2000 and 2003 for Northern Spirit. All have passed to subsequent franchises and subsequent operators Northern Rail, Arriva Rail North and Northern Trains.

British Rail Class 333
333002 at Ilkley in February 2020
Interior of a refurbished unit
In service2001–present
ManufacturerSiemens Mobility and CAF
Built atZaragoza, Spain
ReplacedClass 308
Constructed2000 - 2003
Refurbished2018 - 2020
Number built16 sets
Formation4 carriages per set
Fleet numbers333001–333016
Capacity360 seats
Operator(s)Northern Trains
Depot(s)Neville Hill TMD
Specifications
Car length23.74 metres (77 ft 11 in) (DMSO)
23.35 metres (76 ft 7 in) (TSO, PTSO)
Maximum speed100 mph (160 km/h)
Weight186.4 t (183.5 long tons; 205.5 short tons)
Power output1.4 MW (1,900 hp)
Electric system(s)25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead
Current collection methodPantograph
Braking system(s)Regenerative air brake
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

History

In March 1998, Angel Trains ordered 16 three-carriage sets from Siemens 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.[1][2] The first was delivered to Neville Hill TMD in March 2000.[3][4] The first entered service on 12 January 2001.[5][6]

In April 2000, a further eight trailer carriages were ordered with funding from West Yorkshire Metro and inserted into the first eight sets in 2002.[7][8][9] Subsequently a further order was placed with funding from the Strategic Rail Authority to increase the remaining sets to four carriages.[10] These were delivered in 2003.[11]

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.[12][13] 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.[14]

In 2008, all were repainted into a new livery by Wabtec at Doncaster Works that incorporated West Yorkshire Metro branding.[15] Between December 2018 and April 2020, all were refurbished by Chrysalis Rail, Holbeck and repainted into Arriva Rail North livery.[16][17][18]

Performance

The units are capable of 100 mph (160 km/h), 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.[19]

They are fitted with Scharfenberg couplers at each end and are only compatible within their own class.[20]

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

References
  1. West Yorkshire's new trains to be of Heathrow Express quality The Railway Magazine issue 1165 May 1998 page 9
  2. World Update Railway Age September 1998 page 31
  3. Arriva's Northern Spirit Class 333 EMU is delivered Rail issue 379 22 March 2000 page 7
  4. First Class 333 arrives The Railway Magazine issue 1189 May 2000 page 39
  5. Class 333s in service at last The Railway Magazine issue 1199 March 2001 page 11
  6. Electric Multiple Unit Class 333, UK Siemens
  7. Class 333 order strengthened Rail Express issue 47 April 2000 page 9
  8. £12m investment in new train carriages Telegraph & Argus 21 March 2002
  9. All eight 333 trailers in traffic Rail issue 436 29 May 2002 page 58
  10. First 333 trailer arrives as SRA confirms eight more Rail issue 426 9 January 2002 page 54
  11. New Class 333 trailers arrive Rail issue 464 25 June 2003 page 13
  12. Overcrowding fears if rail carriages on loan are recalled Wharfedale Observer 23 November 2006
  13. Boost for Ilkley and Skipton travellers Telegraph & Argus 28 April 2007
  14. Hill, Neville (May 2015). "0-60!". Rail Express. No. 228. p. 27. ISSN 1362-234X.
  15. EMU to be Reliveried Rail issue 597 30 July 2008 page 67
  16. First refurbished Northern 333 in service Today's Railways UK issue 208 April 2019 page 67
  17. Refreshed Northern Class 333 Railways Illustrated May 2019 page 14
  18. Final refurbished 333 released Rail Express issue 289 June 2020 page 27
  19. Class 333 makes its debut Railway Gazette International 1 May 2000
  20. "Regional Passenger Trains Angel Trains". www.angeltrains.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
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