British Rail Class 376
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| British Rail Class 376 "Electrostar" | |
|---|---|
 Class 376, no. 376002 at London Bridge This unit is now operated by Southeastern. |
|
|
|
|
| In service | 2004 - Current |
| Manufacturer | Bombardier Transportation |
| Family name | Electrostar |
| Number built | 36 trainsets |
| Formation | 5 cars per trainset |
| Capacity | 344 seats |
| Operator | Southeastern |
| Specifications | |
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (120 km/h) |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm |
| Voltage | 750 V DC third rail |
The Class 376 Suburban Electrostar is a model of electric multiple-unit passenger train manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. It is part of the Electrostar family, which are the most common EMUs introduced since the privatisation of British Rail. The units were ordered by Connex South Eastern, introduced by South Eastern Trains, and are now operated by Southeastern.
It is a derivative of the Class 375 Electrostar designed specifically for use on the high-volume metro routes running south-east from London, England. The changes are mostly focussed on increasing the trains’ capacity and decreasing the time they must spend stopped in station. The Class 376’s doors are wider to allow more passengers to board at once, and are metro-style sliding doors which are faster and more reliable than the Class 375’s plug doors, although they do not provide as much insulation for heating and cooling purposes. In order to provide more standing room, the trains also have fewer seats, more handrails, and no on-board toilets (South Eastern promised to provide additional facilities in their stations to compensate).
Class 376 units are five carriages long, and unlike the Class 375, have full-width cabs instead of gangways at the ends of the train; it is therefore not possible to walk between two coupled Class 376 units. The cab front is also smooth and ‘step free’ to reduce the problem of ‘train surfing’ in South London.
Like all new trains in the United Kingdom using third-rail power, one carriage in each unit has a recess in its roof where a pantograph could be fitted, so as to allow for future conversion to overhead AC power.
Although all units are DC only, the class is numbered in the 3xx series normally used for AC and dual-voltage units.
Because of the Dellner coupling on this train, it is only possible to couple this train to a Class 171
All Class 376 trains are allocated to Slade Green and are most seen on routes between London and Dartford.
Contents |
[edit] London Overground
For the new London Overground service, Transport for London has ordered a version of the Class 376, to be named as the Class 378, to replace the Class 313 units and A60 and A62 stock. The new units will operate on the North London Line, West London Line and East London Line, and are expected to be delivered from 2009.
[edit] Diagram
[edit] See also
- Classes 357, 375, and 377 Electrostar
- Classes 170 and 171 Turbostar
- Southeastern
- Bombardier
[edit] External links
|
||||||||
