Following the withdrawal of the Class 313 fleet in 2023, the Class 507 fleet were the oldest EMUs operating on the mainline rail network in Great Britain until their withdrawal in 2024.[8] However, the even older1972 Stock and1973 Stock are still in service onLondon Underground's Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines.
With theClass 502 units life-expired, unable to cope with the demands of the newLink tunnel and approaching 40years old, by 1977 a replacement was sought. Owing to the success of theClass 313 fleet on suburban services fromKing's Cross, four sets were temporarily transferred toMerseyside and based atHall Road TMD. Sets 313013/063[9] were used for clearance trials on theSouthport,Ormskirk andKirkby-Garston lines. The results showed that a similar type of stock would be suitable for the MerseyrailNorthern line.
Initially, 47 sets were ordered (507001–507047) but cost issues forced this number to be reduced to 38 units, then 30 by early 1978 when the first sets were under construction. Ultimately, 33 units were built between September 1978 and October 1979.The first set was delivered toBirkenhead North depot during September 1978,[1] with the first test run taking place on 9 October 1978.[1]
On 25 October 1978, a Royal Special involving units 507001 and 507002 conveyedThe Queen and several other VIPs on a special service betweenMoorfields andKirkby. Following the journey, she declared the new-look Merseyrail network officially open.[10] The first passenger working occurred on 1 November 1978, with unit 507001 working the 07:39Southport-Liverpool Central with a commemorativeheadboard.[1] It worked betweenLiverpool and Southport for the remainder of the day, while unit 507002 operated between Liverpool and Ormskirk. Further Class 507 units steadily entered service and the Class 502 was, in turn, withdrawn. By mid-1980, Northern line services were entirely in the hands of the Class 507 and all of the sets were in service by October 1980.[1] A host of new liveries appeared following sectorisation ofBritish Rail.
Followingprivatisation, the Class 507 units were used interchangeably between both the Northern line and theWirral line, working a further four routes regularly. The remaining 32 units were refurbished byAlstom Eastleigh during 2002–2005. They received new interiors, CCTV, light clustersdot matrix displays and the 2+3 seating was replaced with 2+2 seats.[11] Unit 507033 was the last Merseyside set to be refurbished, entering service having been namedCllr George Howard in August 2005.[12][13]
The first of two Class 507 farewell tours took place on 15 September 2024. The second farewell tour took place on 3 November 2024.[14][15]
The Class 507 was withdrawn on 28 November 2024.[2]
Class 507 units are formed of three cars, and numbered 507001 to 507033.[16] Original plans were drawn up for 47; later 38 Class 507 units to be built, but costs enforced a reduction in the number. Sets are made up of two driving motor cars ('A' DMSO with the compressor; 'B' BDMSO with the battery) and a trailer.
Originally, each three-car set seated 234 passengers, this figure being reduced to 222 following interior modifications during the 1990s. After the introduction of high back seats during refurbishment in 2004/2005 this was reduced to 192 with space for cyclists and disabled people improved.
The Class 507 (and 508) replacedLMS-designedClass 502 EMUs on the Northern line andClass 503 EMUs on the Wirral line.
The Class 507 units operated services on the Merseyrail network. Sets were used interchangeably between the Northern line and the Wirral line from 1997. Between 2023 and 2024 the class was slowly withdrawn from service, being replaced by theClass 777.[2][14]
Merseyrail expected that the Class 507 and 508 units would be withdrawn around 2014 and replaced by a new EMU, but this was postponed following a refurbishment. In May 2012,Merseytravel announced that it had formally begun a project for replacement.[17] The fleet received a refresh package including external re-livery, internal enhancements and engineering work.[18]
In January 2016, Merseytravel announced the short list of companies bidding to build new trains which will replace the Class 507 and 508 on the Merseyrail network.[19] In December 2016, Merseytravel announced thatStadler had won the £460million contract and that the newClass 777 trains would be delivered from summer 2019 with all the old trains replaced by 2021.[citation needed] The first unit entered service late in January 2023.[20]
The last Class 507 leavingNewport, Wales, 23 January 2025. The unit nearest the camera (507001) has been preserved; the other unit (507029) was scrapped in Newport.
In March 2024, the Class 507 Preservation Society reached an agreement to preserve 507001[21] after the chairman of the society bought the unit for £1 fromAngel Trains.[22] Acrowdfunding campaign to raise £10,000 to move the train by road to the Nant Mawr visitor centre at theTanat Valley Light Railway was set up by the society in May 2024.[23]
On 23 January 2025, 507001 arrived at Unimetals Newport where it was then taken by road toAlstom'sLitchurch Lane Works in Derby,[24] arriving on 27 January 2025 in preparation for its display atAlstom's The Greatest Gathering event in August 2025.[25]
A DMSO coach from 507028 has been placed in the new Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Training School at Aintree Fire Station.[26]
Unit 507022 was written off as a result of a serious collision with unit 507004 at Kirkdale TMD on 30 September 1991.[27]
On 30 June 2009, unit 507002 ran away from Kirkdale TMD under power – but not under the control of a driver – and reached an estimated speed of 30 mph (48 km/h) before being derailed at a set of points that joined the depot to the main line.[28][29] Following the derailment, the train came to rest blocking the main line at a position where a passenger-carrying train had passed only seconds before.[30] The incident was caused by a failure by depot workers to apply to the train's brakes before isolating the train from the traction current supply when conducting diagnostic testing. When the isolation was subsequently removed, the train's traction supply was re-energised and it proceeded to move under its own power.[30] Merseyrail pleaded guilty to breaching theHealth and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 by failing to ensure that its workers met the required safety standards, and was ordered to pay a fine of £85,000 and legal costs of £20,970.15.[30][31][32]
On 13 March 2021, unit 507006 was the lead unit of a train that overran the buffer stop andderailed at Kirkby station. Twelve people sustained minor injuries and the unit was written-off.[33] TheRail Accident Investigation Branch found that the driver failed to apply the brakes at the appropriate time, due to being distracted.[34]
^abcdefghijkFox, Peter (1994).British Railways Pocket Book No. 4: Electric Multiple Units (7th ed.). Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. pp. 85–86.ISBN978-1-872524-60-3.OCLC655645349.
^abcd"Merseyrail Class 507s down to single figures as Stadler 777 takeover approaches final phase". News.Railways Illustrated. No. 257. July 2024. p. 14.
^Pritchard, Robert (June 2024). "Merseyrail 507 run down continues". Rolling Stock News.Today's Railways UK. No. 268. p. 62.
^Russell, David (May 2024). "Class 507". Units.Rail Express. No. 336. p. 25.
^"Merseyrail Class 507s head for scrap... '777s' into store". Network News.Rail Magazine. No. 1003. 21 February 2024. p. 25.
^"Final road trip".Rail Express. No. 306. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. November 2021. p. 11.
^"Merseyrail Class 777s expand operations".Rail Express. No. 329. October 2023. p. 20.
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