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| British Rail Class 508 | |
|---|---|
 Merseyrail Class 508 atHightown | |
 The interior of a Merseyrail-refurbished Class 508 unit | |
| In service | 17 December 1979 – 16 January 2024[1] |
| Manufacturer | British Rail Engineering Limited |
| Orderno. |
|
| Built at | Holgate Road Works,York |
| Family name | BREL 1972 |
| Replaced | Class 503 |
| Constructed | 1979–1980 |
| Refurbished | |
| Number built | 43 |
| Number preserved | 0 (driving trailer 508 one unit only) |
| Number scrapped | 41 |
| Successor | |
| Formation | |
| Diagram |
|
| Design code | 4PER[4] |
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Capacity |
|
| Owners | Angel Trains[6] |
| Operators | |
| Depots | |
| Lines served | |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel underframe and body frame,aluminium body and roof |
| Car length |
|
| Width | 2.820 m (9 ft 3.0 in) |
| Height | 3.582 m (11 ft 9.0 in) |
| Floor height | 1.146 m (3 ft 9.1 in) |
| Doors | Double-leaf pocket sliding,each 1.288 m (4 ft 2.7 in) wide(2 per side per car) |
| Wheelbase | Over bogie centres: 14.170 m (46 ft 5.9 in) |
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (120 km/h) |
| Weight |
|
| Traction motors | |
| Power output | 656 kW (880 hp) |
| HVAC | Electric heating (ducted warm air) |
| Electric system(s) | 750–850 VDCthird rail[2] |
| Current collection | Contact shoe |
| UIC classification | Bo′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′ |
| Bogies | BREL BX1 |
| Minimum turning radius | 70.4 m (231 ft 0 in) |
| Braking system(s) | Electro-pneumatic (disc)andrheostatic[2][5] |
| Safety system(s) | |
| Coupling system | Tightlock |
| Multiple working | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge |
| Notes/references | |
| Specifications as at August 1982[9] except where otherwise noted. The additional TSO vehicles, removed as part of three-car conversion, were inserted intoClass 455/7 units.[2] | |
TheBritish Rail Class 508 (4PER)electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger trains were built byBritish Rail Engineering Limited, atHolgate Road carriage works, York, in 1979 and 1980. They were a variant ofBritish Rail's standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, eventually encompassing 755 vehicles and five classes (313/314/315/507/508).[10] They mostly worked on theMerseyrail network from 1982 until withdrawal on 16 January 2024.[1]
The class was developed for Merseyside, following extensive trials and testing of the4Pep/2Pep stock that was built in the early 1970s. Testing ofClass 313 took place on theNorthern line on Merseyside, using 313013/063[11] which were loaned from theGreat Northern Line of theEastern Region toHall Road TMD. Original plans were drawn up for 58 Class 508s to be constructed, although costing issues limited the eventual number to 43. Following planning and building, British Rail diverted the 508s to work alongside much older first-generation4Sub EMUs on suburban services out ofLondon Waterloo. The first unit was delivered toStrawberry Hill depot on 9 August 1979. Based atWimbledon Traincare Depot, they soon became problematic due to their non-standard dimensions and brake problems caused by leaf fall.[7][12]
Once a new build ofClass 455 EMUs was completed, the Class 508s were sent slowly to their originally intended home on the Merseyrail network. Driver training began atKirkdale on 17 February 1982 and the first Class 508 began service on the Northern line the following month. The firstWirral line service commenced on 8 June 1984 and the Class 508s had completely displaced theClass 503 fleet by the end of March 1985. The fleet was then working in parallel with the already well-established fleet ofClass 507 EMUs across the River Mersey, which had been working on Merseyside since 1978.[7]
Silverlink leased three 508/0s in 2003 for operation on theWatford DC Line to assist its fleet ofClass 313 EMUs. They were modified to make them inter-operable with 313s and were reclassified as Class 508/3. These were withdrawn following the delivery ofClass 378Capitalstar units, and the 508/3s were scrapped in 2013.[8]
In the late 1980s under British Rail, the entire class of 43 units operated on the Merseyrail network,[13] By 2010, the number operated by Merseyrail had been reduced to 27 units.[14] and were primarily maintained atBirkenhead North TMD, with minor maintenance being undertaken atKirkdale TMD.
A farewell tour for the Class 508 operated using units 508139 and 508141 took place on 29 October 2023,[15] and the class was withdrawn from service on 16 January 2024.[1]
Connex South Eastern leased twelve Class 508s freed up by capacity reductions on Merseyrail services in 1996, for operation on specificKent services that would replace slam-door4CEP units.[16] They were refurbished atEastleigh Works, including the installation of 2+2 seating and wheel-in cycle racks in the centre cars, and reclassified as theClass 508/2 (508201-212).[17] Their main duties includedLondon Bridge toTunbridge Wells,Paddock Wood toStrood,Maidstone West toThree Bridges andSittingbourne toSheerness-on-Sea, as well asGrove Park toBromley North for a short period. Units were based atGillingham Depot.[citation needed]
Due to their comfort and ride quality, alongside the lack of toilets and first class facilities, which were felt as a downgrade from the slam-door units they replaced, the Class 508s were unpopular with passengers. In 2005, one unit was refurbished by interim operatorSouth Eastern Trains to improve external appearances, with a black, white and yellow livery.[citation needed]
In September 2006 new operatorSoutheastern announced that a cascade of rolling stock would seeClass 466 units replace the 508s on the Sheerness and Medway Valley lines in the December 2006 timetable.[18] Following this timetable change, the fleet's diagrams were reduced to six serviceable units, resulting in five sets being placed in "warm store" atChart Leacon TMD, and one unit was cannibalised. With the transfer of the Tonbridge to London via Redhill services to Southern, Southeastern placed its remaining Class 508 units in store in December 2008.[19]
Network Rail's Route Utilisation Strategy for Merseyside has called for an expansion to Merseyrail's current fleet to allow for both additional services and lengthening of trains to six cars. In December 2009 it was reported by various sources that the former Southeastern and London Overground units would be transferred to Merseyrail.[20][21]
In May 2012,Merseytravel announced that it was beginning a project for replacement of the Class 508 and 507.[22][23] The lease on the Class 507s and 508s had been extended to 2018. As part of the agreement withAngel Trains, the fleet received a refresh package including external re-livery, internal enhancements and engineering work.[24]
In January 2016, Merseytravel announced the short list of companies bidding to build new trains which will replace the Class 507 and Class 508s on the Merseyrail network.[22] In December 2016, Merseytravel announced thatStadler had won the £460 million contract and that the newClass 777 trains were to be delivered from summer 2019 with all the old trains replaced by 2021.[25] The first unit entered service late in January 2023.[26]
The last Class 508 unit was sent for scrap in February 2024.[27]
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| Class | Operator | Status | Qty. | Year built | Cars per unit | Unit nos. | Year converted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 508/1 | Merseyrail | Scrapped | 28 | 1979–1980 | 3 | 508103-508104, 508108, 508110-508112, 508114-508115, 508117-508118, 508120, 508122-508128, 508130-508131, 508134, 508136-508141, 508143[1] | From 508/0 in 1984-85[3] |
| 508/2 | Connex South Eastern | 10 | 508201–508206, 508208–508211[a] | From 508/1 in 1998[3] | |||
| 2 | 508207,[b] 508212[c] | ||||||
| 508/3 | Silverlink | 3 | 508301–508303[citation needed] | From 508/1 in 2002-03[3] |
Notes
Individual vehicles were numbered in the following ranges:[3]
| DMSO | TSO | BDMSO |
|---|---|---|
| 64649–64691 | 71483–71525 | 64692–64734 |
The TSO vehicles transferred into the Class 455/7 fleet were numbered in the range 71526–71568.[3]
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Class 508 units appeared in a large number of liveries:
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Named units were as follows:[36]
