British Rail Class 333

The British Rail Class 333 is a class of electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train built by CAF between 2000 and 2003 for Northern Spirit (later Arriva Trains Northern), with traction equipment supplied by Siemens Transportation Systems. All have passed to subsequent franchises and subsequent operators Northern Rail, Arriva Rail North and Northern Trains.

British Rail Class 333
Class 333 at Ilkley in February 2020
Interior of a refurbished unit
In service12 January 2001 – present
ManufacturerCAF
Built atZaragoza, Spain
ReplacedClass 308
Constructed2000–2003
Refurbished2018–2020
Number built16
Formation
  • 4 cars per unit:
  • DMSO-PTSO-TSO-DMSO[1]
Fleet numbers333001–333016
Capacity
  • When 3-car units: 260 seats[2]
  • As 4-car units: 360 seats[3]
Owner(s)Angel Trains
Operator(s)
Depot(s)Neville Hill (Leeds)
Line(s) served
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel[1]
Car length
  • DMSO: 23.74 m (77 ft 11 in)
  • Trailers: 23.35 m (76 ft 7 in)
Width2.75 metres (9 ft 0 in)[4]
Maximum speed100 mph (160 km/h)
Weight
  • DMSO A: 50.6 t (49.8 long tons; 55.8 short tons)
  • PTSO: 46 t (45 long tons; 51 short tons)
  • TSO: 38.5 t (37.9 long tons; 42.4 short tons)
  • DMSO B: 50 t (49 long tons; 55 short tons)[1]
Traction systemSiemens SIBAS32 IGBT[5]
Traction motorsSiemens, with ZF-Hurth gearboxes[4]
Power output1,400 kW (1,900 hp)[6]
Acceleration0.9 m/s2 (2.0 mph/s)[6]
Electric system(s)25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead[1]
Current collector(s)Pantograph
Braking system(s)Disc[1][7]
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemDellner 10 (Scharfenberg)[1][8]
Multiple workingWithin class[1]
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 Transportation Systems 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.[9][10] Construction of the trains was sub-contracted to CAF with Siemens Transportation Systems providing the traction equipment.[11]

The first was delivered to Neville Hill TMD in March 2000.[12][13] The first entered service on 12 January 2001.[14]

In April 2000, a further eight trailer carriages were ordered with funding from West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and inserted into the first eight sets in 2002.[15][16][17] Subsequently a further order was placed with funding from the Strategic Rail Authority to increase the remaining sets to four carriages.[18] These were delivered in 2003.[19]

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.[20][21] 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.[22]

In 2008, all were repainted into a new livery by Wabtec at Doncaster Works that incorporated West Yorkshire Metro branding.[23]

When Arriva Rail North was awarded the Northern franchise in December 2015 plans were announced for the replacement of Class 333 units with a new fleet of 3-car trains,[24] though ultimately this did not occur.

Between December 2018 and April 2020, all were refurbished by Chrysalis Rail, Holbeck and repainted into Arriva Rail North and later Northern Trains livery.[25][26][27]

In 2022, the 333s started receiving digital upgrades, and these upgrades include added USB power plugs and Digital display screens among other upgrades.[28]

Performance

The units are capable of 100 mph (160 km/h),[1][7][29] 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.[5]

Fleet details
Class Operator No. built Year built Cars per unit Unit nos.
Class 333 Northern Trains 16 2000–2003 4 333001–333016

Named units

Two units have previously carried names:

  • Class 333 in the original Northern Spirit livery
    Class 333 in the original Northern Spirit livery
  • The original interior of a Class 333
    The original interior of a Class 333

See also

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 333.
  1. "Class 333 - Northern Rail (by Arriva)". www.angeltrains.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  2. "Electric Multiple Unit Class 333, UK". Siemens AG. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  3. "Northern Franchise Agreement" (PDF). Gov.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  4. "Class 333". angeltrains.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  5. "Class 333 makes its debut". Railway Gazette International. 1 May 2000. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019.
  6. "Reference Brochure Trains" (PDF). mobility.siemens.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  7. "NORTHERN SPIRIT". CAF. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  8. System Data for Mechanical and Electrical Coupling of Rail Vehicles in support of GM/RT2190 (PDF). London: Rail Safety and Standards Board. 22 June 2011. p. 4. SD001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  9. "West Yorkshire's new trains to be of Heathrow Express quality". The Railway Magazine. No. 1165. May 1998. p. 9.
  10. "World Update". Railway Age. September 1998. p. 31.
  11. "HEx clones for Leeds triangle". Modern Railways. No. 595. April 1998. p. 213.
  12. "Arriva's Northern Spirit Class 333 EMU is delivered". Rail. No. May 379. 22 March 2000. p. 7.
  13. "First Class 333 arrives". The Railway Magazine. No. 1189. May 2000. p. 39.
  14. "Class 333s in service at last". The Railway Magazine. No. 1199. March 2001. p. 11.
  15. "Class 333 order strengthened". Rail Express. No. 47. April 2000. p. 9.
  16. "£12m investment in new train carriages". Telegraph & Argus. 21 March 2002. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020.
  17. "All eight 333 trailers in traffic". Rail. No. 436. 29 May 2002. p. 58.
  18. "First 333 trailer arrives as SRA confirms eight more". Rail. No. 426. 9 January 2002. p. 54.
  19. "New Class 333 trailers arrive". Rail. No. 464. 25 June 2003. p. 13.
  20. "Overcrowding fears if rail carriages on loan are recalled". Wharfedale Observer. 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020.
  21. "Boost for Ilkley and Skipton travellers". Telegraph & Argus. 28 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020.
  22. Hill, Neville (May 2015). "0-60!". Rail Express. No. 228. p. 27. ISSN 1362-234X.
  23. "EMU to be Reliveried". Rail. No. 597. 30 July 2008. p. 67.
  24. "Northern's electrics". Rail Magazine. No. 790. 23 December 2015. p. 9.
  25. "First refurbished Northern 333 in service". Today's Railways UK. No. 208. April 2019. p. 67.
  26. "Refreshed Northern Class 333". Railways Illustrated. May 2019. p. 14.
  27. "Final refurbished 333 released". Rail Express. No. 289. June 2020. p. 27.
  28. "Northern moves forward with Class 333 upgrade programme – RailAdvent". Rail Advent. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  29. "SUBURBAN TRAIN NORTHERN SPIRIT". CAF. Archived from the original on 1 June 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  30. "NAME GAME". Rail Express. No. April 2020. p. 83.
  31. "NAME GAME". Rail Express. No. July 2019. p. 91.


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