British Rail Mark 5A

The British Rail Mark 5A is a type of railway vehicle in use in the UK. 52 standard carriages and 14 driving trailers were built by Spanish manufacturer CAF, and all are currently operated by TransPennine Express.[7] They first entered service on 24 August 2019.

This article is about the coaches built for TransPennine Express. For the Caledonian Sleeper coaches, see British Rail Mark 5 (CAF).

British Rail Mark 5A
TransPennine Express Mk5A set at Lancaster
In service24 August 2019 – present
ManufacturerCAF
Built atBeasain[1]
Constructed2017–2018
Number built66
Successor
Capacity291 seats (261 standard, 30 first class)[3]
Owner(s)Beacon Rail[4]
Operator(s)TransPennine Express
Line(s) servedNorth Pennine[5]
Specifications
Car body constructionFully integral aluminium monocoque
Car length
  • 22.2 m (72 ft 10 in) (intermediate trailer)
  • 22.37 m (73 ft 5 in) (driving trailer)[6]
Width2.75 m (9 ft 0 in)
DoorsSliding plug, at body ends
Maximum speed125 mph (201 km/h)[6]
Weightmax. tare 43 t (42 long tons; 47 short tons)
Braking system(s)Cheek mounted discs
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
Transpennine Express passenger cars

Description

TransPennine Express announced in 2016 that they were to procure 126 new vehicles from CAF, which included 66 Mark 5A locomotive-hauled coaches. They would be formed into thirteen 5-carriage sets, hauled by Class 68 locomotives. This equates to 65 coaches for total service, with the 66th coach being a spare Driving Trailer.[8]

TPE set of Class 68 with Mark 5 coaches on a test run.

The sets are currently used on services between Liverpool and Scarborough as well as between Manchester Airport and Saltburn.[9] Each set is composed of 1 first class carriage with guards area and catering provision, 1 standard class carriage with PRM toilet, 2 standard class carriages and a standard class Driving Trailer (DT). In October 2016, production started on these coaches,[10] and in March 2017, CAF and TPE released a photo of the first completed bodyshell.[11]

The first completed rake was sent for testing at Velim test centre in March 2018,[12] the second set being delivered straight to the UK in May 2018 via Portbury ahead of their planned entry into service in the autumn of that year.[13][14] TransPennine Express have branded their new trains under the general name Nova, with the Class 68 + Mark 5A combination given the name Nova 3.[15]

In April 2019, the first Nova 3 set was officially handed over from CAF to TPE, after a mandatory period of fault-free running.[16] As of 2022, four sets are used daily, making them the most underutilised fleets of passenger stock in the country at five years old.[17]

Operation

The first set entered service on 24 August 2019 between Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough.[18]

The Nova 3 was officially launched on 25 November 2019 at Liverpool Lime Street station alongside other members of the new Nova fleet.[19]

In August 2023, TransPennine Express announced plans to withdraw their Mark 5A fleet from the December 2023 timetable revision.[20]

References
  1. "Countdown to New Trains Begins - First TransPennine Express". www.tpexpress.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  2. Clinnick, Richard (October 2023). "TPE confirms Nova 3 withdrawal plan". Rail Express. No. 329. p. 8.
  3. "TPE Nova 3". www.tpexpress.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 April 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  4. "Class 68s removed from TPE's southern route". Railways Illustrated. No. 248. October 2023. p. 9.
  5. "TPE tells staff loco-hauled MK.5 sets will end this year". The Railway Magazine. No. 1460. September 2023. p. 25.
  6. "FIRST GROUP TRANSPENNINE PASSENGER CARS". CAF. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  7. Pritchard, Robert (March 2017). "Rolling Stock Update". Today's Railways. No. 183. pp. 38–43.
  8. Clinnick, Richard (25 April 2018). "Testing...testing...". Rail Magazine. No. 851. Peterborough: Bauer Media. p. 62. ISSN 0953-4563.
  9. James, Robin (November 2018). "Changing Times at Transpennine Express". Today's Railways UK. No. 203. Sheffield: Platform 5. p. 38. ISSN 1475-9713.
  10. "TransPennine Express coach production begins". Railway Gazette International. 27 October 2016. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  11. "CAF and TPE reveal first Mark 5A bodyshell". Global Rail News. 7 March 2017. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  12. "First Trans-Pennine Express Mk 5A coaches head to Velim". 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  13. "First TransPennine Express Mk 5As arrive in UK". Rail Magazine. 29 May 2018. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  14. "First TPE modified Class 68s sent to Spain for initial testing". Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  15. "TransPennine Express - Together February 2018". Issuu. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  16. "First TransPennine Express Nova 3 train handed over". Rail Engineer. 13 April 2019. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  17. "Trans pennine express diagrams". Railtourinfo.co.uk. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  18. "UK railway news round-up". Railway Gazette International. 29 August 2019. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019.
  19. "TransPennine Express launches Nova fleet". Railway Gazette International. 25 November 2019. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  20. "TransPennine Express to stop using loco-hauled push-pull trains in December". Railway Gazette International. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
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