In service 1979 - Current Built at BREL York | Manufacturer BREL Family name BREL 1972 "PEP" | |
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Order no. 30979 (DMSO)30980 (TSO)30981 (BDMSO) |
British Rail Class 508 (or 4PER) electric multiple units (EMUs) were built by BREL York works in 1979-80. They were the fourth variant of BR's standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, eventually encompassing 755 vehicles and five classes (313/314/315/507/508). They have mostly worked on the Merseyrail network since 1983, and continue to do so, now refurbished by Alstom's Eastleigh Works. The Class 508 unit is now 38 years old, making them among the oldest units still in service on the UK mainland rail network, after the Class 313 and Class 507.
Contents
Description
The class was developed for Merseyside following extensive trials and testing of the 4Pep/2Pep stock built in the early 1970s. Testing of Class 313 took place on the Northern Line on Merseyside, using 313013/063 which were loaned from the Great Northern Line of the Eastern Region to Hall Road depot. Original plans were drawn up for 58 Class 508s to be constructed, although costing issues limited the eventual number to 43. However, following planning and building, British Rail decided to divert the 508s to work alongside much older first-generation 4Sub EMUs in the London Waterloo area. The first unit was delivered to Strawberry Hill depot on 9 August 1979. Based at Wimbledon Park depot, they soon became problematic due to their non-standard dimensions and brake problems caused by leaf fall. Once a new build of Class 455 EMUs were complete, the Class 508s were slowly sent to their originally intended home on the Merseyrail network. Driver training began at Kirkdale on 17 February 1982, and the first Class 508 began service on the Northern Line the following month. The first Wirral Line service commenced on 8 June 1984, and the Class 508s had completely displaced the Class 503 fleet by the end of March 1985. The fleet was then working in parallel with the already well-established fleet of Class 507 EMUs across the River Mersey, which had been working on Merseyside since 1978.
Delivered to the Southern Region as four-car sets numbered 508 001–043, all of the sets were reduced to three cars for Merseyside operation by the removal of one trailer and renumbered as 508/1. The individual passenger door controls were plated over before they were sent north. The spare trailer car from each set was incorporated into class 455/7 EMUs. Carriage numbering is as follows:
Merseyrail
Merseyrail operates 27 508s, which are used interchangeably between the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. They commonly work the following services:
Merseyrail's fleet of Class 508 units are primarily maintained at Birkenhead North TMD, with minor maintenance being undertaken at Kirkdale TMD. The units, when out of service, have stabling points at various sidings around the Merseyrail network. These can be found at the station termini and the depots, as well as at Rock Ferry station and Birkenhead North station.
Southeastern
Connex South Eastern leased twelve Class 508s freed up by capacity reductions on Merseyrail services in 1996 (508101/105/106/107/109/113/116/119/121/129/132/133), for operation on specific Kent services. Their main duties included London Bridge to Tunbridge Wells, Paddock Wood to Strood, Maidstone West to Three Bridges and Sittingbourne to Sheerness-on-Sea, as well as Grove Park to Bromley North for a short period. Units were based at Gillingham Depot.
In September 2006 new operator Southeastern announced that a cascade of rolling stock would see Class 466 units replace the 508s on the Sheerness and Medway Valley lines in the December 2006 timetable. Following this timetable change the fleet was reduced to six serviceable units. There were five sets in 'warm store' at Ashford Chart Leacon, and one unit, 508212, was cannibalised to keep the surviving service units in operation, including the swap of its TSO coach with one from a unit that ran into a tree on the Redhill to Tonbridge Line. With the transfer of the Tonbridge to London via Redhill services to Southern, Southeastern placed its remaining 508s in store in December 2008.
Silverlink
Silverlink leased three 508s from Angel Trains in 2003 for operation on the Watford DC Line to assist its fleet of Class 313 EMUs. These were withdrawn following the delivery of Class 378 Capitalstar units. These three Class 508/3 units were modified by Alstom Eastleigh to designs provided by Interfleet Technology to make them inter-operable with Class 313 units.
Fleet information
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. Two ex-London-Overground units were moved to Warrington Arpley Yard in November 2009, but returned south soon after. Meanwhile, the ex Southeastern 508s were moved to Telford Railfreight Terminal for storage between May 2010 and February 2011 before they moved to Eastleigh for further storage in late 2011. On 14 August 2012, 508212 was moved to the Fire Training College at Moreton-in-Marsh.
Liveries
Class 508s have appeared in many colours over their lifetimes, more so than any EMU of similar type.
Naming
Named units are as follows:
Birkenhead Fire
508118 was gutted by fire during 2001 at Birkenhead.
Crowhurst derailment
On 6 March 2007 508210, forming the 0500 Tonbridge to Gatwick Airport, derailed near Crowhurst, Surrey, after hitting a fallen tree on the line. None of the eight people on board were hurt.
Liverpool Central derailment
On 26 October 2005 508124, forming 2W43 1706 West Kirby return via Liverpool Lime Street, derailed 200m short of Liverpool Central, caused by track gauge widening due to poor track condition. There were no serious injuries. The RAIB report cited incompatibility between Class 508 (and 507) EMUs and the Liverpool Loop track as a causal factor, along with maintenance and other track design concerns.
Plans for replacement
On 14 May 2012, Merseytravel announced that it was beginning a project for replacement of the 508s and 507s. The lease on the Class 507s and 508s has been extended to 2018. As part of the agreement with Angel Trains, the fleet will receive a refresh package including external re-livery, internal enhancements and engineering work.
On 11 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. In December 2016, Merseytravel announced that Stadler had won the £460 million contract and that the new trains would be delivered from summer 2019 with all the old trains replaced by 2021.