Each Class 315 unit is formed of four vehicles; DMSO-PTSO-TSO-DMSO.[5] Up to three units can be used together in service for a maximum 12-car formation.
Each DMSO vehicle carries four DCtraction motors, each of 82 kW (110 hp) for a total power output of 660 kW (880 hp) per unit.[5] The order included an element of dual-sourcing – 41 units (315801–315841) were fitted with electrical equipment from Brush Traction, while equipment for the remaining 20 units (315842–315861) was provided by the General Electric Company (GEC). The traction motors are interchangeable between equipment providers.[5]
The DMSO vehicles also carry the air compressors and main reservoirs that provide the braking and suspension air supplies.[citation needed] The air supply was originally additionally used to operate the passenger doors, but this system was later replaced by an all-electric one.[citation needed]
The PTSO vehicles carry the main and auxiliary transformers, auxiliary batteries, the Stone Faiveley AMBR Mk.1 pantograph, and the main circuit breaker, while the TSO vehicles only provide passenger accommodation.
Seating is standard-class only and there are no toilet facilities provided onboard. As-built, each four-car unit had seats for 318 passengers, but this was reduced to 309 plus seven tip-up during a refit in 2012.[8]
This section is missing information about the fleet's operational history with British Rail. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(January 2023)
From April 2004, National Express East Anglia (NXEA) ran the inaugural Greater Anglia franchise, which combined the previous operations of both First Great Eastern and West Anglia Great Northern and thus combined the two Class 315 fleets. The franchise was initially known as 'One' but was rebranded National Express East Anglia (NXEA) in February 2008.[9]
NXEA contracted with Bombardier to refurbish all 61 units at a cost of £60 million. This commenced in mid-2004 with the ex-First Great Eastern examples, and included the full replacement of door operating mechanisms, passenger windows, and seat covers, substantial replacement of floor coverings, and the installation of CCTV.[10]
Greater Anglia / London Overground
The Class 315 fleet transferred to new operator Abellio Greater Anglia in February 2012. Abellio repainted the trains in its own livery and commissioned Bombardier to refresh the fleet, which included installation of a new passenger information system with electronic dot-matrix display screens, installation of bays for two wheelchairs and assistance intercoms for passengers in those areas, and accessibility changes to the handrails and inter-car gangways.[11]
Initially, the Shenfield Metro and Upminster branch line services used only units 315801–315843 and the Lea Valley Lines only 315844–315861, reflecting the allocations of the former franchises, but they were later operated interchangeably out of Ilford EMU Depot.[citation needed]
A farewell tour for the class organised by the Branch Line Society was announced in October 2022 and took place on 26 November.[13]
The last day of service for the Class 315 units was 9 December 2022.[7]
Replacement
In July 2015, TfL confirmed that it would place a £260million order for 45 units of Class 710 Aventra trains, which would replace London Overground's Class 315. The Aventras would be introduced on the West Anglia routes in 2018, having taken these over from Abellio Greater Anglia in May 2015.[14][full citation needed] The first units on the Lea Valley lines entered service on 3 March 2020, after a first attempt on 24 February 2020.[15] They replaced all Class 315s on both the Lea Valley lines and the Romford to Upminster branch in October 2020.
Additionally, TfL Rail Class 315 units were replaced by the new Class 345 Aventra from August 2017.[16] On 20 October 2018, the first retired unit, 315850, was hauled to C F Booth of Rotherham to be scrapped.[17] The last Elizabeth line unit in service was on 9 December 2022, after which all of the units had either been scrapped, stored or preserved.[7]
Fleet details
This section is missing information about the status of the 7 units shown in the table as status TBC. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(May 2023)
On 23 July 2021, the Class 315 Preservation Society announced on their website that they had reached an agreement in principle with Eversholt Rail Group to acquire a Class 315 for preservation,[40] and the sale was confirmed on 1 December 2022.[41] The society had originally planned on acquiring unit 315820, but following the finalisation of the sale agreement stated that they had instead secured unit 315856.[13][37]
References
^"News Desk"(PDF). The Railway Herald. No. 125. Northallerton. 21 March 2008. p. 4. ISSN1751-8091. Archived from the original(PDF) on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
^ ab"PEP-talk: the BR second generation EMU". Rail Express. No. 317. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. October 2022. pp. 54–55.
^"Class 315". London: Eversholt Rail. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
^Clinnick, Richard (13 September 2017). "Peak-time use for Crossrail's new trains". Rail Magazine. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
^Hewitt, Sam (3 December 2018). "First Class 315 goes for scrap". The Railway Magazine. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
^"Class 315 Farewell raises over £13,000 for charity". Railways Illustrated. No. 240. February 2023. pp. 12–13.
^Russell, David (January 2021). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 296. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
^Russell, David (November 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 294. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
^Russell, David (February 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 285. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 91.
^Russell, David (September 2021). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 304. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 31.
^Russell, David (January 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 284. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 91.
^Russell, David (June 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 289. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 27.
^Russell, David (December 2022). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 307. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
^Russell, David (January 2022). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 308. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 31.
^Russell, David (December 2019). "Shed Talk". Units. Rail Express. No. 283. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 98.
^Russell, David (June 2021). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 301. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 30.
^Russell, David (February 2021). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 297. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
^"First Class 315 goes for scrapping". Rail Express. No. 271. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. December 2018. p. 90.
^Butlin, Ashley (May 2022). "Multiplie Units". Stock Update. The Railway Magazine. No. 1454. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 85.
^Russell, David (March 2022). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 310. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. p. 29.
^"Class 315s bow out after 42 years service". Today's Railways UK. No. 252. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. February 2023. p. 56.
^"Final Class 315s depart Ilford – after serving 52 years". Railways Illustrated. No. 241. March 2023. p. 18.
^Russell, David (September 2020). "Class 315". Units. Rail Express. No. 292. p. 28.
^"London Overground retires its last '315s'". Rail Express. No. 295. December 2020. p. 12.