1. Description

2. History
    West Midlands Trains  Northern  Accidents and incidents 

3. Fleet details

4. References

The British Rail Class 323 electric multiple units were built by Hunslet Transportation Projects. All 43 units were built from 1992 through to 1996, although mock-ups and prototypes were built and tested in 1990 and 1991.^[3]

The units were specifically designed to operate on inner-suburban commuter lines in and around Birmingham and Manchester with swift acceleration and high reliability. They remain operational on commuter lines and are currently operated by West Midlands Trains and Northern.

The units are known for a distinctive whine made during acceleration or deceleration caused by the GTO Thyristor motor. ^[5]

Description

In the early 1990s the Regional Railways sector of British Rail placed an order for new EMUs both to replace older electric units around Birmingham and Manchester, and to work services on the newly electrified Birmingham Cross-City Line. In June 1990, the contract was awarded to Hunslet Transportation Projects of Birmingham, a new company set up by a team of engineers and managers who had left Metro Cammell. Metro Cammell was at the time a Birmingham-based train builder. They won the contract in competition with six other European train builders.^[6]

Initially 37 units were ordered, with the option for fourteen more. Eighteen would be needed for the Cross-City Line, while the remainder would replace older units (such as the {{brc|304}} and {{brc|310}}) in the event a total of 43 three-car units were actually built.^[6] When the electrification of the Leeds/Bradford - Skipton/Ilkley Airedale/Wharfedale Lines was confirmed in the early 1990s, Regional Railways and West Yorkshire PTE applied to the government for 14 units to add to the units already on order.^[7] At the time government spending on the railways was restricted due to the looming privatisation and eventually, when funding was not forthcoming, the order was cancelled, and 21 second-hand 308s from Network SouthEast were used in the interim before the 333s were delivered in 2001.^[8]

As part of the privatisation of British Rail, all 43 were sold to Porterbrook in 1994 and allocated to the Central Trains and North West Regional Railways shadow franchises.^[9][10]

History

West Midlands Trains

The former Central Trains inherited a fleet of 26 units from British Rail: sets 323201-222 and 323240-243. In November 2007, these passed on to London Midland when it took over the franchise. The units were delivered in 1993/94 painted in Centro green and white livery with a blue stripe. They were originally allocated to Bletchley depot, but have since been reallocated to Soho when the elderly class 304s retired. Since the 323s moved there, a workshop has been built for maintenance and repairs.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

It was intended for the units to be introduced on the newly electrified Cross-City Line from Redditch to Lichfield (via Birmingham New Street). However, all did not go according to plan, and initially the units suffered from reliability problems. This meant that the ageing fleets of Class 115, 116, 117, 118 and 119 diesel multiple units, which the Class 323 units were meant to replace, continued in service longer than planned. They were finally withdrawn in 1995 once the Class 323 units had become more reliable. In 2014 the London Midland fleet of 26 EMU's was equipped with DC Airco Cab Air Cooling equipment by Onyxrail.{{citation needed| date=January 2019}}

The units were also used on various other routes, including Coventry to Wolverhampton, and Birmingham to Walsall (Chase Line) suburban services, as well as longer distance Birmingham to Liverpool Lime Street services. On these services, they were used alongside the existing fleets of Class 310/1 and Class 312 slam-door units. The introduction of the new trains also allowed the withdrawal of the elderly Class 304 units, and the cascading of Class 308 units to operate suburban services around Leeds.

In December 2017, West Midlands Trains took over the West Midlands franchise. The 323s will transfer to the new operator, however they will be displaced by new trains on the Cross City Line in 2020.^[11]

West Midlands Trains units are currently undergoing refurbishment, including new seat coverings, passenger display screens and fitting of accessible toilets. 323217 was the first completed.^[12]

Northern

At the time of the privatisation of British Rail in 1997, the Regional Railways North West franchise was re-branded North Western Trains, and it inherited 17 of these units (323223-323239). North Western Trains became First North Western and its operations were taken over by Northern Rail in 2004. All passed to Arriva Rail North with the franchise in April 2016.

They were used to replace older stock of Classes 304 and 305, although some of the latter were retained in reserve until 2000. The units are used on the Manchester electrified network, primarily to the south of the city. The 323s were scheduled to leave Northern in December 2018 when replaced by the {{brc|331}}, however, this has not yet taken effect.^[13][14][15]

The fleet is maintained on behalf of Northern by West Coast Traincare Ltd at its Manchester Traincare Centre Longsight, a few miles south of Manchester Piccadilly, with units stabled at Stockport Edgeley carriage sidings where they receive overnight cleaning.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

Accidents and incidents

On 18 December 2008, unit 323231 collided with a Nissan 4x4 which had rolled down the embankment from a delivery company car park at North Rode, Congleton. The unit spent 16 months out of service to undergo repair as a result.^[16]

Fleet details

References

• Chermas
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• Chermside bus interchange
• Chermside Bus Station, Brisbane
• Chermside West
• Cher: Music video and DVD videography
• Cher: Music Video & DVD Videography
• Chernabog (Disney)
• Chernabog (Fantasia)
• Cherna, Dobrich Province
• Cherna Mesta