| British Rail Class 360 "Desiro" | |
|---|---|
A Heathrow Connect Class 360/2 Desiro |
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The interior of a Heathrow Connect Siemens Class 360/2 Desiro EMU |
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| In service | 2003 - Current |
| Manufacturer | Siemens |
| Family name | Desiro |
| Constructed | 2002 - 2005 2007 - 2008 (Thailand) |
| Number built | 26 trainsets |
| Formation | 3/4/5 cars per trainset |
| Fleet numbers | 360101 - 360121 360201 - 360205 |
| Capacity | 16 First, 273 Standard (360/1) |
| Operator | National Express East Anglia Heathrow Express Heathrow Connect State Railway of Thailand |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | ? |
| Width | ? |
| Height | ? |
| Maximum speed | 100 mph (161 km/h) |
| Weight | 170 tonnes (167 long tons; 187 short tons) |
| Power output | ? |
| Electric system(s) | 25 kV AC Overhead |
| Braking system(s) | Air regenerative |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 360 electric multiple units were built by Siemens in two sub-types from 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. These units are part of the Siemens Desiro family.
The Siemens "Desiro UK" family also includes units of Classes 185, 350, 380, 444 and 450.
Contents |
Unlike the South West Trains and West Coast Main Line Desiros, the Class 360 lacks inter-unit gangways. This was a late design change, as the Health and Safety Executive was not happy with the driver's visibility with the previous design's gangway cab for Driver Only Operation
The Class 360 is a modern unit with air conditioning, rapid acceleration technology and is powered by overhead lines with a top speed of 100 mph (161 km/h).
The Class 360 will do 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in about 45 seconds, making it the fastest accelerating train in the National Express East Anglia fleet.
First Great Eastern ordered 21 4-car units to replace their elderly Class 312 slam-door units. They entered service in 2003, and by mid-2004 had completely replaced the old trains. They are primarily used on London Liverpool Street to Clacton-on-Sea and Ipswich services and Manningtree to Harwich services, usually running as 4 carriages to Harwich and 8-12 carriages to Clacton-on-Sea and Ipswich.
They occasionally replace the Class 321 on services to Walton-on-the-Naze, Southend, Braintree and Southminster. They do not run to Upminster.
Since they were built, First Group has lost the franchise to the National Express Group, who operate the Great Eastern routes as part of their National Express East Anglia franchise. Though operated by National Express East Anglia, the 360 class is not maintained by the franchise but is under contract from Siemens for routine maintenance at Ilford Depot near London.
Until 2008, all trains stayed in the purple First Group livery. Most still retain the First Group purple colour but with no vinyls, because of the anti-vandal paint used. A repaint would require a complete sanding down before any paint could be applied.
Some of the 360s have been re-liveried into National Express livery by the application of vinyl wrap. Only 360115 is in this livery; the rest of the fleet are in plain blue with a white strip with National Express branding. The toilets are being re-fitted with new flooring and repainted panels, giving a better look. All 21 360s were recently overhauled underneath at Northampton Depot.
Heathrow Connect runs five 5-car units operating London Paddington-Heathrow Airport stopping trains. They entered service on 12 June 2005. These units were originally intended as Class 350s for prospective spot hire. In 2010, one unit (360205) was transferred to Heathrow Express to operate its Heathrow Central-Terminal 4 shuttle. [1]
Nine Desiro Class 360/2 units have been supplied for the Suvarnabhumi Airport Link (SARL) in Thailand. Four are four-car sets for Express services running non-stop from City Air Terminal at Makkasan to the airport. Another five sets are three-cars for City Line Service stopping at all stations from Phayathai to the airport.[2] The air conditioning system on these trains is designed for the Thai climate, and the roof-mounted equipment pods are much larger than those on the UK units.
| Class | Cars per Set | No. Built | No. Range | Operator | Year Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 360/1 | 4 | 21 | 360101-360121 | National Express East Anglia | 2002-2003 |
| Class 360/2 | 5 | 4 | 360201-360204 | Heathrow Connect | 2004-2005 |
| 1 | 360205 | Heathrow Express | |||
| 4 | 4 | 1012-1014-1013-1011 1022-1024-1023-1021 1032-1034-1033-1031 1042-1044-1043-1041 |
Suvarnabhumi Airport Express | 2007-2008 | |
| 3 | 5 | 2012 - 2013 - 2011 2022 - 2023 - 2021 2032 - 2033 - 2031 2042 - 2043 - 2041 2052 - 2053 - 2051 |
Suvarnabhumi Airport City Line |
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