British Rail Class 313

Class 313 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York Works from 1976-77, these being the first second-generation EMUs to be constructed for British Rail. They were also the first dual-voltage units to be built, capable of drawing power via 25 kV AC overhead, or 750 V DC third-rail, and the first units in Britain to have fully automatic couplers which allowed both physical coupling and also the connection of control electric and air supplies to be carried out without the need to leave the cab. Their passenger seats were an improvement on former types.

British Rail Class 313
313203 at Brighton.jpg
Southern Class 313 at Brighton
313212 TSO Vehicle Interior.jpg
Interior of a Southern refurbished Class 313/2 unit
In service1976–2023
ManufacturerBritish Rail Engineering Limited
Built atHolgate Road Works, York
Family nameBREL 1972
Replaced
Constructed1976–1977
Refurbishment
  • 1997–2001 (Silverlink)
  • 1999–2003 (WAGN)
  • 2010–2011 (Southern)
Scrapped2019, 2023
Number built64[1]
Number preserved2
Number scrapped62
Formation
  • 3 cars per unit:
  • DMSO-PTSO-BDMSO
Capacity
  • As built: 232 seats
  • Great Northern: 231 seats
  • Overground: 202 seats
  • Silverlink: 228 seats
  • Southern: 202 seats
Operator
Depot(s)
Line(s) served
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel underframe with aluminium body and roof [note 1]
Car length
  • DM vehs.: 19.800 m (64 ft 11.5 in)
  • Trailers: 19.920 m (65 ft 4.3 in)
Width2.820 m (9 ft 3.0 in)
Height3.582 m (11 ft 9.0 in)
Floor height1.146 m (3 ft 9.1 in)
DoorsDouble-leaf pocket sliding, each 1.288 m (4 ft 2.7 in) wide (2 per side per car)
Maximum speed75 mph (120 km/h)
Weight
  • DMSO vehs.: 35.87 t (35.30 LT; 39.54 ST)
  • PTSO vehs.: 31.28 t (30.79 LT; 34.48 ST)
  • BDMSO vehs.: 37.55 t (36.96 LT; 41.39 ST)
  • Total: 104.70 t (103.05 LT; 115.41 ST)[4]
Acceleration0.79 m/s2 (2.6 ft/s2)[5]
Deceleration0.92 m/s2 (3.0 ft/s2)[5]
Current collection method
UIC classificationBo′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′
BogiesBREL BX1
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (disc) and rheostatic
('Westcode' three-step)[6]
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemTightlock
Multiple workingWithin class
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Class 313/0, no. 313064 at London King's Cross on 8th February 2003. This unit is painted in WAGN family travelcard advertising-livery.
Class 313/1, no. 313114 arriving at Clapham Junction on 30th October 2004 with a service from Willesden Junction. This unit is painted in Silverlink Metro livery.
Unit 313033 sports a purple WAGN livery at Stevenage, albeit with FCC decals.
The front of class 313/1, no. 313110 at Kew Gardens.

British Rail Class 313 Media

Notes

  1. Diagram EA204 0B additionally describes a variant of the DMSO car with a steel body, instead of aluminium.[3]

References

  1. "PEP-talk: the BR second generation EMU". Rail Express Modeller (Horncastle: Mortons Media Group) (222): M14–M15. October 2022. ISSN 1362-234X . 
  2. "Southern '313s' – is the end now in sight?". Rail Magazine (Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media) (977): 38–43. 22 February 2023. 
  3. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BRB210.
  4. Bull & Cronin 1978a, Appendix D.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Bull & Cronin 1978a, Class 313 EMU: Performance Characteristics.
  6. Bull & Cronin 1978a, Class 313 EMU: Brake System.