British Rail Class 376
| British Rail Class 376 "Electrostar" | |
|---|---|
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Southeastern Trains Class 376 No. 376033 at New Cross
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The interior of a Southeastern Trains Class 376
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| In service | 16 August 2004 - Current |
| Manufacturer | Bombardier Transportation |
| Family name | Electrostar |
| Replaced | |
| Constructed | 2004-2005 |
| Number built | 36 units |
| Formation | 5 cars per unit DMSO-MSO-TSO-MSO-DMSO |
| Capacity | 344 seats |
| Operator(s) | Southeastern |
| Specifications | |
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Electric system(s) | 750 V DC third rail |
| Current collection method | Contact shoe |
| Coupling system | Dellner |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The Class 376 Suburban Electrostar is a model of electric multiple-unit passenger train manufactured by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby works. It is part of the Electrostar family, which are the most common EMUs introduced since the privatisation of British Rail. The units were ordered by Connex South Eastern, introduced in 2004/2005 by South Eastern Trains originally to replace Class 465 and Class 466 to be transferred to the Outer Suburban services to Kent.
It is a derivative of the Class 375 Electrostar designed specifically for use on the high-volume metro routes running from Central London, and through Southeast London in the UK. The changes are mostly focused on increasing the trains’ capacity and decreasing station dwell times. The Class 376’s doors are wider to allow more passengers to board at once, and are metro-style sliding pocket doors which are faster and more reliable than the Class 375s plug doors, although they do not close flush with the bodyside and hence are less aerodynamic and do not provide as much thermal insulation. The units have 2 sets of double doors per side in each carriage. Also, no air conditioning is provided, with hopper style windows available for ventilation. In order to provide more standing room, the trains also have fewer seats, more handrails, and no on-board toilets (South Eastern promised to provide additional facilities in their stations to compensate) and are limited to in-service journeys of 57 minutes as a result.
Class 376 units have five carriages, and unlike the Class 375, have full-width cabs instead of gangways at the ends of the train; it is therefore not possible to walk between two coupled Class 376 units. The cab front is also smooth and ‘step free’ to reduce the problem of ‘train surfing’ in South London.
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