British Rail Class 373

  • British Rail Class 373
  • Eurostar e300
  • TGV TMST
A refurbished Class 373 at Gare d'Albertville in 2018
The standard-class interior of a refurbished Class 373
In service14 November 1994 – present
Manufacturer
Built at
Family nameTGV
Constructed1992–1996
Number built
  • 38
  • (31 × Three Capitals, 7 × North of London)
Number in service11
Number scrapped16
Successor
Formation
Capacity
  • Three Capitals as built: 750 seats
  • Three Capitals refurb.: 758 seats
  • North of London: 558 seats
OperatorsEurostar
DepotsCurrent:
Former:
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Train length387 m (1,269 ft 8 in)
Car length
  • Driving vehicles:
  • 22.15 m (72 ft 8 in)
  • Vehicles with one full bogie:[ex 1]
  • 21.84 m (71 ft 8 in)
  • Intermediate trailers:
  • 18.70 m (61 ft 4 in)
Width2.81 m (9 ft 3 in)
Maximum speed300 km/h (186 mph)
Weight
  • Three Capitals empty:
  • 752 t (740 long tons; 829 short tons)
  • Three Capitals loaded:
  • 815 t (802 long tons; 898 short tons)
  • North of London:
  • 665 t (654 long tons; 733 short tons)
Traction systemGEC Alsthom GTO-VVVF
Traction motors
Power output
  • On 25 kV: 12.24 MW (16,414 hp)
  • On 3,000 V: 5.70 MW (7,644 hp)[2]
  • On 700 V: 3.40 MW (4,559 hp)[2]
Tractive effort
  • Starting:
  • 410 kN (92,172 lbf) on 25 kV
  • 350 kN (78,683 lbf) on 1.5 kV or 750 V
  • Continuous:
  • 220 kN (49,458 lbf) @ 200 km/h (124 mph) on 25 kV[2]
Electric system(s)
Current collector(s)
UIC classification(See § Set formation)
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemScharfenberg
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 373, known in France as the TGV TMST and branded by Eurostar as the Eurostar e300, is a French designed and Anglo-French built electric multiple unit train that was used for Eurostar international high-speed rail services from the United Kingdom to France and Belgium through the Channel Tunnel. Part of the TGV family, it was built with a smaller cross-section to fit the smaller loading gauge in Britain, was originally capable of operating on the UK third rail network, and has extensive fireproofing in case of fire in the tunnel. It is both the second longest—387 metres (1,269 ft 8 in)—and second fastest train in regular UK passenger service, operating at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour (186 mph).

Known as the TransManche Super Train (TMST) or Cross-channel Super Train before being introduced in 1993, the train is designated Class 373 under the British TOPS classification system and series 373000 TGV in France. It was built by the Anglo-French company GEC-Alsthom at its factories in La Rochelle (France), Belfort (France) and Washwood Heath (Britain) and by Brugeoise et Nivelles (BN, now part of Bombardier Transportation)[3] in Bruges (Belgium).

Since the introduction of the new Class 374 e320 units from Siemens in 2015, refurbished versions of the Class 373 or TGV-TMST sets have been officially referred to as e300 by Eurostar to distinguish them from the new Velaro fleet.[4]

  1. ^ Milner, Chris (October 2008). "Eurostar's new home". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 154, no. 1290. pp. 23–26. ISSN 0033-8923.
  2. ^ a b c Kaller, Roger; Allenbach, Jean-Marc (1995). Traction électrique (PDF) (in French). Lausanne: Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes. p. 8.5.12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  3. ^ "BN history" (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 6 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Passenger volumes up at Eurostar". Railway Gazette International. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2014.


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