British Rail Class 379

British Rail Class 379
Electrostar
Greater Anglia Class 379 at Bethnal Green in 2012
The interior of Standard Class aboard a Class 379
In serviceMarch 2011[1] – February 2022[2]
ManufacturerBombardier Transportation
Built atDerby Litchurch Lane Works
Family nameElectrostar
ReplacedClass 317
Constructed2010–2011[3]
Number built30[3]
Successor
Formation
  • 4 cars per unit:
  • DMSO-MSO-PTSO-DMCO[3]
Fleet numbers379001–379030
Capacity
  • 209 seats
  • (20 first-class, 189 standard)[3][4]
Owners
Operators
Depots
Lines served
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium alloy, with steel cab ends[3]
Maximum speed100 mph (161 km/h)[8]
Traction systemIGBT–VVVF (Bombardier MITRAC DR1000)
Power output1.68 MW (2,250 hp)
Acceleration0.65 m/s2 (2.1 ft/s2)[9]
Electric system(s)25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead
Current collector(s)Pantograph
UIC classification2′Bo′+2′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′2′[3]
Bogies
  • Powered: Bombardier P3-25
  • Unpowered: Bombardier T3-25[3]
Braking system(s)Air (disc) and regenerative[3]
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemDellner 12[3]
Multiple workingWithin class, and with Classes 375, 376, 377, and 378[3]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 379 Electrostar is an electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train which was designed and built by Bombardier Transportation. The trains are part of the company's extensive Electrostar family.

The Class 379 was specifically procured in response to a government white paper issued in 2007, under which £185 million of investment was issued to the West Anglia Main Line (WAML), the bulk of which was spent with Bombardier Transportation to procure the 30-strong Class 379 fleet of EMUs.[1] While the type was largely intended to increase capacity, its introduction did enable the withdrawal of ageing units such as the Class 317 EMUs; the programme also involved various infrastructure improvements. The Class 379's introduction was relatively smooth and brought about a noticeable step up in service quality.[1]

Since their introduction during early 2011, the Class 379 became the principal type operated on the Stansted Express service; it was also tasked with additional services between London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport, Cambridge and Kings Lynn.[10][full citation needed] The fleet was initially operated by National Express East Anglia (NXEA)[11] and subsequently by Greater Anglia.

As of 2024, the vehicles are not in service and are currently in storage. In March 2024, new owners Porterbrook announced that the trains would be used on Great Northern services in future.[5][6]

  1. ^ a b c "Stansted stock stands up to the test". Rail Magazine. Peterborough. 27 July 2011. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021.
  2. ^ "GA withdraws all Class 379s". Today's Railways UK. No. 242. April 2022. p. 66.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hall, Peter (February 2012). British Railways Locomotives & Coaching Stock 2012. Sheffield: Platform 5. p. 294. ISBN 9781902336923.
  4. ^ "East Anglia 2016 Franchise Agreement" (PDF). gov.uk. 2016. p. 176.
  5. ^ a b "Leasing for the GN Network of Additional Rolling Stock [Award]". bidstats.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Porterbrook acquires Electrostar fleet · Porterbrook". Porterbrook. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  7. ^ Beardsley, Ian; Pritchard, Robert (May 2024). "Porterbrook acquires Class 379s as they are set for a new future with Great Northern". Today's Railways UK. No. 267. p. 62.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference raolgazjuly2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Clinnick, Richard (4 September 2019). "From the archives: Greater Anglia's new Stadler rolling stock". Rail Magazine. Peterborough: Bauer Consumer Media. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  10. ^ Rail. No. 673. Peterborough. 29 June 2011. p. 37. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ "Bombardier signs Stansted airport train order". Railway Gazette International. London. 2 April 2009. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2010.