 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
| British Rail Class 507 | |
|---|---|
 Merseyrail Class 507 at Bidston in 2023 | |
 The interior of a refurbished Class 507 unit | |
| In service | 1 November 1978 – 3 November 2024[1] |
| Manufacturer | British Rail Engineering Limited |
| Order no. |
|
| Built at | Holgate Road Works, York |
| Family name | BREL 1972 |
| Replaced | |
| Constructed | 1978–1980[2] |
| Refurbished | 2002–2005 at Alstom Eastleigh |
| Scrapped | 2023–present |
| Number built | 33 |
| Number scrapped | 27 |
| Successor | Class 777 |
| Formation |
|
| Diagram |
|
| Fleet numbers | 507001–507033[2] |
| Capacity |
|
| Owners | Angel Trains[3] |
| Operators | Merseyrail |
| Depots |
|
| Lines served | |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel underframe and body frame, aluminium body and roof |
| Car length |
|
| Width |
|
| Height | 3.582 m (11 ft 9.0 in) |
| Floor height | 1.146 m (3 ft 9.1 in) |
| Doors | Double-leaf pocket sliding, each 1.288 m (4 ft 2.7 in) wide (2 per side per car) |
| Wheelbase | Over bogie centres: 14.170 m (46 ft 5.9 in) |
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (120 km/h) |
| Weight |
|
| Traction motors | 8 × GEC G310AZ (82 kW (110 hp) each, 4 per motor car) |
| Power output | 656 kW (880 hp) |
| HVAC | Electric heating (ducted warm air) |
| Electric system(s) | 600–750 V DC third rail[2] |
| Current collector(s) | Contact shoe |
| UIC classification | Bo′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′ |
| Bogies | BREL BX1[2] |
| Minimum turning radius | 70.4 m (231 ft 0 in) |
| Braking system(s) | Electro-pneumatic (disc) and rheostatic[2] |
| Safety system(s) | |
| Coupling system |
|
| Multiple working | Within class, and with Class 508 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Notes/references | |
| Specifications as at August 1982[5] except where otherwise noted. | |
The British Rail Class 507 is a type of electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train built by British Rail Engineering Limited at Holgate Road carriage works in two batches from 1978 to 1980. They are a variant of British Rail's standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs derived from PEP stock, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles over five classes (313, 314, 315, 507 and 508).[6] They have worked on the Merseyrail network from new until their retirement in November 2024. Between 2002 and 2005, all units were refurbished by Alstom's Eastleigh Works.
The remaining class 507 units are all now at least 44 years old, and, following the withdrawal of the Class 313 fleet in 2023, were the oldest units operating on the mainline rail network in Great Britain.[7] However, the even older 1972 Stock and 1973 Stock are still in service on London Underground's Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines.
A final farewell tour took place on 3 November 2024.[1]
- ^ a b Haygarth, Dan (3 November 2024). "End of an era for Merseyrail as old trains take their final journeys". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 11 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Fox, Peter (1994). British Railways Pocket Book No. 4: Electric Multiple Units (7th ed.). Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. pp. 85–86. ISBN 978-1-872524-60-3. OCLC 655645349.
- ^ Sherratt, Philip, ed. (2023). "ROSCO Fleets". Modern Railways: Review 2023. Stamford: Key Publishing. pp. 18–19. ISBN 978-1-80282-569-5.
- ^ Marsden, C. J. (2008). The DC Electrics. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-86093-615-2. OCLC 318668763.
- ^ Vehicle Diagram Book No. 210 for Electric Multiple Units (including A.P.T.) (PDF). Derby: Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Department, British Railways Board. August 1982. EA201, EH205, EI202 (in work pp. 10–11, 272–273, 388–389). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2023 – via Barrowmore MRG.
- ^ "The twilight zone". Railways Illustrated. No. 249. November 2023. pp. 50–53.
- ^ "Inaugural meeting held by the Class 507 Preservation Society". Heritage News. Railways Illustrated. No. 252. February 2024. p. 33.