British Rail Class 507
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). They have worked on the Merseyrail network from new and continue to do so, having been refurbished by Alstom's Eastleigh Works.
| British Rail Class 507 | |
|---|---|
Merseyrail Class 507 at Bidston in 2023 | |
The interior of a refurbished Class 507 unit | |
| In service | 1 November 1978 – present |
| Manufacturer | British Rail Engineering Limited |
| Order no. |
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| Built at | Holgate Road Works, York |
| Family name | BREL 1972 |
| Replaced | |
| Constructed | 1978–1980 |
| Refurbished | 2002–2005 at Alstom Eastleigh |
| Scrapped | 2023-present |
| Number built | 33 |
| Number in service | 15 |
| Number scrapped | 18 |
| Successor | Class 777 |
| Formation |
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| Diagram |
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| Fleet numbers | 507001–507033 |
| Capacity |
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| Owners | Angel Trains |
| Operators | Merseyrail |
| Depots |
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| Lines served |
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| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel underframe and body frame, aluminium body and roof |
| Car length |
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| Width | 2.820 m (9 ft 3.0 in) |
| 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 |
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| 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 |
| Current collector(s) | Contact shoe |
| UIC classification | Bo′Bo′+2′2′+Bo′Bo′ |
| Bogies | BREL BX1 |
| Minimum turning radius | 70.4 m (231 ft 0 in) |
| Braking system(s) | Electro-pneumatic (disc) and rheostatic |
| Safety system(s) |
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| Coupling system | Tightlock |
| 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 except where otherwise noted. | |
The Class 507 units are all now at least 43 years old, and, following the withdrawal of the Class 313 fleet in 2023, are the oldest units operating on the mainline rail network in Great Britain. However, the even older 1972 Stock and 1973 Stock are still in service on London Underground's Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines.