British Rail Class 508 | |
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![]() Merseyrail Class 508 at Hightown | |
![]() The interior of a Merseyrail-refurbished Class 508 unit | |
In service | 17 December 1979 – 16 January 2024[1] |
Manufacturer | British Rail Engineering Limited |
Order no. |
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Built at | Holgate Road Works, York |
Family name | BREL 1972 |
Replaced | Class 503 |
Constructed | 1979–1980 |
Refurbishment | |
Number built | 43 |
Number scrapped | 41 |
Successor | |
Formation |
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Diagram |
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Design code | 4PER[4] |
Fleet numbers |
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Capacity |
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Operator(s) | |
Depot(s) | |
Line(s) served | |
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 | |
Power output | 656 kW (880 hp) |
Train heating | Electric heating (ducted warm air) |
Electric system(s) | 750–850 V DC third rail[2] |
Current collection method | 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[2][5] |
Safety system(s) | |
Coupling system | Tightlock |
Multiple working | |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
Notes | |
Specifications as at August 1982[8] except where otherwise noted. The additional TSO vehicles, removed as part of three-car conversion, were inserted into Class 455/7 units.[2] |
The British Rail Class 508 electric multiple units ("EMUs") were built by BREL at York works in 1979-80. They were the fourth variety of BR's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, eventually encompassing 755 vehicles and five classes (313/314/315/507/508). They have mostly worked on the Merseyrail network since 1983, and continue to do so, now refurbished by Alstom's Eastleigh Works.
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