#4232
British Rail Class 312
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by British Rail Engineering Limited· from 1975· class of 49 four-car electric multiple units
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 312718 and 312721 at Kirby Cross: The original uploader was Our Phellap at English Wikipedia .· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. River Colne Viaduct outside Colchester with Great Eastern Class 312 EMUs passing in 2004: kitmasterbloke· CC BY 2.0
what is it?
The British Rail Class 312 alternating current (AC) electric multiple units (EMUs) were built between 1975 and 1978 for use on outer-suburban passenger services. It was the last class of multiple unit to be constructed with the British Rail Mark 2 bodyshell, as well as the last class of multiple unit to be built with slam doors in Britain. These features contributed to their relatively early withdrawal at 25–28 years old, compared with a typical EMU life expectancy of 30–40 years.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 51 years ago, in 1975.
- Served for 29 years (1975–2004).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1975
- in service from
- 1975
- retired
- 2004
- status
- retired
- number built
- 49
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- British Rail Engineering Limited, Holgate Road carriage works
- operators
- c2c, Eastern Region of British Railways, National Express East Anglia, First Great Eastern, London Midland Region of British Railways
- top speed
- —
- power
- —
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q751903, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 312 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.