British Rail Class 319

what is it?

The British Rail Class 319 is an electric multiple unit passenger train built by British Rail Engineering Limited's Holgate Road carriage works for use on north–south cross-London services. These dual-voltage trains are capable of operating on 25 kV 50 Hz from AC overhead wires or 750 V DC from a third rail. Built in two batches in 1987–88 and 1990, the units were primarily used on the then-new Thameslink service from Bedford to Brighton and various other destinations south of London.

who runs it

London MidlandFCFirst Capital ConnectSouthernCSConnex South CentralNorthern RailNSNetwork SouthEastTHThameslinkGTGovia Thameslink RailwayARArriva Rail NorthWMWest Midlands TrainsNTNorthern Trains

base stats

• speed 161 km/htop speed
• built 86made in total

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 38 years ago, in 1988.
• 🏎️Top speed is 1.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• ⏱️At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 15 minutes.
• 🧓Still in service after 38 years.

multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.

spec sheet

built

1988

in service from

1988

status

in service

number built

86

kind

multiple unit

traction

electric

origin

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

builders

British Rail Engineering Limited, Holgate Road carriage works

operators

London Midland, First Capital Connect, Southern, Connex South Central, Northern Rail, Network SouthEast, Thameslink, Govia Thameslink Railway, Arriva Rail North, West Midlands Trains, Northern Trains

top speed

161 km/h

power

—

Dutch name

Class 319

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.