#3473
British Rail Class 308
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by British Rail· from 1959· class of 3- and 4-car electric multiple units
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. British Rail Class 308 at Leeds 1996: User:Jorvik· CC BY-SA 2.5
- 2. BR 308143 EMU: Murgatroyd49· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The British Rail Class 308 alternating current (AC) electric multiple units were built between 1959 and 1961 by British Railways' Holgate Road carriage works, in York, England.
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 67 years ago, in 1959.
- Served for 42 years (1959–2001).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1959
- in service from
- 1959
- retired
- 2001
- status
- retired
- number built
- 45
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- British Rail, Holgate Road carriage works
- operators
- Arriva Trains Northern, Eastern Region of British Railways
- top speed
- 121 km/h
- power
- —
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q693294, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 308 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.