British Rail Class 334 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids British Rail Class 334 "Juniper" |
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A refurbished Class 334 at Edinburgh.
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The refurbished interior of a ScotRail Class 334, 2013.
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| In service | 2000 – current |
| Manufacturer | Alstom Birmingham |
| Family name | Juniper |
| Replaced | Class 303 |
| Constructed | 2000 - 2003 |
| Number built | 40 trainsets |
| Formation | 3 cars per trainset |
| Fleet numbers | 334001 - 334040 |
| Operator(s) | Abellio ScotRail |
| Specifications | |
| Maximum speed | 90 mph (145 km/h) |
| Weight | Total - 124.72 |
| Braking system(s) | Air (regenerative) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
The British Rail Class 334 is a special type of electric multiple unit train. These trains were built by a company called Alstom in Birmingham, UK. They are part of a group of trains known as the Juniper family. Other trains in this family include the Classes 458 and 460.
These trains were made to run on local services around Glasgow, UK. When these new trains arrived, they replaced the older Class 303 "Blue Train" sets. Those old trains had been running since 1960!
History of the Class 334 Trains
The arrival of the Class 334 trains meant that Glasgow's old Class 303 "Blue Train" sets were finally retired. These older trains had been in service since 1960.
Even though the new Class 334 trains arrived between 1999 and 2002, they couldn't start carrying passengers until 2001. This was because they had some tricky problems and technical issues that needed to be fixed. Because of these issues, the company that ordered the trains, SPT, received two extra trains for free. This was a special thank you for their patience.
SPT bought a total of 40 Class 334 trains. You can see them in use every day across the SPT electric network. The first trains to run were 334010 and 334020, which traveled to Gourock. At first, these trains mostly ran on the Ayrshire Coast Line and Inverclyde Line. Later, they became a common sight on the Argyle Line and North Clyde Line.
By December 2010, the Class 334 trains were operating on several lines. These included the Ayrshire Coast Line, Inverclyde Line, North Clyde Line, and Argyle Line.
In June 2011, many of the Class 334 trains were replaced by newer Class 380 units. This happened on the Ayrshire Coast Line and Inverclyde lines. The Class 334s were then sent away to be refurbished.
New Paint and Updates
In September 2008, a government agency called Transport Scotland announced a plan. All ScotRail trains, including those from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, would get a new look. They would be repainted in a blue color with white Saltire markings on the ends of the carriages. The Class 334 trains started getting this new paint job in November 2010. This was in preparation for the Airdrie to Bathgate line reopening.
On August 24, 2011, ScotRail shared plans to update all the Class 334 trains. This big project was expected to begin in November 2011 and take two years to finish. Train 334020 was the first to get a full update at Kilmarnock's Brodie Rail Works. It stayed there for three months, from February 3, 2012, to May 2, 2012. The last train to receive a full refresh was 334006, which left Brodie Works on November 8, 2014.
Starting in early 2015, Alstom began a major overhaul of the entire fleet. This was done to make the trains more comfortable for passengers. The updates included adding full air conditioning, charging points at seats, and Wi-Fi. They also made improvements to the doors to make them more reliable. A new CCTV camera system was also installed for the driver to operate the train more easily.
Images for kids
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334021 in Strathclyde Partnership for Transport colors at Greenock Central.
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334034 stopping at Glasgow Central Low Level.
