British Rail Class 508 facts for kids

British Rail Class 508
Class 508 at Liverpool Lime Street
In service	1979 - Current
Manufacturer	BREL York
Refurbishment	27 Merseyrail sets 2002-2004 BRML Eastleigh
Number built	43 trainsets
Formation	3 cars per trainset (originally 4 cars)
Capacity	192 seats (Merseyrail refurbished) 230 seats (Southeastern/London Overground)
Operator	Merseyrail Southeastern London Overground
Specifications
Car length	19.80 m
Width	3.58 m
Height	2.82 m
Maximum speed	75 mph (121 km/h)
Weight	104.5 t
Power output	656 kW
Voltage	750 V DC 3rd rail
Gauge	1,435 mm

508138 bearing the 'Revised' livery, one of six 508s to receive this colourful variant.

A Class 508 in Connex livery leaving Norwood Junction.

508301 arrives at London Euston in October 2007, one month before becoming part of the London Overground fleet.

A Silverlink 508 at South Hampstead.

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.

Related pages

• British Rail Class 507
• Merseyrail

Images for kids

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  Merseyrail Class 508 No. 508115 at Birkenhead North

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  A Class 508 at Hampton Court in 1984, with its original number and livery.

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  The train in The Beatles Story livery at Hillside railway station.

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  508108 at Moreton displaying one of the Merseyrail Good Communications liveries.