The RCTS: then and now
CLASS 313 EMUs have been featured frequently in the pages of both The Railway Magazine and The Railway Observer since their introduction to service in 1976. They had their genesis in the 4-PEP (Class 445) and 2-PEP (Class 446) suburban EMUs, the prototypes of which entered service in 1971. However, there were no production models. The ‘313s’ were British Rail’s first dual-voltage EMUs, having both a pantograph for 25kV overhead AC lines and contact shoes for 750V DC third-rail systems. This gave them a huge degree of operational flexibility in comparison with older EMUs. They were ordered in conjunction with electrification of the Great Northern route from King’s Cross to Royston via the East Coast Main Line and the Hertford Loop. They were specifically intended for inner suburban services, with Standard Class seating only, therefore comfort was not a priority and the units quickly became unpopular with passengers. They were also used on the former London Transport Northern Line branch from Finsbury Park to Moorgate using a 750V DC third-rail system, the restrictive tunnels on this route meaning the units were built to a smaller loading gauge. The sliding doors were initially opened by passengers once the guard had activated the master door release. However, passengers quickly discovered that if they gave the door handles a hard tug, the doors would open before the master door release was activated by the guard. This would often result in doors being opened before the train had come to a stop and therefore the door handles were quite rapidly replaced by push buttons. 1988 brought a transfer of units to what became Silverlink (and then later London Overground). This saw them being used on the North and West London lines, the Watford DC lines, and the St Albans Abbey branch from Watford Junction. The ‘313s’ worked these services for more than 20 years, the last units being used by London Overground in 2010. The ‘313s’ also continued to work on Great Northern lines, despite passing through the hands of several different operators. Firstly West Anglia Great Northern had responsibility for them, followed by Thameslink Great Northern, then First Capital Connect. They were then transferred to Great Northern in 2014. The final scheduled Great Northern Class 313 service ran on September 30, 2019. But who would have predicted back in 1976 that the final sphere of operation for the Class 313s would have been the former Southern Region. Since 2010, the units have worked services from Brighton to Seaford, Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour, and the Littlehampton to Bognor Regis shuttle. On April 29, the Branch Line Society ran a commemorative special around lines in Sussex and Hampshire, and the use of the Class 313s was expected to finish for good with the end of the winter timetable on May 20. For information on the Society visit www.rcts.org.uk