Electrostar

Electrostar is the name given to a series of related electric multiple-unit (EMU) passenger trains manufactured by Bombardier Transportation (formerly ADtranz) at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England. Since the privatisation of British Rail, it has become the most common new EMU type in Britain, where different variants referred to as Class 357, Class 375, Class 376, and Class 377 are most common on the high-volume commuter routes in South London and to the Sussex, Kent & South Essex coasts. It shares the same bodyshell and core structure as the Turbostar, which is in turn the most common post-privatisation diesel multiple unit (DMU) family, and both evolved from the Class 168 Clubman design by ADtranz.

The Clubman/Turbostar/Electrostar platform is a modular design, which share the same basic design, bodyshell and core structure, and is optimised for speedy manufacture and easy maintenance. It consists of an underframe, which is created by seam-welding a number of aluminium alloy extrusions, upon which bodyside panels are mounted followed by a single piece roof, again made from extruded sections. The car ends (cabs) are made from glass-reinforced plastic and steel, and are huck-bolted onto the main car bodies. Underframe components are collected in ‘rafts’, which are bolted into slots on the underframe extrusion. The mostly aluminium alloy body gives light weight to help acceleration and energy efficiency.

The Electrostar has also been selected for use on the Gautrain system in South Africa, a new railway between Johannesburg, Pretoria, and the Johannesburg International Airport. The trains will be assembled by UCW Partnership in South Africa from components made in Derby.

Transport for London (TfL) announced in August 2006 that it had ordered 48 three- and four-car Electrostar trains for the London Overground service, which will replace the Class 313 & Class 508 on the North London Line and West London Line in 2009 and will provide the opening service on the new East London Line extension in 2010. These have been categorised by Network Rail as Class 378.

In 2009, as part of the government's wider rolling stock plan, an order was placed for thirty four-car Class 379 Electrostar units intended for use by National Express East Anglia on the Stansted Express and West Anglia services, which should enter service in 2011.

Electrostar variants
* Classes 375 and 377 differ only in their coupler configuration and other minor fittings; all Southern units built as Class 375 have since been converted to Class 377 couplers and re-classed. Minor differences in interior trim remain.

** Forty-five units of the 375/6 and 377/2 sub-classes are configured for dual-voltage operation, and others have been constructed so as to allow future conversion to AC power.

*** First Capital Connect will run 23 four car Class 377 on the Thameslink route from March 2009. All trains will be dual-voltage.

**** Class 378 is being constructed in two separate batches - 24 four car units designated as Class 378/0 with dual voltage capability will be utilised on the North London Line and West London Line, while 23 four car units designated Class 378/1 that are DC electric only will be utilised on the East London Line.

The component drawings were done by a Norwegian Product Development Company named Techni AS. ***** The Class 379s incorporate some technical features of the proposed Aventra Mark II Electrostar. However they are outwardly similar to classes 375 and 377.

c2c
c2c uses Class 357 units on services down the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line from Shoeburyness and Southend to London Fenchurch Street.

Southeastern
The Class 375 is the backbone of Southeastern's long distance routes, seeing services on most of its lines originating from its London termini (London Victoria, Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge) including;
 * Chatham Main Line
 * Maidstone East Line
 * South Eastern Main Line
 * Hastings Line
 * Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
 * Kent Coast Line
 * North Kent Line

On the outer suburban portions of these above routes, Class 465/9 Networkers support the Electrostars, but they do not work in multiple together.

The Class 376 operates on the metro routes in suburban London, in conjunction with the Class 465 and Class 466 Networkers, operating over the London portion of the above lines from the London Termini (including Blackfriars) out to Dartford and Sevenoaks);


 * North Kent Line (to Dartford)
 * Bexleyheath Line (to Dartford)
 * Dartford Loop Line (to Dartford)
 * Chatham Main Line (to Sevenoaks)
 * Maidstone East Line (to Sevenoaks)
 * South Eastern Main Line (to Sevenoaks)
 * Hayes Line

This leaves the few rural lines (Medway Valley Line, Sheerness Line) operated by Class 466s (2 car Networkers) who also operate solely on the Bromley North Line.

Southern
Southern's Class 377 fleet usually operate on the operator's mid and long distance routes, but can occasionally be found on suburban services usually operated by Class 455s and Class 456s.

Main lines

 * Brighton Main Line (Victoria–Gatwick-Brighton)
 * East Coastway (Brighton–Eastbourne/Hastings)
 * West Coastway (Brighton–Portsmouth/Southampton)
 * Arun Valley Line (Victoria–Horsham/Littlehampton/Chichester)
 * West London Line (East Croydon–Milton Keynes Central) (Using Dual Voltage class 377/2)

Outer suburban

 * London Victoria–Horsham via Dorking
 * London Victoria–East Grinstead
 * London Bridge–Horsham via East Croydon

The 377s are sometimes found on suburban duties at peak hours, such as:


 * London Victoria–Dorking via Sutton
 * London Victoria–Epsom Downs
 * London Bridge-Guildford
 * London Bridge-London Victoria via Sydenham

377s can be also found running overnight on Southern London Victoria–Brighton duties at 1:00am and 4:00am, calling at Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Horley, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges.

London Overground
London Overground will operate its new Class 378s over four lines around London:
 * North London Line (Richmond-Stratford)
 * West London Line (Clapham Junction-Harrow and Wealdstone)
 * Watford DC Line (Euston-Watford)
 * East London Line (Crystal Palace/West Croydon-Highbury & Islington)

The fifth major route it is responsible for, the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, is not electrified. For this, London Overground is obtaining new lightweight Turbostar trains.

First Capital Connect
Since March 2009 First Capital Connect are running 23 x 4 car Class 377's on the Thameslink Bedford to Brighton route.


 * Thameslink, Bedford to Brighton
 * Thameslink, Bedford to Ashford International/Gillingham/Bearstead/Rochester peak only services. (These services will be jointly run by First Capital Connect and Southeastern with services north of Blackfriars run by First Capital Connect drivers and south by Southeastern drivers).

Gautrain (South Africa)
On 8 June 2010, the route between Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa opened in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The rest between Johannesburg Park Station and Rosebank is to be completed in 2011. Although railways in South Africa use the 1067 mm (3 ft 6in) Cape gauge, Gautrain is built to the more expensive standard gauge of 1435 mm (4 ft 8.5in). According to the Gautrain planning and implementation study, this is done for several reasons, including that standard gauge is safer and more comfortable to passengers. The rolling stock is also easier, quicker and less expensive to obtain than Cape Gauge rolling stock, and standard gauge is also less expensive to maintain as it is more tolerant of track imperfections than Cape Gauge. Standard gauge allows for travel at Gautrain's required speed of 160 km/h.

National Express East Anglia
From May 2011 National Express East Anglia will introduce 30 x 4 car Class 379s on Stansted Express and West Anglia Main Line services. These will incorporate some features of Bombardier's planned 'Aventra' Mark 2 Electrostars.