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the rail engineer • December 2013
Class 317 half old, half new
W
hen The Rail Engineer last saw train 317722, it was parked in a corner of Bombardier’s Ilford depot (issue 98, December 2012). The interior was missing from two carriages, all of the traction equipment was out from under the frame, and it looked quite forlorn. In fact, this was to be the new Class 317 demonstrator for Angel Trains. It was one of nine 4-car units last used by Stansted Express which have been in storage since early 2012.
The plan was to show how a total refurbishment could change a train. So two cars were being left as they were - the Stansted Express seats had been covered in plastic sheeting to protect them. The other two cars would be completely refurbished and the contrast between old and new would be easy to see. There would be other changes as well. Out of sight of the passengers, the old DC traction system would be replaced by a modern AC one and various other technical improvements were planned.
NIGEL WORDSWORTH
Smart new interior Twelve months later, and the project is almost complete. The Rail Engineer caught up with 317722 again while it was undergoing final test at Bombardier’s Derby factory. Stuart Benford, Angel Trains’ project manager, and Peter Keighron, his Bombardier equivalent, were also on hand to explain just what they had done to the train behind them. “The 317 is a good unit,” Stuart started off. “It’s not in the first flush of youth, and there are some features that needed improving, but the basic train is sound and quite capable of giving many more years of service.” Apart from the smart new paint, the most obvious change is the interior. Comparing the two ‘new’ cars with the two old ones is like comparing chalk and cheese. The original Stansted Express carriages are dark and old-fashioned. In contrast, the two that have been refurbished are light, airy and somehow seem to have more room. Part of that may be down to the seats. They are identical to the ones currently being fitted to new Class 377 trains at the Derby factory - in fact, there is a rumour that a production manager is still looking for two sets of seats that seem to have been ‘misplaced’! The vestibules are also very different. Gone are the large luggage racks from the airport services, and spaces around the doors are now larger and more open. However, due to the thinner backs of the new seats, there has been no change to the number of seated passengers overall.
Additional details LED lights brighten up the interiors as well, and the carriages are now PRM (Persons of Reduced Mobility) compliant. With passenger information systems included, the carriages now have all the features of a new train. As this is only a demonstrator, the original hopper windows have been retained. However, these can always be changed in the future if the operator requires. Some other small details have been improved as well. One problem with the doors is that, in autumn, leaves get carried into the carriage on passengers’ feet. These then get trapped in the doors and carried into the door pockets buried behind the panelling of the carriage. From there, it is a devil of a job to remove them. As part of this refurbishment, much larger access panels have been fitted to those pockets, so making life easier for hard-pressed depot staff.