SREmG
 

Please be aware of our copyright notice. If you have a good reaon for using a photo from this site ask permission from first - it is frequently given.

Class 376 "Electrostar"

photograph by John Lewis

Unit N°376002 was on display at Cannon Street station from 10th-12th August 2004 for passengers to view, with South Eastern Trains publicity operations and engineering staff on hand to show off their new toy!
The Class 376 is an inner suburban variant of the Electrostar EMU family. Thirty six 5 car units originally ordered by Connex for services between Victoria, Charing Cross Blackfriars and Cannon Street, and Hayes, Orpington, Swanley and Greenhithe entered service with South Eastern Trains. They replaced Class 465 & 466 Networkers on inner suburban workings. (The Networkers had hitherto been working both inner and outer suburban services but experience showed that they were more suited to the latter.) A fully loaded pair of 376s carry 1440 passengers, 100 more than a 10 car Networker formation. However, with their interiors being especially designed for shorter workings the majority of these passengers are standing or in tip-up or "perch" seats - there being only 432 "proper" seats in a ten car formation.

Although electrically very similar to the Electrostar Class 375 & 377 units, as mentioned above being specified for inner suburban workings there are some significant differences to their bodywork and passenger accommodation. There are no end gangways although gangways within the units will be wider. The cab fronts have a three piece windscreen and were to a new design, being more vertical than existing non-gangwayed Electro/Turbostar fronts. To aid rapid loading and unloading the doors are 200mm wider and slide into the bodyside. These doors lead to wide vestibules, seating is to a 2+2 facing and unidirectional pattern to provide wide gangways and grab rails for standing passengers are prolific. Seat cushions are thinner though the resulting thinner seat profile does provide slightly more legroom. To reflect regular opening of the large doors these units are not air conditioned but instead have pressure ventilation, though the driver's cabs do have air conditioning. Fitting of air conditioning was technically possible in the future since pressure ventilation and air conditioning units take up the same amount of apparatus space. There are no toilets although SET trains have promised to compensate for this by having more toilets on stations. Passengers will be hoping they will be able to keep these open and working!
Click on the thumbnails for a larger image.
  • Leaflet
     
    A leaflet issued by South Eastern Trains extolling the virtues of their new inner suburban units.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • Open
    Area
    These units have an open area at the ends of the units for wheelchairs, cycles etc. The end passenger doors have this blue marking over them as well as the usual wheelchair symbols, possibly for identification.
    Photograph by John Lewis.
  • Doors
     
    One pair of the passenger doors for the rest of the unit. All the doors fitted to these units are 200mm wider than the doors used on previous Electrostar/Turbostar units.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • Door
    Opening
    The door openings are wide to allow rapid loading/unloading on busy inner suburban services. Note the low-down high intensity LED light.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • Cab
    Front
    Close up of the cab front of unit N°376002 displayed in platform two at Cannon Street station on 12th August 2004. SET staff claim the only thing idiot train surfers can hold on to are the large windscreen wiper assemblies!
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • Pantograph
    Provision
    As with most modern units this incarnation of the Electrostar range has a pantograph well should the unit ever require conversion to overhead pickup.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • Driver's
    Position
    The interior of the cab of a Class 376 unit showing the driver's position.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • Interior
     
    The interiors of all five cars in the unit are similar. Space is optimised for standing as these units are only intended for inner suburban diagrams.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • Four Seat
    Bay
    A four seat bay. Note the (plus points) spaciousness and high seat backs but also (minus point) the thin seat cushions.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • Wheelchair
    Position
    The wheelchair/bicycle/perching position behind the cab in one DMSO.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.
  • Inter-car
    Doors
    Although there are no corridor connections between units, there are between cars. The doors open automatically although there is an illuminated switch.
    Photograph by Colin Duff.

This page was last updated 14 August 2004

SR Target