Ranking every Electric Multiple Unit in Britain, Part 1: The Bottom 15
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- Опубликовано: 17 дек 2022
- Upon popular request, here is the ranking of every electric multiple unit class in passenger service in Britain! There are some good, some bad, and today we'll be focussing on the bad.
Discord: / discord
Credits:
Mike Knell, train_photos and Au Morandarte, CC BY-SA 2.0 creativecommon..., via Wikimedia Commons
Superalbs, Scully Hitchcock, Phil Nash, Hammersfan, Peter Skuce, ScottD2998, Chakorn1, Metalhead11000, Ivor the driver, Elshad, CoastwayWill and Bananaman28, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommon..., via Wikimedia Commons
Paul Bigland
El Pollock / Merseyrail Class 507, 507026, Birkenhead North railway station
Cal Smith, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Nicholas Hair, CC BY 3.0 creativecommon..., via Wikimedia Commons
Music:
Dawn - KV
The Mountains and Tunnels of Goa and Hampi - Bail Bonds
The 458 has scored too highly, but the 717 is too low, that staircase is brilliantly integrated.
I love the 313s, 314s, 507s, 508, and other PEP-derived units. They're beautiful trains.
The desiro cities definitely belong down here. Awful comfort- note sure how they’re allowed to run on the Brighton to Cambridge route. Suppose someone commuting across London won’t mind as much…
319 needs a bit more credit. I also think 700s are not that aesthetically pleasing.
318s are way better than 334s. Period. And 376s are better than 378s.
I like older electric trains and newer modern electric trains. And the older electric trains have amazing traction motors. Plus with the Class 465 and Class 466 Southeastern wants to replace them with new rolling stocks in the next couple years.
Uhh, I actually do like the class 319s…
Where you complain about the 507/8 is where I think you are out of your mind. It is a wonderful piece of history and culture, the seats are wonderful, interior is okay but the train sounds, looks, and feels great.
I can only speak personally, but I used to do Croydon to Brighton and back (45-60 mins each way) multiple times a week on class 700 trains and found the seats actually very fine.
At the end of the day this list ranking is just a matter of opinion and personal taste. Or as I like to call it, everyone has their own favourite ice cream flavours. I've been travelling on the 507s and 508s since childhood, and they have served me very faithfully throughout my life. I even own a worksplate from unit 508202, originally 508105 under Merseyrail. It's gonna be a sad day for me when their time comes, all things must pass regardless if we like it or not. I tend to be more old school when it comes to my hobbies, especially railways. I love steam and BR traction, but I don't care much for today's modern stock.
Hear me out: the class 700 is a really good train, they will last forever, very good build quality, it’s got great passenger screens and they have huge capacity. The only things wrong with them is that they have bad seats.
Another plus point to the 717s that you omitted is the walk-through aspect, which does give them a good boost.
7:26
See I get the fact that this video is made from a point of view in 2022, but when you consider the history of trains such as the 313s, of course I wasn't alive then but back in 1976 when they were introduced I'd imagine them to be incredibly modern trains with sliding doors and better seating etc. Considering they're almost 50 years old they're fairly reliable and well built trains. Anyway, this isn't me trying to argue, just pointing something out, I think this series has been brilliantly produced and edited, I'm about to go and watch the part 2 video now 🤣
I'm on the fence about the Class 700. If you were to judge them as a train for metro services I think they're pretty good. I commute on them most days from zone 2 to zone 2 through central London and while I hate the ironing board seats, they are tolerable for 30 minutes. Everything else about them is a big upgrade over the the class 319 that ran on the route before. There's a lot more standing room, the air con is really good, the open gangways between carriages make it feel more spacious, the information screens are good, the windows are big.
I don't understand why the 507s and 508s are 37th. They're sturdy units, comfortable, has a decent interior and good for the services that they run on.
Can't believe the 313 is last. I can understand the hate for them on the Coastway route, sitting on one for the long haul sucks but they're neat and have a good sound and decent interior. the 700 hate is valid, they're really good Except for the seats imho. but even with the seating they're great if you just use them for the core tunnel
While I do agree with the Class 507 and 508 as maybe looking a little bit odd as such, the comfort of them is definitely worth more than 2 in my opinion. When these trains were ordered, the Merseyrail network was owned by British Rail, hence the BR look and feel. The seats on the Merseyrail network I would say are quite good considering the use they get and how long they’ve had to live with passengers. I mean, I would say a 5 or 6. The 30-40 year old units will be replaced throughout the next 15 months by the Class 777 ‘Metro’ units, built like the Berlin U-BAHN.
1:43
My favourites on these list are the 507/508 and 334, I really like them. 319 was deserving of its spot though, horrible acceleration, dirty and unreliable.