News - Class 314

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A project aiming to transform the future of the rail industry is underway at the home of Scotland's railway heritage. A retired ScotRail Class 314 electric multiple is based at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway where it is being converted to a hydrogen-powered unit, for testing and proving of the technology. Hydrogen is intended for
(Permalink) Bo'ness Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway Class 314 Hydrogen Power


Bo^ness TMD: DMS 64600 from 314209 on the jacks at Boness for removal of redundant equipment in preparation for the installation of the new hydrogen fuel cell package.
Douglas McPherson 18/03/2021

A consortium of engineering and technology firms is building Scotlands first hydrogen powered train, which is set to be ready for Glasgows COP26 climate conference in November. Based at the Boness and Kinneil Railway, the team will convert a former ScotRail Class 314 car passenger train into a fully certified, production-ready hydrogen train.
(Permalink) Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway COP26 Class 314

Converted Class 314 to demonstrate hydrogen power in Scotland.
(Permalink) Class 314 Far North Line

At the Bo'ness home of Scotlands railway heritage they are hosting a project aimed at transforming the future of the rail industry.
A retired ScotRail Class 314 electric set was transported by road from its depot in Glasgow to the Boness & Kinneil Railway where it will be converted to hydrogen-powered - a cleaner, greener alternative to diesel for non-electrified routes.

The work is part of a Scottish Enterprise project, in partnership with Transport Scotland and the University of St Andrews Hydrogen Accelerator, to bring skills for the future of the rail industry into the Scottish supply chain and create opportunities for businesses based here.
(Permalink) Bo'ness Class 314 Hydrogen power

Scotland's University of St Andrews issued a tender on September 10 for the conversion of a three-car class 314 EMU to hydrogen propulsion.
(Permalink) Class 314 Hydrogen University of St Andrews

A hydrogen-powered train is to be built and tested in Scotland as ministers prepare to banish diesel from passenger rail services within 15 years.

The experimental train will be created by converting ScotRail carriages retired in December. [A Class 314.]

It is likely to be tested on a heritage line in Scotland like the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway, which has been used for trials of battery trains.
(Permalink) Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway Class 314

ScotRail customers helped raise more than £4,000 for charity during a special train journey last week.

The train operator arranged the farewell tour for its fleet of Class 314 trains on Wednesday, 18 December in aid of its charity partner, MND Scotland.

More than 300 people came along to travel on the tour around Strathclyde, and say goodbye to the trains which had served Scotland's Railway the past 40 years.
(Permalink) Class 314 MND Scotland

Ayr station will be paid one last visit by a classic ScotRail train as it makes its final journeys.

The Class 314 fleet will be withdrawn from service and will stop at Ayr for the last time after 40 years serving Scotlands Railway.

The journey will take place tomorrow as it embarks on routes around Strathclyde that havent seen the trains for a number of years, and on routes that have never seen them.

(Permalink) Class 314


Ayr MPD: Ayr Open Day, 29 October 1983. Then new 314211 is on display, with Sans Pareil replica operating on the right. Electrification came in 1986. The Class 314 units will be withdrawn in 2018.
Bill Roberton 29/10/1983


Rutherglen Central Junction: 314210 seen at Rutherglen on the occasion of the re-opening of the Glasgow Central Low Level line on 1st November 1979. The Queen is the Second Man in the driving cab. This unit is still in Sco ...
Ian Millar 01/11/1979

It's the end of the line for ScotRail's Class 314 fleet, as the train operator has confirmed it is withdrawing the last of the trains from service.

As a final send-off, ScotRail is putting on a special farewell tour around Strathclyde after the trains retire from passenger service.

The last Class 314 will make its farewell journey on Wednesday, 18 December, on routes around Strathclyde that haven't seen the trains for a number of years, and on routes that have never seen them.
(Permalink) Class 314

The arrival of new trains means the end of the line for some fleets, while others will be cascaded.

North of the border, the introduction of Hitachi Class 385 electric multiple units has enabled ScotRail to start withdrawing Class 314s (five have been scrapped). All of the veteran EMUs, first introduced in 1979, will be out of traffic by the end of the year.
(Permalink) Class 314 Class 385


Glasgow Central: Class 314s have remained unrefurbished since delivery in 1979, and don't look so bad for it though the seats are a little hard. They have a virtual monopoly of the Cathcart lines but venture into In ...
David Panton 14/07/2010


Rutherglen Central Junction: 314210 seen at Rutherglen on the occasion of the re-opening of the Glasgow Central Low Level line on 1st November 1979. The Queen is the Second Man in the driving cab. This unit is still in Sco ...
Ian Millar 01/11/1979


Helensburgh Central: The normal 303 service stands alongside new 314s at Helensburgh in August 1979 just prior to their introduction on the Argyle line.
John McIntyre /08/1979

Passengers on one of Scotlands busiest commuter lines are still stuck with old trains from the 1970s more than a year after ScotRail said theyd be phased out.
The rail operator introduced the class 314s built 40 years ago in York as a stopgap in Inverclyde while new trains were diverted elsewhere for driver training.
ScotRail said at the beginning of 2017 that it hoped to have an all-modern fleet of trains on the line by May the following year.
But more than a year on, the old 314s are still run on the Inverclyde line, which travels through Greenock and Paisley into the countrys busiest station, Glasgow Central.
(Permalink) Class 314


Plates, signs, notices etc: Yes, Scotland's oldest current stock is being withdrawn in 2018, the same year that even older HSTs are joining the fleet. I wonder what percentage of passengers would be able to identify a 314, let a ...
David Panton 16/12/2017


Glasgow Central: Class 314 314202 at Glasgow Central waiting to depart with the service to Neilston. This is the last train still painted in SPT orange and black, and it will lose this as part of the Class 314 moderni ...
Graham Morgan 26/08/2006


Ayr MPD: Ayr Open Day, 29 October 1983. Then new 314211 is on display, with Sans Pareil replica operating on the right. Electrification came in 1986. The Class 314 units will be withdrawn in 2018.
Bill Roberton 29/10/1983

Another of the Class 314 trains on its final journey to the scrapyard earlier this afternoon. Unit 213 has officially left the fleet.
(Permalink) Class 314


Glasgow Central Low Level: A somewhat blurred mobile phone shot of EMU 314213, hauled by diesel loco 37884, on its final journey to Glasgow Works where it will be dismantled for component recovery. The photo was taken as the co ...
Colin McDonald 12/02/2019

ScotRail say they cannot provide a timetable for the removal of the clapped out carriages from Inverclyde services - despite the roll-out of a new fleet of trains yesterday.

Company officials say there are 'no firm dates' as yet for when the old Class 314 models, built in 1979, will be taken away and modern stock returned to the Gourock and Wemyss Bay lines.
(Permalink) Class 314

A clapped-out old train was responsible for two breakdowns on the Inverclyde rail line in the space of three days.

One of the 1970s Class 314 models suffered a power failure on Monday afternoon at Bishopton and again on Wednesday evening at Woodhall, causing delays and cancellations to services.

Operators ScotRail have confirmed that it was the same train involved on both occasions and a recurrence of the same fault.

The old rolling stock has been heavily criticised by local passengers for not being up to scratch, especially for having no toilets, wireless internet and a lack of comfortable heating.
(Permalink) Class 314

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