British Rail Class 508

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British Rail Class 508
Class 508 at Liverpool Lime Street
In service1979 - present
ManufacturerBREL York
Refurbishment27 Merseyrail sets 2002-2004
Eastleigh Works
Number built43 trainsets
Formation3 cars per trainset (originally 4 cars)
Capacity192 seats (Merseyrail refurbished)
230 seats (Southeastern/London Overground)
Operator(s)Merseyrail
Southeastern
London Overground
Specifications
Car length19.80 m
Width3.58 m ??? 2.82m
Height2.82 m ??? 3.58m
Maximum speed75 mph (121 km/h)
Weight104.5 t
Power output656 kW
Electric system(s)750 V DC 3rd rail
Track gauge1,435 mm
508138 bearing the 'Revised' livery, one of six 508s to receive this colourful variant.
A Class 508 in Connex livery leaving Norwood Junction.
508301 arrives at London Euston in October 2007, one month before becoming part of the London Overground fleet.
A Silverlink 508 at South Hampstead.

The British Rail Class 508 electric multiple units ("EMUs") were built by BREL at York works in 1979-80. They were the fourth variety of BR's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, eventually encompassing 755 vehicles and five classes (313/314/315/507/508). They have mostly worked on the Merseyrail network since 1983, and continue to do so, now refurbished by Alstom's Eastleigh Works.

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