British Rail Class 385

In October 2014, immediately after being awarded the ScotRail franchise, Abellio ScotRail announced it had concluded an agreement with the Japanese manufacturer Hitachi Rail to procure 234 new EMU carriages from its A-Train family for use on routes in Scotland that were being electrified.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/hitachi-to-build-scotrail-emus.html |title=Hitachi to build ScotRail EMUs |date=10 October 2014 |magazine=Railway Gazette International |access-date=3 November 2015 |archive-date=13 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013095027/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/hitachi-to-build-scotrail-emus.html |url-status=live }} During April 2015, a contract between Hitachi and Abellio ScotRail was signed, ordering 70 new-build trainsets at a cost of £475 million.{{cite web |url=https://www.railengineer.co.uk/maintaining-the-385s/ |title=Maintaining the 385s |first=David |last=Shirres |publisher=Rail Engineer |date=3 April 2020 |access-date=15 July 2020 |archive-date=15 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715054348/https://www.railengineer.co.uk/maintaining-the-385s/ |url-status=live }} The trainsets, which are formed into a mix of three- and four-car units, were procured for the purpose of operating along the main Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line from December 2017,{{cite web |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/scotrail-punctuality-on-the-rise-but-row-over-free-travel-1-4342182 |title=ScotRail punctuality on the rise – but row over free travel |access-date=19 January 2017 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202030802/http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/scotrail-punctuality-on-the-rise-but-row-over-free-travel-1-4342182 |url-status=live }} and across Central Scotland.{{cite web |url=http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/project/electrification-programme |title=Electrification programme |author= |website=Transport Scotland |access-date=3 November 2015 |archive-date=11 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011171154/http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/project/electrification-programme |url-status=live }} In this manner, the electrification programme and purchase of new EMUs to operate services, will allow a subsequent cascade of the diesel multiple units currently used elsewhere on the network.

The order for the new EMUs was the first operator-based purchase of a Hitachi product for use in the UK following the IEP procurement, and its subsequent construction of its new Newton Aycliffe Manufacturing Facility at Newton Aycliffe, England.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2015/10/30/hitachi-s-new-scottish-emu-construction-starts-next-month |title=Hitachi's new Scottish EMU construction starts next month |last1=Clinnick |first1=Richard |date=30 October 2015 |magazine=Rail Magazine |access-date=3 November 2015 |archive-date=2 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102052556/http://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2015/10/30/hitachi-s-new-scottish-emu-construction-starts-next-month |url-status=live }} The bulk of the new fleet was constructed at Newton Aycliffe, while the first seven units were instead built at {{Ill|Hitachi Kasado Works|lt=Hitachi's Kasado Works|ja|日立製作所笠戸事業所}} factory in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi, Japan.{{cite web |url=http://www.hitachi.com/environment/select/list/kasado/index.html |title=Kasado Works, Railway Systems Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd.: Environmental Activities: Hitachi |website=www.hitachi.com |access-date=2 August 2017 |archive-date=2 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802204623/http://www.hitachi.com/environment/select/list/kasado/index.html |url-status=live }} The trainsets were supplied to Abellio Scotrail through a leasing arrangement, which was formed at the time of the original order. Accordingly, the ownership of the fleet resides with Caledonian Rail Leasing, a subsidiary company of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/abellio-and-hitachi-sign-scotrail-train-contract.html |title=Abellio and Hitachi sign ScotRail train contract |magazine=Railway Gazette International|date=12 March 2015 |access-date=23 April 2019 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190423193516/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/abellio-and-hitachi-sign-scotrail-train-contract.html |archive-date=23 April 2019 |url-status=live }}

File:AT200 bodyshell production.jpg

Construction of the first Class 385 units commenced in November 2015, with the first units being delivered in December 2016.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-38275332 |title=ScotRail takes delivery of first new electric train |date=11 December 2016 |work=BBC News |access-date=13 December 2016 |archive-date=12 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212233954/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-38275332 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=AT200 for Scotland: 70 new trains for the upcoming ScotRail franchise |url=http://www.hitachirail-eu.com/at200-for-scotland_141.html |website=Hitachi Rail Europe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124033223/http://www.hitachirail-eu.com/at200-for-scotland_141.html |archive-date=24 November 2015 |access-date=3 November 2015}}{{Cite web |title=Class 385 for Scotland {{!}} Hitachi Rail EU |url=http://www.hitachirail-eu.com/products/projects/class-385-scotland |website=www.hitachirail-eu.com |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-date=17 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517163834/http://www.hitachirail-eu.com/products/projects/class-385-scotland |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/transport/scotrail-s-delayed-new-trains-not-now-expected-until-march-1-4607932 |title=ScotRail's delayed new trains not now expected until March |website=www.scotsman.com |access-date=25 April 2019 |archive-date=25 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425031429/https://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/transport/scotrail-s-delayed-new-trains-not-now-expected-until-march-1-4607932 |url-status=live }} The construction process in Newton Aycliffe involved heavily defined processes, including 1,400 standard operating procedures generated from experience at Hitachi's Pistoia plant in Italy and Kasado factory in Japan. The bodyshells, supplied by Kasado, were shipped to Newton Aycliffe and subjected to around seven days of static fitting out, after which they were moved through the production area via an internal traverser; each vehicle required 2,100{{nbsp}}man-hours to complete. Roughly 71 percent of all components were sourced within the United Kingdom.

An additional ten 3-car units were to be purchased if Transport Scotland exercised an option to extend Abellio ScotRail's contract from seven to ten years; they would have entered service in 2023.{{cite web |url=http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/system/files/documents/tsc-basic-pages/Redacted%20Franchise%20Agreement%20-%20CU%20version.pdf |title=Scotrail Franchise Agreement |author= |website=Transport Scotland |access-date=23 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129050858/http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/system/files/documents/tsc-basic-pages/Redacted%20Franchise%20Agreement%20-%20CU%20version.pdf |archive-date=29 November 2015 |url-status=dead }} The option was not taken up, however.{{cite magazine |url = https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/scotrail-franchise-to-end-in-2022/55403.article |title = ScotRail franchise to end in 2022 |magazine = Railway Gazette International |date = 19 December 2019 |access-date = 25 December 2019 |archive-date = 25 December 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191225122719/https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/scotrail-franchise-to-end-in-2022/55403.article |url-status = live }}

During early 2019, Hitachi held a series of discussions with the Scottish Government on the development of a variant of the Class 385, a battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) that would be capable of running on unelectrified sections of line along a route. The installation of batteries was reportedly described as being a relatively straightforward alteration to make; an underfloor battery unit, dependent upon size, would be able to power a trainset over distances of {{convert|20|to|60|mi|-1}}. The proposal drew upon Hitachi's existing experience with battery trains operated in Japan, and had been motivated by a recommendation from the rail decarbonisation task force which advocated that such measures be implemented.{{cite web |url=https://www.railengineer.co.uk/hitachi-plan-to-run-scotrail-class-385-emus-beyond-the-wires/ |title=Hitachi plans to run ScotRail Class 385 EMUs beyond the wires |first=David |last=Shirres |publisher=Rail Engineer |date=26 March 2019 |access-date=15 July 2020 |archive-date=15 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715184047/https://www.railengineer.co.uk/hitachi-plan-to-run-scotrail-class-385-emus-beyond-the-wires/ |url-status=live }}

In May 2021, the Class 385 fleet was inspected for the presence of a potential safety-related structural weakness that has been identified on the similar IETs, also built by Hitachi. While evidence of this issue was found on units of the fleet during these checks, it was not designated as a safety issue at this time.{{Cite web|title=UK disruption continues over withdrawal of Hitachi trains for safety checks|url=https://www.railtech.com/rolling-stock/2021/05/12/uk-disruption-continues-over-withdrawal-of-hitachi-trains-for-safety-checks/|access-date=1 January 2022|date=12 May 2021|website=RailTech.com|archive-date=10 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110065442/https://www.railtech.com/rolling-stock/2021/05/12/uk-disruption-continues-over-withdrawal-of-hitachi-trains-for-safety-checks/|url-status=live}}

The Class 385 is a member of Hitachi's A-Train family of aluminium trains and was the first order for the AT-200 commuter train model.{{cite magazine |title=Hitachi unveils new commuter train design |url=https://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rolling-stock/hitachi-unveils-new-commuter-train-design |magazine=Rail Technology Magazine|access-date=12 February 2021 |date=22 July 2014 |archive-date=26 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326110234/http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rolling-stock/hitachi-unveils-new-commuter-train-design |url-status=live }} The trains are designed for a maximum speed of {{convert|100|mph|abbr=on}}. Sets are formed of two powered driving cars and one or two unpowered intermediate cars. The trains are fitted with a Hitachi-designed IGBT traction pack. Four-carriage trainsets feature four powered bogies per set and the three-carriage trainsets have three powered bogies per set. The passenger doors are plug type and are located at 1/3 and 2/3s along the car body. Seating is in a 2+2 configuration with a mixture of four-seat table bays and airline seating with seat back tables. A toilet is fitted in each driving car. The trains are fully air conditioned.

Due to a requirement to support at-seat catering for all passengers, it was necessary to include a front-end corridor connection; this design alteration required considerable redesign of the driver's cab and forward section in order to obtain the desired functionality while conforming with standards on crashworthiness and driver ergonomics, particularly sighting. The University of Liverpool’s Virtual Engineering Centre consulted on the cab's design, while feedback from drivers and train crews was also sought throughout the process.

File:Glasgow Queen Street - Abellio 385025+385110.JPG

File:Glasgow Central - Abellio 385020 Shotts service.JPG

During early 2015, when the order for the Class 385 was placed, the fleet was expected to be declared operational around autumn 2017. However, issues were encountered that necessitated timetable changes. During February 2018, reports emerged that vision problems with the Class 385 had been encountered during testing; these were the attributed to the visibility and curvature of the driver windows, which are smaller than usual, leading to drivers seeing "two or three signals", when only one exists.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-43031527 |title=Safety worry over new ScotRail trains |date=12 February 2018 |work=BBC News |access-date=12 February 2018 |archive-date=13 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213021110/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-43031527 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/drivers-of-new-scotrail-trains-can-t-see-signals-1-4687130 |title=Drivers of new ScotRail trains 'can't see signals' |website=www.scotsman.com |access-date=12 February 2018 |archive-date=13 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213021832/https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/drivers-of-new-scotrail-trains-can-t-see-signals-1-4687130 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.aslef.org.uk/article.php?group_id=6091 |title=Fish bowl vision problem scuppers plans for new trains |website=www.aslef.org.uk |access-date=12 February 2018 |archive-date=13 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213021913/http://www.aslef.org.uk/article.php?group_id=6091 |url-status=live }} One month later, the fleet was reportedly experiencing software-related issues as well; these factors caused the type's entry into service to be further deferred to December 2018, although this was later rolled back due to progress made on the issue.{{cite web |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/angus-mearns/618745/deeply-disappointing-delay-to-introduction-of-new-hourly-rail-service-for-broughty-ferry-and-angus/ |title="Deeply disappointing" delay to introduction of new hourly rail service for Broughty Ferry and Angus |first=Graeme |last=Strachan |website=thecourier.co.uk |date=15 March 2018 |access-date=15 March 2018 |archive-date=28 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828170054/https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/angus-mearns/618745/deeply-disappointing-delay-to-introduction-of-new-hourly-rail-service-for-broughty-ferry-and-angus/ |url-status=live }} In February 2018, type approval testing was reportedly nearly complete.{{cite web |url = https://www.railengineer.co.uk/on-board-scotrails-new-class-385/ |title = On board ScotRail's new Class 385 |first = Mungo |last = Stacy |publisher = Rail Engineer |date = 7 February 2018 |access-date = 15 July 2020 |archive-date = 16 July 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200716105813/https://www.railengineer.co.uk/on-board-scotrails-new-class-385/ |url-status = live }}

Having received remedial work, the first trainset was able to enter service on 24 July 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.railengineer.co.uk/hitachis-class-385-enters-service/ |title=Hitachi's Class 385s enters service |first=David |last=Shirres |publisher=Rail Engineer |date=24 July 2018 |access-date=15 July 2020 |archive-date=15 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715070919/https://www.railengineer.co.uk/hitachis-class-385-enters-service/ |url-status=live }} Thereafter, further trainsets were promptly introduced. After the discovery of a critical issue, all units were briefly withdrawn on 4 October 2018,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-45764238 |title=New ScotRail trains taken out of service |work=BBC News |date=5 October 2018 |access-date=25 April 2019 |archive-date=25 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425031424/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-45764238 |url-status=live }} the type re-entered service on 13 October 2018. By November 2018, ten Class 385s were diagrammed for service; this rose to 32 during the following month and to 58 by May 2019. Due to the delayed entry into service of the Class 385, ScotRail hired ten Class 365s as an interim measure between 2018 and 2019; these were retained until sufficient new Class 385 units had attained sufficient operational readiness.

By December 2019, all 70 of the Class 385 units had been brought into revenue service. These trainsets are operated on the Croy, Dunblane and Shotts lines, as well as replacing existing stock on the Carstairs, Cathcart Circle Lines, Inverclyde Line plus Edinburgh to North Berwick{{ cite magazine|title=|magazine=The Railway Observer|date=March 2020|issue=1093|volume=90|page=171}} and Glasgow Central to Lanark services. The fleet's introduction allowed for the retirement of ScotRail's Class 314 fleet, along with the cascading of a number of Class 156, Class 158 and Class 170 diesel units.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35153722 |title=Scotrail unveil £475m improvement plan |date=21 December 2015 |work=BBC News |access-date=22 December 2015 |archive-date=24 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224060159/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35153722 |url-status=live }}{{cite web | title=BRAND New Trains To Feature In Inverclyde As 40-Year-Old Units Sidelined | website=Inverclyde Now | date=10 May 2019 | url=https://www.inverclydenow.com/news/local-news/brand-new-trains-to-feature-in-inverclyde-as-40-year-old-units-sidelined | quote=from 19 May, Class 314 units – which have attracted complaints from passengers over reliability and lack of facilities – are only scheduled to run on three early morning, Monday to Friday Gourock services ... New Class 385 trains will operate on some Gourock services. | access-date=6 June 2019 | archive-date=10 May 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510135521/https://www.inverclydenow.com/news/local-news/brand-new-trains-to-feature-in-inverclyde-as-40-year-old-units-sidelined | url-status=live }}

This Class 385's introduction was accompanied by various timetable changes. One prominent service change was the widespread use of eight-coach trains on the Edinburgh to Glasgow main line, which necessitated the completion of platform extension work at Glasgow Queen Street Station. A total of 546 passengers can be seated on an eight-coach Class 385 trainset, which represents a 45 per cent increase in seating over the six-coach Class 170 DMUs that had previously operated this service prior to the route's electrification. By April 2020, the Class 385 fleet had reportedly accumulated {{convert|8.5|e6mi|e6km|abbr=off}}, {{convert|727000|mi|-3}} of which within a four-week window just prior to Christmas 2019.

Unlike the majority of ScotRail's fleet, the Class 385 is maintained under a ten-year contract with Hitachi; under this arrangement, management is based at the company's central planning contract office in Glasgow while the work is performed at the Craigentinny train maintenance centre. The fleet is actively monitored by a team of maintenance controllers and riding inspectors, there is a heavy emphasis on delay attribution and fleet performance metrics, particularly for reoccurring issues. The Class 385 incorporates Hitachi's Fleet Monitoring Tool, which is intended to consolidate data collection in real time and make relevant data readily accessible to various stakeholders, including ScotRail and Network Rail. Each trainset is subject to a balanced examination system, under which such inspections occur every 40 days or {{convert|20000|mi|-3}}, although considerations towards greater condition-based maintenance have been made. Early issues with subsystems such as the brakes, door setup and speed control unit have been mostly resolved via software-based measures.

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385

Category:Hitachi multiple units

Category:Train-related introductions in 2018

Category:25 kV AC multiple units