P E P Prototype Trains, Classes 313, 314, 315, 507, 508: The Class of 1972

Urban commuter rail modernization in late-1960s Britain produced five near-identical train classes that served cities for decades.

At the tail end of the 1960s British Railways was in a state of decay, steam had only just been eliminated and the effects of the Beeching cuts had trimmed the network of 1000s of miles of track and 100s of stations. The industry was starved of investment and there were even those who questioned if the railways were even relevant any more?

From this the fightback began with a new corporate image and the decision to modernise with new trains needed that were state of the art and could handle the one traffic flow the railway still had a monopoly on, the urban commuter. An extensive design and test programme was initiated by British Rail’s engineering and technical arms and this lead to the creation of five near identical classes of trains that were to become a huge success.

These units ferried millions of passengers into and out of major cities in England and Scotland, lasting well beyond the end of the expected design life and became much loved by enthusiasts with examples even being the subject of preservation upon withdrawal. This book tells the story of these trains from concept to delivery and all the way to the end of their operating lives.

Graeme Gleaves was born in Kent in a house that backed onto the Main line between London and the coast and had trains passing by every few minutes. It was only natural that he should develop a keen interest in railways, then join the railway industry from school and eventually become involved in writing books on trains. He was the founder of the Suburban Electric Railway Association and the Electric Railway Museum and remains very involved in the preservation of British electric trains to this day.