Cheerio to the Class 313s

My wife passed her ICA with Southern two weeks ago (a sort of final exam for train drivers after 18 months of training). According to her examiner, she was the last person to pass out on 313 stock!

I like the aesthetics of this Class 313, they remind me of metro rolling stock more than the standard two-door coach trains.

Yup, you know you are old when you remember something super new and ultra groovy coming into service - and then, in what seems the twinkling of an eye, you learn it is being retired. Still, there are many better things to be sentimental about than machinery!

As a signaller, I can confirm that the 313s overtook 442s as the class of train that has "caught fire" the most when I've been on duty. I won't be sending flowers.

I was involved as an engineer with the 313 on Northern City Line in mid 00’s. We were quite proud that Hornsey managed to make these some of the most reliable EMUs on the network-partly due to the dedication of the guy who overhauled the Cam changer on the units something pioneered at Hornsey.

The class 313 has a lovely design.

I'm from Brighton, and these trains have been essentially all I have known for local journeys to the South Downs. I think they're brilliant. Farewell!

My memories of SR EMU's goes back to the slam door variety, and I loved it when the coaches would be refurbished, a great smell an comfortable seats, those old coaches which had nets for you to put your stuff in, above the seats.

I remember being amazed when my first 313 pulled into Surbiton in '77 or so. The push button sliding doors seemed straight out of Star Trek, and the ride was smooth as silk compared to the slam-doors.

The original Southern Region prototypes were initially meant to be given the 4PER epithet, Prototype Electro Rheostatic, but at the behest of the marketing REMFs this was change to the "snazzier" sounding PEP.

I live in Brighton and use the Coastway services where there are lot of close together small stations like Aldrington Halt and Southwick. When they were introduced what I immediately noticed was how well these trains accelerated compared to the Electrostars. Also they had brilliant cycle stowages. I often referred to them as tube trains, little did I realise how close to the truth I was !

I miss being able to sit at a window seat on the North London line - some nice views.

When they introduced the Electrostar on the Brighton to Seaford they encountered a slight problem. If there were two trains on the Lewes to Seaford leg, they had a tendency to draw more current that the equipment could supply...and they'd trip the electrics leaving two trains stuck...somewhere. (possibly when the tracks were wet?? Maybe need somebody with more technical knowledge). After this had happened a few times (so we were told) they decided that introducing the 313s on the line was the answer. And as you point out, Jago, people were not happy. Refurbished or not, we had seen the future, used the future and now we were being relegated to "ancient" stock. We were promised that this was only a temporary measure but its been a long time being temporary. Occassionally, usually late (or very late) services would still be run by an electrostar... I've now moved away from the area (nice to see it again in your video) but I imagine passengers may feel they are moving back into the 21st Century again. Unless they revert to steam ;-))

I’m from Brighton, these trains have been my childhood since my grandfather introduced me to trains in 2012. I will miss them dearly🥲

Took my son down to Seaford the other week for one last trip on the 313's, we had 313201 on the return journey so our last trip on a 313 was on the first unit. A fitting end.

Ahh, 4-PEPs, I remember their introduction. At the time, I hated the sliding doors that prevented me opening the door before stopping to get a run at barrier!

From the 1960s, when I travelled to secondary school by train from Lancing to Durrington, the coastal line out of Brighton has relied to a large degree on elderly EMUs eking out their final years before withdrawal, from BILs and HALs then CORs, HAPs, CAPs, CIGs, VEPs and finally the 313s. As you say, the Electrostars are the only new units that I can remember being used. Thanks for a great video that brought back the memories!

Desiro City was on the old USA Network at 1130p Eastern time.   I giggled when I heard that people were upset that some trains were 30 years old. I like to watch the live cam located at the Springfield, Mass, train station. One of the services there is a train down to New Haven, Conn, where passengers can connect to trains to New York City.   One of the sets that covers that service is made up of a GE Genesis Diesel-electric locomotive, an Amfleet coach, and a Metroliner cab-control coach. The locomotive was built ~30 years ago, the coach was built >40 years ago, an the cab-control coach was ordered in 1966 as part of a demonstration project (constructed some time in the following couple years years).   Sure, the seats have been reupholstered and the glass replaced but ... yeah ... I giggled.

Love the clicking of the air brakes, same noise as 455 and slammers… can make me nod off.

Goodbye 313s! I have a very odd relationship with the PEPs. I get that for regular commuters, they are basically the bottom of the barrel. But from an enthusiast's perspective, I love their character! My personal favourite sounds of any train I've come across and they just sorta.. look nice! Gonna miss them, personally. :(