British Rail Class 325

The British Rail Class 325 is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train owned by Royal Mail, the trains were operated from 1995 to 2024 for the Royal Mail to carry bulk mail. The class consists of four-car sets with dual-voltage 25 kV (AC) and 750 V (DC) power. While the Class 325 cabs bear a resemblance to the Networker family of DMUs and EMUs, the Class 325 is based on the Class 319.

History

These units, which were ordered in 1994, were initially given the TOPS classification Class 350 which was changed to Class 325 before the trains entered service.

The 16 units were built at ABB Derby between 1995 and 1996. They are similar to Class 319 units, sharing the same traction equipment and body design, but are fitted with cabs of the same design as the ABB Networker family.

The trains are fitted with large round oleo buffers, and have no gangways between carriages. Each set is made up of four cars, with roller doors in place of sliding ones and no windows. Each car has two roller shutter sliding doors on each side and is designed to hold up to 12 tonnes. They have a Brecknell Willis high speed pantograph to pick up power from the 25 kV AC overhead lines, and also a shoe to pick up power off the 750 V DC third rail. They cannot work in multiple with any other multiple unit stock, but are fitted with drophead buckeye coupling and can therefore be hauled by locomotives. The units were built in such a way that they could easily be converted for passenger use if no longer required for mail services.

The units entered into service carrying parcels and mail from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh at 100 mph (160 km/h). They are based at Crewe IEMD – International Electric Maintenance Depot.

As of 2017, the mockup cab built before the construction of the Class 325s, numbered 325000, is on display at the Nene Valley Railway as part of the as-yet-unfinished Night Mail Museum at Overton, having been disposed of from the National Railway Museum.

Operations

At launch, the trains were operated by British Rail's parcel service, Rail Express Systems (RES). With the Privatisation of British Rail operation was transferred to English Welsh & Scottish Railway. Such work continued alongside Class 86 locomotives up the West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line until 2003, when Royal Mail withdrew the postal contracts, resulting in decreasing use until the units entered storage following the end of work.

When First GBRf gained a new contract for mail transport over Christmas 2004, the Class 325s returned to limited work operating in multiple. Work with locomotive haulage also occurred again, powered by GBRf Class 87s. After a traction reshuffle the Class 325s resumed service with their power cars and without locomotive haulage.

GBRf's contract expired in 2010. A new contract for Royal Mail operations, and responsibility for managing the Class 325 fleet, was won by DB Schenker. As of June 2010, seven trains were to be run a day, between London, Warrington and Glasgow via the West Coast Main Line, with capacity to be flexible as required. The sets can be worked together to make up four-, eight- or twelve-car trains.

In 2012, unit number 325010, which had been damaged and was stored as a source of spares for the rest of the fleet, was disposed of by scrapping.

On 14 June 2024 services from Low Fell to Willesden were withdrawn.

In July 2024, Royal Mail announced that it would stop moving mail by its own rail fleet in October 2024, citing cost grounds. It stated “Royal Mail will continue to use rail services to transport mail across the country however our own freight trains are at the end of their operational lives."

Fleet details

Vehicle numbering

Individual vehicles are numbered in the ranges as follows:

DTV(A) vehicles take the even numbers from the DTV range, while DTV(B) vehicles take the odd numbers.

Illustration

Side-profile illustration of a Royal Mail Class 325 unit (without Royal Mail logos)

Named units

Some units received names:

• 325002 Royal Mail North Wales & North West
• 325006 John Grierson (scrapped)
• 325008 Peter Howarth CBE (scrapped)