Class 308 Profile and Models

The British Rail Class 308 alternating current (AC) electric multiple units (EMU) were built by British Railways' Holgate Road carriage works in three batches between 1959 and 1961. They were initially classified as AM8 units before the introduction of TOPS. The first batch of 33 units were built in 1959 as 308/1, these units were built to operate commuter services on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) from London Liverpool Street to Shenfield, Witham, Colchester, Walton-on-the-Naze and Clacton. A second batch of nine units, 308/2s, were built for boat train services on the London, Tilbury and Southend line in 1959–60. Finally, a third batch of 3-car units were built in 1961 for suburban services from London Liverpool Street to Chingford and Enfield Town. By the early 1990s, only the Class 308/1 units were still in service. These were gradually replaced on GEML services by the new Class 321s. In 1996, with the privatisation of British Rail, the Class 308 fleet passed into the ownership of Angel Trains and were leased to the Regional Railways North East franchise. The final three units, nos. 308138/157/158, were withdrawn in late 2001.

(Information provided via Wikipedia)

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Surviving Examples