HERITAGE LIVERY FOR ‘313’

Blue and grey livery: unit No 313201 at Southease while on a Brighton to Seaford run on 28 December 2017.
Chris Livings

A GOVIA Thameslink Railway Class 313 owned by Beacon Rail has been repainted into original BR blue and grey colours.

Built in 1976, unit No 313201 was the country’s first second generation EMU and the first designed for dual-voltage operation. Originally numbered 313001, it was reclassified when it transferred to Southern and had its pantograph removed; it now operates out of GTR’s Brighton depot along the Coastway route. The only changes made to the colour scheme have been to accommodate the tonal contrast on the doors to meet today’s accessibility requirements.

The repaint was carried out at Wolverton works as part of a C6 overhaul of the 19-strong fleet used by GTR on the Coastway (a separate ‘313’ fleet works GTR’s Great Northern suburban services out of Moorgate). The C6 overhaul included work on the door mechanism, the air system and parts of the interiors, plus bodywork repairs. The interiors have also been modified to improve accessibility and feature LED lighting.