Class 373

Trans Manche Super Train

A significant step in the Channel Tunnel construction programme occurred on 12th February 1986, when the British and French Governments signed the ''Fixed Link Treaty'' in Canterbury. This was subsequently ratified on 29th July 1987, marking the official commencement of tunnel building work, although the final dedicated ''international'' route which the line would take between the Kent coast and London was yet to be decided, as was the type of passenger rolling stock which was to traverse it. A period of thorough consultation ensued between British Rail, Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer (SNCF: French National Railways) and Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges (SNCB: Belgium National Railways), to concur on a passenger train design which would be compatible on all three railway systems (having agreed with the Channel Tunnel Group/France Manche - the tunnel's funding consortium - to utilise a portion of the available paths). The complications of developing a train capable of running on no less than three separate voltages were compounded by the need to conform to the comparatively restrictive British loading gauge, not to mention the reluctance of each of the three national railway bodies to alter their long-standing operating practices and regulations to accommodate the then new international rolling stock. The British interest in the project was handled by a subsidiary of British Rail: European Passenger Services.

In late 1987 the ''International Project Group'' (IPG) was formed by the three rail bodies to consider various concepts and finalise specific requirements for the ''Trans Manche Super Train''. From the outset, the French TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) was promoted as the most desired option, it being a proven high speed electric train, but initially the British had other ideas, looking into a separate locomotive concept. Whilst the TGV model was finally agreed on, individual locomotive-hauled passenger stock did re-emerge as part of the ''Nightstar'' programme, which aimed to run overnight services through the Channel Tunnel from a number of provincial cities. The stock was built, but the project put on hold in 1997, then formally abandoned in 1999 due to rising costs, thus all sleeping vehicles and standard seating carriages were delivered new to MOD Kineton for secure storage. Here they still remain, although a number of carriages have since been shipped to Canada for possible use - more of later.

18th December 1989 marked the placing of an order with the main selected contractor GEC-Alsthom for the construction of thirty full train sets: these were to comprise of two ''half sets'', each of which featured a single power car coupled to nine passenger vehicles, thus creating a train of an incredible length - twenty vehicles long. The capability of splitting a whole length train into a half set met contemporary tunnel safety regulations, thus in the event of a failure or fire in one half, the two constituting halves could be uncoupled (possible by controls inside the train), allowing the operable section continue out of the tunnel. Many of the specialist parts were to be manufactured by a group of firms from the three partaking countries, although main assembly of the sets themselves was to be split between two of GEC-Alsthom's works: Belfort in Eastern France, and Washford Heath in Birmingham, United Kingdom, the latter of which had been acquired by GEC by means of buying-out Metro Cammell in May 1989. A further full train set was soon added to the original order size to make thirty-one complete formations, but this was not the end of the Trans Manche Super Train (TMST) production line. Appropriately returning to the topic of the overnight sleepers, it had been planned for regional services composed of shorter-formed TMSTs to operate between provincial cities in Britain, and those in France, Belgium and Germany, thus creating a day time equivalent of ''Nightstar''. Whilst the politics of this concept delayed it considerably, resulting in subsequent extensions of the tender expiry date for building the trains, the contract for seven more TMST sets was finally signed on 7th July 1992. As aforementioned, these sets differed from their standard counterparts by being of a shorter length; fourteen vehicles were to be sandwiched between the power cars rather than eighteen. Excepting this difference, all features of the follow-on order of seven remain identical to those signed for in 1989, with each power car comprising two pantographs; one for the French system and Channel Tunnel 25 kV AC overhead wires (Stone Faiveley), the second (Brecknell Willis) for the 3 kV DC Belgium system. A retractable third rail pick-up shoe was also incorporated for the 750 V DC network of British Rail's Southern Region.

The first TMST vehicles were produced in France before the Channel Tunnel opened, thus were conveyed to Britain by ferry, thence onto low-loader for delivery to North Pole depot in early 1993 for third rail calibration – Washford Heath's first vehicles would emerge in October of that year. The ferry crossing for railway vehicles was then improved upon on 21st June 1993, when a Eurostar set travelled through the Channel Tunnel for the first time, albeit towed by a diesel locomotive! Subsequent French-built sets destined for Britain travelled in this fashion. Waterloo International was formally completed on 17th May 1993, but the first Eurostar services to Paris and Brussels did not occur until 14th November 1994, each city being served by two trains a day. As a result, Dover Western Docks station was closed on 24th September of the same year, the demise of railway boat traffic being inevitable. By this time, the EMU half sets had been designated on TOPS as ''Class 373''.

South Eastern Division

On 30th August 1999, Class 373 formations Nos. 3223 and 3224 were seen London-bound at Paddock

Wood. This was during the period when the ex-SER trunk line provided the fastest means of reaching

the tunnel portal. Chunnel works had begun at the site of Fawkham Junction in October of the previous

year, but four years were to pass after the above picture was taken, before the first section of the CTRL

was available for use. David Glasspool Collection

Dover Western Docks saw its last scheduled service on 24th September 1994 as a result of the

decline in boat traffic and the commencement of Eurostar. Thirty-eight Class 373 formations

were built, seven of which were short-formed. British-owned No. 3016 is seen passing through

Farningham Road on 18th September 2004 with a London-bound service. The two nose covers

below the headlights can be removed and a barrier wagon attached, allowing the unit to be

dragged by a locomotive. David Glasspool

The spur from Fawkham Junction became operational on 28th September 2003, allowing Class

373 sets to pursue a quicker route between London and the Channel Tunnel, via Ashford. The

spur is very briefly third rail, as seen here on 10th August 2005, but soon becomes overhead wires

to the right of the picture (although hidden behind the landscape). Switch over from third rail pick

-up shoe to pantograph is done manually by the driver, whilst still on the move. David Glasspool

A continent-bound Class 373 is seen passing through the fields between Swanley and Farningham

Road in March 2005. The buffet car is easily recognisable with the dark blue window surrounds,

being the sixth passenger carrying vehicle from the power car. Mike Glasspool

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