Class 331 EMU Questions.

[yh00157]

hello. I am a railroad fanatic living in Korea.

While studying mechanics in high school and junior college, I also watch railroad cars.

I am writing to ask questions.

I would like to ask a question about the Class 331 trains manufactured by CAF.

I have confirmed that they are operated by Northern.

I am writing this because I have a question here.

I would like to know whether all 42 fleets out of the 43 fleets were manufactured at the Zaragoza factory in Spain.

I checked because it says that the first train was manufactured at the Newport factory in Wales, UK.

For your information, Wikipedia is not reliable, so I am asking here.

Translated from Korean to English with Google Translate. There may be grammar mistakes, so please forgive me.

 

[Speed43125]

This article has some details.

Northern plans more new trains after CAF milestone

Northern seeking to increase CAF fleet as it looks to standardisation

www.railmagazine.com

In short wikipedia is wrong and the 331s were all built in Spain.

While all the 43 Class 331 electric multiple units were built in CAF’s Zaragoza factory in north-east Spain, the 58 Class 195 DMUs were built in Irun (northern Spain) and Newport (Wales).

 

[yh00157]

This article has some details.

Northern plans more new trains after CAF milestone

Northern seeking to increase CAF fleet as it looks to standardisation

www.railmagazine.com

In short wikipedia is wrong and the 331s were all built in Spain.

Okay, by the way, Wikipedia has some incorrect information.

 

[tfw756rider]

In addition to some later 195 builds, one 331 (331111) was also assembled at Newport.

Just to be clear, all CAF Civity UK units (Class 195/196/197/331/397 and the upcoming 897) start out as body shells built in Spain. Some of them are then also assembled into finished units in Spain (and then shipped to the UK as finished units), whereas others are shipped to Newport as bodyshells to be assembled into finished units there.

I'm pretty sure it's something like this:

• 195s - most assembled in Spain, but later builds assembled at Newport
• 196s - I think early ones assembled in Spain, then most assembled at Newport?
• 197s - all assembled at Newport (they have "made in Wales" door sill plaques)
• 331s - one (331111) assembled at Newport, all the rest assembled in Spain
• 397s - all assembled in Spain
• 897s - the first two will be assembled in Spain, the rest will be assembled at Newport

 

[yh00157]

In addition to some later 195 builds, one 331 (331111) was also assembled at Newport.

Just to be clear, all CAF Civity UK units (Class 195/196/197/331/397 and the upcoming 897) start out as body shells built in Spain. Some of them are then also assembled into finished units in Spain (and then shipped to the UK as finished units), whereas others are shipped to Newport as bodyshells to be assembled into finished units there.

I'm pretty sure it's something like this:

• 195s - most assembled in Spain, but later builds assembled at Newport
• 196s - I think early ones assembled in Spain, then most assembled at Newport?
• 197s - all assembled at Newport (they have "made in Wales" door sill plaques)
• 331s - one (331111) assembled at Newport, all the rest assembled in Spain
• 397s - all assembled in Spain
• 897s - the first two will be assembled in Spain, the rest will be assembled at Newport

I have a question. Was it delivered by ship from the factory in Zaragoza, Spain to the UK?

 

[tfw756rider]

I have a question. Was it delivered by ship from the factory in Zaragoza, Spain to the UK?

Yes (or at least one of CAF's Spanish factories), but as body shells rather than fully assembled vehicles. Assembly/fit-out was then done at Newport.

CAF Newport is still a bit like Hitachi Newton Aycliffe was originally (which assembled/fitted out body shells shipped from Japan in that case, into finished vehicles). CAF Newport still can't fully build vehicles from nothing, like say Alstom Derby (and I think Hitachi Newton Aycliffe nowadays) can.

 

[yh00157]

Yes (or at least one of CAF's Spanish factories), but as body shells rather than fully assembled vehicles. Assembly/fit-out was then done at Newport.

CAF Newport is still a bit like Hitachi Newton Aycliffe was originally (which assembled/fitted out body shells shipped from Japan in that case, into finished vehicles). CAF Newport still can't fully build vehicles from nothing, like say Alstom Derby (and I think Hitachi Newton Aycliffe nowadays) can.

Then, in the case of the Class 331 electric train, did it arrive in the UK after being completed at the Zaragoza factory in Spain?

I tried the translation function of Microsoft Edge browser, but the Korean grammar is strange, so I have a question.

 

[tfw756rider]

Then, in the case of the Class 331 electric train, did it arrive in the UK after being completed at the Zaragoza factory in Spain?

I tried the translation function of Microsoft Edge browser, but the Korean grammar is strange, so I have a question.

In the case of unit 331111, no, only the body shells were shipped from Spain to the UK, then they were turned into completed vehicles / a completed unit at Newport.

In the case of all the other Class 331 vehicles / units, yes, they were shipped from Spain to the UK after being completed at Zaragosa.