Latest News and Updates

December 2003: A class 310 has been converted into a 4 car departmental unit and renumbered as 960201. This is good, as it should provide an extended life for the unit. 2 of the cars in the unit came from class 310/1 no. 310109, one came from 310113 and the other from a class 423.

January 2004: It has recently come to my attention that the 310s are likely to be scrapped in the near future but no one seems to be trying to preserve one!! Will someone out there please do so!! After all, projects are underway to preserve 302s, 303s, 308s, 309s and 311s, so why not 310s?

January 2004: I have now joined the AC EMU group, a society who it presently trying to preserve a class 308 Driving Trailer and use it as a museum about all things AC EMU related. From what I have heard they have now raised the necessary funds to purchase the 308 DT.

January 2004: If anyone out there is interested in preserving a class 310 driving trailer than please e-mail me at the below address. I am interested in this also and would on day like to see a class 310 DT preserved. I have set aside 16 pounds, which is very little compared to the 3000 pounds or so needed. There is also nowhere to keep one, no one to transport one and no one else I know who’s interested in it. My address is webmaster@class310.link-rail.com.

February 2004: I will soon be visiting Shoeburyness to see the 310s stabled and being cut there. I might come back with a bit of class 310 material – the number perhaps!

March 2004: Visit to Shoeburyness was not a success: although I did see 312 788 very close-up. More 310s have now been scrapped – including 085, all 31009x units, 310112 and others. I believe that this took place at SIMMS metals Cardiff, but I cannot be sure.

March 2004: class 321 page added.

May 2004: Apologies for the recent lack of updates, three different viruses decided to attack my computer at the same time. The departmental class 310 has completed testing on the D.C. network at Ramsgate and has now been cleared to operate alongside other rolling stock, making daytime running a possibility. Testing over the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is now also a possibility.

On a different note: if you accessed this page via a search engine i.e. google, then it would have said ‘class 310 group’ as the title. This is a mistake. No such group exists (yet) and the title should be ‘class 310 site’. Also, if you came here via the AC traction webring, then don’t be put off by the ‘thumbs down’ picture. This doesn’t mean ‘rubbish website’, it means that it failed the checker test.

July 2004: The class 312 units have now been replaced by class 321s on their last scheduled working. All units that survive are now located at or being transferred to various MOD depots including shoeburyness.

On the class 310 front, there is a little good news. The scrapping of the class has been substantially delayed because of the sudden huge upsurge in the number of class 411, 421 and 423 units now arriving for scrap. While I accept that these units are of significant historic value too, a 4CEP has already been preserved along with an array of other 3^rd rail EMUS including EPBS and 4CORS. I think that now more people should turn to preserving historic ACEMUs such as 310s, 312s and 309s. There are now only 25 310s left in existence and only 3 class 309s. Something needs to be done soon for both classes, but there simply isn’t enough cash.