Eurostar: Class 373

Services from Waterloo to France and Belgium via the Channel Tunnel, which started in 1994, required a train totally unlike anything previously seen on the Southern Electric. The class 373 Eurostar units were based on the design of the SNCF Train a Grande Vitesse (TGV), but heavily adapted to meet the requirements of British loading gauge and Channel Tunnel safety arrangements. The units had also to be able to meet the traction and signalling requirements of:

SNCF conventional 25kV line Eurotunnel 25kV line
SNCF high speed 25kV line UK conventional 25kV line
SNCB conventional 3000 V dc line UK conventional 750V dc line

High speed lines in the UK and Belgium were built to SNCF standards. Some units were subsequently adapted to work also on SNCF conventional 1500 V dc lines. Maximum speed is 300 km/hr.

Each Eurostar train comprises two units coupled back to back. A unit is made up of a driving vehicle that is, effectively, a single-ended electric locomotive and a rake of seven or nine articulated passenger coaches. The shorter rakes were intended for service between Paris and the North of England and Scotland and are generally known as the 'North of London' sets. Each nine coach set comprises motor, four trailers, buffet, two trailer firsts and a trailer first with luggage van and staff compartment. The North of London sets have two fewer trailers, one standard and one first class. All passenger accommodation is in saloons, with standard seating 2+2 and first class seating 2+1. There are one or two aircraft-type toilets in all passenger coaches, except the buffet.

Construction was shared around a consortium of manufacturers. The driving motor vehicles were built by GEC-Alsthom at Belfort, non-driving motor coaches by De Dietrich at La Rochelle and catering vehicles by GEC-Alsthom at Washwood Heath. Construction of the other trailers was shared by De Dietrich and Brugeoise et Nivelles. Traction motors were made by Brush and by GEC-Alsthom. The UK trains were completed at Washwood Heath and the French and Belgian ones at Belfort. Units are of all-steel construction, though with a plastic nose on the driving motor. Traction motors are three-phase, asynchronous, with four on each driving vehicle and two on the adjacent bogie of the motor coach. Each traction motor has a rating of 1020kW, but this is only possible when power is being drawn at 25kV. Output per motor is 475kW on 3000V dc lines and 280kW on 750V third rail lines. There are twin collector shoes on both bogies of the driving motor. Units are equipped with TVM430 cab signalling, for operation on high speed lines and in the Channel Tunnel, and rheostatic and air brakes. There are Couplomatic automatic couplers, whereas all other TGV sets have the Scharfenberg type. The standard Eurostar livery is off-white, with very dark blue window surrounds.

Certain SNCF units work exclusively between Paris and Lille and are no longer able to operate through the Channel Tunnel or in UK, as various features have been removed or altered. Several of the North of London sets are leased to GNER and work between London and Leeds. These are also unable to operate through the Channel Tunnel or in France. Neither the SNCF internal nor GNER units retain collector shoes.

Eurostar is to refurbish the interiors of the units used from London to Paris and Bruxelles. When the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is opened to St Pancras and Eurostar ceases using Waterloo International it is likely that the units' third rail equipment will be permanently removed.

Units normally couple in adjacent numbered pairs, for example 3001+3002. Units must work in similarly configured pairs, the groupings being French internal, UK internal, 1500 V enabled and standard.

• Owners: SNCF, SNCB and Eurostar UK Ltd.
• Operators: SNCF, SNCB, Eurostar UK Ltd and GNER
• Seats: Driving motor 0; Motor 48; Trailer 58; Trailer first 39; Trailer first luggage 25.
• Numbering: 373001 to 373022 Eurostar UK standard units; 373101 to 373108 SNCB; 373201 to 373232 SNCF; 373301 to 373314 Eurostar UK North of London units. The last four figures of the set appear on the nose of the driving motor vehicle. Eurostar UK has a spare driving motor, numbered 373999. However, when it is used it is normally renumbered as the vehicle is it substituting for.
• Named units:
  373207/8 Michel Hollard
  373313/4 Entente Cordiale