British Rail Class 333

Sixteen three-car units were introduced between 2000 and 2001 by Northern Spirit and are currently operated by Northern Trains. They replaced the Class 308 slam-door units on the Wharfedale and Airedale lines in West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire (between Leeds, Bradford Forster Square, Ilkley and Skipton).[1] They are based at the Neville Hill depot in Leeds and painted in the livery of West Yorkshire Metro, the local passenger transport executive.

Due to increased passenger numbers, the units were lengthened to four cars, 333001–333008 in 2002 and 333009–333016 in 2003, funded by West Yorkshire Metro and the Strategic Rail Authority.[2] However, this funding ran out in 2007 and as a consequence of this the fourth cars could have been removed.[3] Had this happened the four-car Class 321s would have been removed from Doncaster services to Wharfedale and Airedale services. This means that the fourth cars are now funded by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, despite rarely running in South Yorkshire, to ensure that four-car units are available on Doncaster services.[4]

Units 333002 and 333004 received the new livery by September 2008, but the finish of the vinyls was unsatisfactory. New vinyls were acquired and the whole fleet was reliveried by mid-2009.[5]

Along with the Class 321 and Class 322 units, these trains were fitted with free Wi-Fi facilities in 2015.[6]

Between autumn 2018 and ending in spring 2020, the entire fleet of 16 units underwent a refurbishment.[7] This saw the installation of new seats, a new livery and a refreshed interior. At-seat plug points and customer information screens are due to be installed at a later date.[8]

The units are capable of 100 mph (160 km/h), but the maximum speed on their routes is 90 mph (140 km/h). They have standard class only 2+3 high-density seating, and each set has one toilet.[9]

They are fitted with Scharfenberg couplers at each end and are only compatible within their own class.[10]

• 
  Northern Rail livery on 333010 at Guiseley
• 
  The Northern Rail/WYPTE Livery which was seen from 2008 until 2020 applied on a DMSO
• 
  The original Northern Spirit livery on 333011
• 
  Having just departed Cononley on a Skipton service on 31 May 2017
• 
  The original interior of an intermediate TSO vehicle
• 
  Class 333 in the original livery.
• 
  Diagram for the Northern Rail livery.
• 
  Diagram for the Arriva Northern and Northern Trains liveries.

• "RRNE confirms orders for 16 Class 333 EMUs for West Yorkshire". RAIL. No. 327. EMAP Apex Publications. 25 March – 7 April 1998. p. 10. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.