British Rail Class 373 Eurostar
The British Rail Class 373 or TGV-TMST (Train à Grande Vitesse-TransManche Super Train) (commonly known as the Eurostar) is an push-pull articulated multi-mode electric trainset designed for services connecting the Great Britain and Europe via the Eurotunnel. It is designed and built by Alstom of France between 1992 and 1996. It is equipped with pantographs and third-rail pickup shoes on the power cars on each end of the train. The pick-up shoes were used while the train travelled on the existing British railway network before High Speed 1, a rail link between the Eurotunnel and St Pancras International Station in London, was built.
Instead of conventional bogies, most of the carriages of the train rest on Jacobs bogies forming two independent halves of the articulated trainset. The Class 373 have two variants. Class 373/1 are 20-car trainsets (including power cars) owned by Eurostar (the operator), SNCB, and SNCF and operated by Eurostar in international service through the Eurotunnel. The Class 373/2, 4 cars shorter were used for domestic North of London service by the GNER. Now they are used for French domestic services by the SNCF. The formation of the Class 373/1 is illustrated in the image below (click to enlarge).
The two independent half-sets of the Eurostar can be easily separated in case of an emergency in the Eurotunnel and while the train is travelling in the tunnel, a fully authorised driver is on standby in the rear driving cab.
The top revenue speed of the Class 373 is 300 km/h (186 mph) and 160 km/h (100 mph) in Britain on third rail lines before the opening of High Speed 1, where the Eurostar service would terminate in Britain at London Waterloo. The Class 373 had set the British rail speed record of 334.7 km/h (208 mph) on 30 July 2003 on the opening press run of the High Speed 1. Below is a video of the Eurostar at speed.
Class 373 on third-rail network in London
Class 373 on the High Speed One
Instead of conventional bogies, most of the carriages of the train rest on Jacobs bogies forming two independent halves of the articulated trainset. The Class 373 have two variants. Class 373/1 are 20-car trainsets (including power cars) owned by Eurostar (the operator), SNCB, and SNCF and operated by Eurostar in international service through the Eurotunnel. The Class 373/2, 4 cars shorter were used for domestic North of London service by the GNER. Now they are used for French domestic services by the SNCF. The formation of the Class 373/1 is illustrated in the image below (click to enlarge).
The two independent half-sets of the Eurostar can be easily separated in case of an emergency in the Eurotunnel and while the train is travelling in the tunnel, a fully authorised driver is on standby in the rear driving cab.
The top revenue speed of the Class 373 is 300 km/h (186 mph) and 160 km/h (100 mph) in Britain on third rail lines before the opening of High Speed 1, where the Eurostar service would terminate in Britain at London Waterloo. The Class 373 had set the British rail speed record of 334.7 km/h (208 mph) on 30 July 2003 on the opening press run of the High Speed 1. Below is a video of the Eurostar at speed.
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