British Rail Class 312

British Rail Class 312
Class 312, nos. 312718 and 312721, at Kirby Cross station in Essex on the 6th March 2004. These units were operating a farewell excursion train ('The Grand Slam') to commemorate their retirement from service. These two units were among the final three of their type in traffic with First Great Eastern, and were eventually withdrawn in June 2004.
In service	1975 - 2004
Manufacturer	BREL York
Number built	49 trainsets
Formation	4 cars per trainset
Operator(s)	British Rail
Specifications
Maximum speed	90 mph (145 km/h)
Weight	Total - 156.6 tonnes
Braking system(s)	Air (EP/Auto)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)

The front of a British Railways Class 312 stock train in InterCity Blue/Grey livery passes through East London on a working to London Liverpool Street Station, as seen from the open window of another train. The yellow stripe above the windows denotes the 1st class seating, which is at the London end of the train for the convenience of 1st class passengers (so they will be nearer the ticket barrier when they alight).

The British Rail Class 312 is a type of alternating current electric multiple unit built intended for use on outer-suburban passenger services. It was the last class of multiple unit to be constructed to the British Rail Mark 2 bodyshell, and also the last with slam doors. This latter feature contributed to their relatively early withdrawal (between 25–28 years old, compared to a life expectancy of 30 years). Ironically, the examples withdrawn by First Great Eastern and later 'one' Great Eastern between 2003 and 2004 were slightly newer than most of the carriages the operator introduced during 2005 for use on its premier express service