Rolling stock › WithdrawnData updated
Class 325 indicative: some dimensions are estimated, from photographs and published figures.
Royal Mail's own mail trains: sixteen four-car electric units built by ABB at Derby in 1995-96, on the Class 319's body with the Networker's cab, buffers and a buckeye so a locomotive could haul them off the wires, and roller-shutter doors for containers of mail, 235 to a unit. They ran at up to 100 mph from Royal Mail's hub at Willesden to terminals such as Warrington, Shieldmuir near Glasgow and Low Fell on Tyneside, for EWS, then GB Railfreight and, from 2010, DB Schenker (later DB Cargo). Royal Mail stopped running its own trains in autumn 2024, citing the cost of electricity and the trains' age.
Liveries 2
The same measured train in each livery, each drawn from a cited source. The drawing above shows the largest fleet’s.
- Type
- Electric multiple unit (mail)
- Builder
- ABB Transportation, Derby (body shells by Bombardier Prorail, Wakefield)
- Built
- 1995–1996
- In service
- 1996–2024
- Formation
- 4 cars (DTV A, PMV, TAV, DTV B, as DB Cargo names them; DTPMV, MPMV, TPMV, DTPMV in Kent Rail's terms); units ran alone or coupled as 8 or 12 cars
- Trains in fleet
- 16
- Top speed
- 100 mph (161 km/h)
- Power
- 25 kV AC overhead and 750 V DC third rail
- Train length
- 80.80 m
- Profile
- main-line
- Status
- Withdrawn in 2024. Ten units have been scrapped: 325010 in 2012 and nine in late 2024. The other six (325001, 002, 005, 011, 014 and 015) are stored at Willesden, owned by Varamis Rail, which has not put them into service and may scrap them.
Car types
| Code | Car | Length | Doors per side |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTV | Driving trailer van (DTV A and B; DTPMV) | 19.95 m | 2 single |
| PMV | Pantograph motor van (PMV; MPMV) | 19.92 m | 2 single |
| TAV | Trailer auxiliaries van (TAV; TPMV) | 19.92 m | 2 single |
Sources
Show the 16 sources from Wikimedia Commons, RAIL, DB Cargo UK and 5 more
- DB Cargo UK: Class 325 EMU - Royal Mail (presentation, Technische Universitat Berlin, 20 November 2017) DB Cargo UK (Hans-Georg Werner, chief executive), 20 November 2017builder and place; 16 units built 1995-96; based on the Class 319 with the Networker cab fascia; 100 mph; car and unit lengths; formation and what each van carries; 25 kV pantograph and third-rail pickups; P7 and T3-16 bogies; 235 containers a unit; 4, 8 or 12 vehicles; operators to 2017; terminals; one unit scrapped for spares
- Class 325 Kent Rail (D. Glasspool), archived 8 January 2021ABB Derby, body shells by Bombardier Prorail; Class 319 profile and running gear, Networker cab; buffers and buckeye; formation; third-rail shoes; introduction September 1996; red livery; EWS, GBRf (December 2004) and DB Schenker (June 2010)
- Royal Mail awards rail contract to DB Schenker DB Schenker Rail (UK) (press release), June 2010 (archived 6 March 2012)DB Schenker's contract from 2010: London, Warrington and Glasgow
- Royal Mail to stop moving post by rail on cost grounds RAIL, 10 July 2024Royal Mail ends its own trains in October 2024, on cost grounds
- More Class 325s go for scrap but Royal Mail is open to selling remaining units RAIL, 27 November 2024nine units sent for scrap in late 2024; 325010 scrapped in 2012; six left at Willesden PRDC
- Varamis vows to fight on after pausing operations amid safety and financial concerns RAIL, 6 August 2025the six saved by Varamis Rail and stored at Willesden PRDC
- Varamis planning comeback as driver training and proving runs begin RAIL, 15 September 2026Varamis has run nothing since June 2025; its 325s likely to be scrapped
- Vehicle Diagram Book No. 210 for Electric Multiple Units (including A.P.T.), with the Class 318 (EE227, EE228, EC207; October 1986) and Class 321 (EE236, EC210; October 1988) diagrams British Railways Board, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Department (PDF copy by J. D. Faulkner, 2012, from the book lent by Eddie Knorn; copyright BRB Residuary Ltd), 1986-1988, pp. EE233 (Class 319 DTS(A)), EC209 (Class 319 MS)the 319 body the drawing uses: lengths, bogie centres, height, width, the pantograph well
- EVL-CO-2004069 Rev C: Class 465/0 and 465/1 DMOS livery drawing Eversholt Rail (released by Southeastern under FOI: 'Livery designs'), 2022, pp. views 01, 02, 1:20 cabthe Networker cab's profile, used for the 325's cab
- Class 325.png: side-profile illustration of a Royal Mail Class 325 (CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (WestRail642fan), 19 July 2018layout and livery: doors, yellow lines, grille, pantograph end (never dimensions)
- 325001 at Crewe (photograph, 30 March 2001, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Steve Jones), 30 March 2001the original livery (layout and colour only)
- 325011 at Slindon (photograph, 28 March 2002, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Steve Jones), 28 March 2002the original livery and the driving van's doors (layout and colour only)
- British Rail Class 325 Wikipedialead only: dates, height and width (not stated), the six's owner
- 325012, Meece Brook, The Rowe, Staffs (photograph, 20 September 2017, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 20 September 2017the later livery; the doors unchanged (layout and colour only)
- 325012, Mill Meece (photograph, 18 January 2024, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 18 January 2024the later livery (layout and colour only)
- 325 015, Mill Meece (photograph, 18 January 2024, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 18 January 2024the driving van's other side: its doors in the same places (layout only)
unverified
- The last Royal Mail runs: RAIL (July 2024) said rail would end in October 2024; Wikipedia gives 21 September 2024, citing The Railway Magazine (October 2024), not seen
- Varamis Rail's ownership of the six: RAIL (August 2025) says Varamis saved them from scrap and they are stored at Willesden; Wikipedia names it the owner (citing The Railway Magazine, May 2025, not seen). Forum posts say they were still there, unused, in August 2026
- Introduced 1996: Kent Rail gives September 1996 for the general introduction; DB Cargo says only built 1995-96
- Height and width: not found for the 325 itself; the drawing uses the 319's printed 3,774 mm and 2,816 mm (Wikipedia gives 3.78 m and 2.82 m, uncited)
- Power: DB Cargo gives 1,160 kW a unit; Wikipedia 990 kW (citing Traction Recognition, 2007, not seen). Neither is stated
- Drawing: indicative; the body, bogie positions, door openings and underframe are estimates (see the drawing's notes)
- Royal Mail red (later): when the yellow lines were dropped: not found; photographs show them in 2002 and not in 2017