British Rail Class 333
The British Rail Class 333 is a group of electric passenger trains built by CAF in Spain from 2000 to 2003 for Northern Spirit (later Arriva Trains Northern, Northern Rail, Arriva Rail North and Northern Trains). They were made to replace slam-door Class 308s on the Airedale and Wharfedale lines, running from Leeds to Bradford Forster Square, Ilkley and Skipton.
Originally, 16 three-car sets were ordered, with Siemens providing the traction equipment. The first train arrived in March 2000 and began service on 12 January 2001. Between 2000 and 2002, eight extra trailer cars were added to the first eight sets, turning them into four-car units. A further order allowed the remaining sets to be extended to four cars by 2003, funded to keep four-car trains running on Doncaster services.
In 2008, all units were repainted in a new livery with West Yorkshire Metro branding. From 2018 to 2020 the fleet was refurbished by Chrysalis Rail and repainted into Arriva Rail North and later Northern Trains liveries. In 2022 the trains received digital upgrades, including USB charging and new display screens.
Performance and layout: each four-car unit has high-density standard-class seating (2+3) and one toilet. They can reach up to 100 mph, but typically run at about 90 mph on their routes. Fleet numbers are 333001 to 333016, owned by Angel Trains and currently operated by Northern Trains. The trains operate from Neville Hill in Leeds, with Shipley listed as a future depot, and serve the Airedale and Wharfedale lines.
Two units have carried names in the past. In 2015 plans to replace the Class 333 with a new three-car fleet were announced but did not go ahead.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:43 (CET).