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Class 387 Electrostar
A four-car, dual-voltage Electrostar: 107 were built at Derby in 2014-2017. GTR has 65, on Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express; GWR has 30 for its electric services out of Paddington; and 12, converted, run Heathrow Express.
Shown
Scale
Class 387 Electrostar · indicative drawing GB Trains · gbtrains.uk/stock/387/ · CC BY 4.0
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Liveries 5
The same indicative drawing in each livery, each drawn from a cited source. The drawing above shows the largest fleet’s.
Great British Railways387172 (Southern), a wrap, since 21 May 2026The national livery. One entry for every operator that wears it: the region's name is lettering, and the double arrow and lettering stay off the site's drawings.Not drawn yet
Former liveries 2
Thameslink (387/1)Ran as Thameslink (GTR)Former2014-12 to 2016-2017Not drawn yet
c2cc2c white and magenta (387/3)Former2016-11-14 to 2022-07Not drawn yet
- Type
- Electric multiple unit
- Builder
- Bombardier Transportation (now Alstom), Derby
- Family
- Electrostar, with Class 357 Electrostar, Class 375 Electrostar, Class 376 Electrostar, Class 377 Electrostar, Class 379 Electrostar
- Built
- 2014–2017
- In service
- since 2014
- Operators
- Great Northern, Southern, Gatwick Express, GWR, Heathrow Express
- Formation
- 4 cars, two pairs of double doors a side on each
- Trains in fleet
- 107: 74 387/1s (387101-129 built for Thameslink, 387130-174 for GWR), 27 387/2s for Gatwick Express and 6 387/3s (387301-306, built speculatively and leased to c2c)
- Fleets
- Gatwick Express: 27; Great Northern: 14; Great Western Railway: 30; Heathrow Express: 12; Southern: 24
- Top speed
- 110 mph (177 km/h)
- Power
- 25 kV AC overhead, and 750 V DC third rail (dual voltage) · how it works
- Bogies
- Bombardier Electrostar bogies · drawn with the same bogie component as Class 357 Electrostar, Class 375 Electrostar, Class 376 Electrostar, Class 377 Electrostar, Class 378 Capitalstar, Class 379 Electrostar
- Coupled
- 2 × 4 cars, about 530 ft (162 m) (the units’ lengths added)
- Profile
- main-line
- Status
- In service with GTR (in public ownership since 31 May 2026), GWR and Heathrow Express. The rear three cars of 387304 overturned when a Victoria-Eastbourne train derailed near Lewes on 13 August 2026 (RAIB investigating).
unverified Some of these figures haven’t yet been checked against an official source or a published history. What’s in doubt ↓
Sources
How we source figures → · Spotted a mistake? Tell us → (opens in a new tab)
Show the 64 sources from Wikimedia Commons, Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, Rail Technology Magazine and 17 more
- GWR finalises Bombardier Electrostar order for Thames Valley Rail Technology Magazine, 10 June 2016GWR order of 180 vehicles (45 four-car units), built at Derby, 110 mph (177 km/h); with the 12 converted for Heathrow Express (RTM 2019) and three moved to GTR (RAIL 2025), 30 left at GWR
- GWR Electrostar fleet enters service after electrification completed Rail Technology Magazine, 2 January 2018electric services from Paddington to Didcot from 2 January 2018
- Table 6314: rolling stock vehicles by traction type and operator Office of Rail and Road, 20 November 2025GWR's 120 electric vehicles at 31 March 2025: 30 four-car units, which agrees with 45 built less 12 converted for Heathrow Express and three moved to GTR
- Class 375 exterior livery sheets EVL-C1-2018859 G (DMOS), 2018861 F (MOSL), 2019035 A (MOSL 375/9), 2018860 E (PTOSL) Eversholt Rail (released by Southeastern under FOI: 'Livery Designs'), 2021the Class 375 layout the indicative drawing uses
- GWR Class 387 photographs (387 172, 387 159) Wikimedia Commons (The Basingstoker CC BY-SA 2.0; Geof Sheppard CC BY-SA 4.0), 2018-2020photograph check of the layout; window frames, livery lines, colours
- British Rail Class 387 Wikipediaderived from the Class 379; car length (cross-check)
- Govia Thameslink Railway begins cascade of Class 377s and 387s Rail, 13 February 2025GTR's 65 Class 387s and their 2025 split; 387172-387174; 32 387/1s, 27 387/2s and 6 387/3s; 387101-114 for Great Northern and 387115-129, 387172-174 and 387301-306 (24) for Southern; 12 planned in daily use with Great Northern and 46 with Southern and Gatwick Express, 7 stopped
- GTR renews entire Gatwick Express train fleet GTR, 27 September 201627 Class 387/2s for Gatwick Express; four-car, two double doors a side on every carriage
- Class 387/1s enter traffic RAIL magazine, 2014-12-08First two Class 387/1s (387105, 387106) entered traffic with GTR on Brighton–Bedford services in December 2014
- New air-conditioned trains enter service on Thameslink Govia Thameslink Railway (press release, Mynewsdesk), 2015-07-13Operator confirms the first Class 387s entered service in December 2014
- December start for Class 387/1s RAIL magazine, 2014-11-26Units 387105–108 had completed mileage accumulation by November 2014, so the first units were built in 2014
- Boost for Derby with new Electrostar order Railnews, 2016-06-10Final GWR batch of 92 vehicles to be delivered from Derby between April and October 2017
- Final Class 387 Electrostar rolls off production line RAIL magazine, 2017-11-27Last unit, 387174 for GWR, completed at Derby Litchurch Lane and unveiled on 24 November 2017
- Adtranz P3-25 bogie (6647161053) (photograph of a Class 375/7's bogie at London Bridge, CC BY-SA 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Hugh Llewelyn, via Flickr), June 2010the bogie drawing's layout (an Electrostar P3-25 bogie, photograph: layout only)
- Bogie and traction equipment beneath Door A1 of Class 375 Electrostar unit 375831 at Gillingham railway station (Kent) (photograph, CC0) Wikimedia Commons (OathOn), 25 June 2025the bogie drawing's layout (an Electrostar P3-25 bogie, photograph: layout only)
- British Rail Class 378 bogie and shoegear (photograph at Hackney Wick, CC BY-SA 3.0) Wikimedia Commons (Chris McKenna), 14 March 2014the bogie drawing's layout (an Electrostar P3-25 bogie, photograph: layout only)
- Twyford - GWR 387152 (423152).JPG (Geof Sheppard, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 2 June 2018the drawing's pantograph: which way it lies (knee towards the MOSL; layout only)
- GWR Class 387.png (side diagram, 2017, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 2017GWR's lighter green panels, one at each end of every car (layout only)
- 387134 Barcelona at Paddington.JPG (photograph, 19 May 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 19 May 2023Heathrow Express doors, swoosh and window band (layout and colour only)
- Twyford - GTSR 387205 coupled to GWR 387146.JPG (photograph, 5 October 2021, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 5 October 2021Gatwick Express doors and black pillars (colour only)
- Twyford - GWR 387152 (423152).JPG (Geof Sheppard, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 2 June 2018the drawing: the PTOSL's two windows at its MOSL end (measured, rectified on the door-leaf windows); GWR's lighter-green panel at that end, 4 ft 4 in to 9 ft 4 in (1,315-2,855 mm) at the cantrail, its edges crossing the silver line at about 6 ft 5 in and 11 ft 7 in (1,960 and 3,540 mm; set TF, 20 October 2026)
- 387115 Shepreth Branch Junc 210619 Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)the drawing: the PTOSL's windows at its MOSL end, checked on the drawn side (scaled along the side by the door edges)
- 387129 working 1N25 Southampton Central to Brighton at Cosham 26 04 25 (54477933929) Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)the yellow at the cab front, side on (job yellow, 13 October 2026)
- 377 side on (Southern Class 377 driving car) Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0), 29 February 2016the yellow at the cab front, side on (job yellow, 13 October 2026)
- 357 029 Shadwell.jpg (photograph, CC BY 4.0; uploaded June 2026) Wikimedia Commonsthe windscreen's wrap pane and the yellow below it, seen side on (set ESW)
- Southeastern Class 375 photographs: 375622 at Longfield (Matt Taylor, CC BY-SA 4.0, 2024), 375830 at St Johns (kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0, 2024), 375307 at Allington Quarry (John K Thorne, public domain, 2023), 375920 (Samson Ng, CC BY-SA 4.0, 2025), 375304 at East Farleigh (John K Thorne, public domain, 2021), Whitstable (ClemRutter, CC BY-SA 4.0, 2018) Wikimedia Commons, 2018-2025the windscreen's wrap pane and the yellow below it, seen side on (set ESW)
- Reading - GWR 387150 coupled to GTSR 387206.JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Geof Sheppard), 4 October 2021two units coupled: the join (set CF22)
- Porterbrook announces the purchase of additional Class 387s Porterbrook, 9 June 201692 more vehicles for GWR, its fleet 180 vehicles; Porterbrook's October 2015 order of 80 split 24 to c2c (the six 387/3s) and 56 to GWR; four-car, 110 mph (177 km/h)
- UPDATE - New Class 387 order details RAIL, 3 November 2015dual voltage: 'A fleet of dual-voltage Class 387 Electrostars has been ordered' (Porterbrook's 80 vehicles, 20 four-car trains)
- GWR Class 387/1 fleet latest RAIL, 15 January 2018the first GWR sets, 387130-387137
- Porterbrook awards £11m contract to modify new digital Heathrow Express fleet Rail Technology Magazine, 22 January 201912 converted for Heathrow Express
- Class 387 Traction Handout, final disclosure extract (v1.1, Sept 2015, updated Jan 2020), with the FOI2026-3260 response letter Govia Thameslink Railway (released under FOI2026-3260), 21 September 2026GTR's 387 traction handout, released only as its cover (FOI2026-3260): no car order or car codes
- Britain's biggest train operator's services enter public ownership this weekend Department for Transport, 28 May 2026GTR in public ownership from 31 May 2026
- Fleet accessibility information Great Northern (Thameslink Southern Great Northern Ltd), April 2026Class 387s on Southern, Gatwick Express and Great Northern (April 2026)
- Derailment of a passenger train at Lewes RAIB (gov.uk), 19 August 2026the derailment near Lewes on 13 August 2026: two four-car Class 387s, the rear three vehicles overturned, 30 injured; RAIB investigating
- Track kink and embankment movement prior to Lewes derailment - RAIB RAIL, 19 August 2026the Lewes train was 387172 + 387304; the rear three carriages of 387304 overturned
- British Rail Class 387 387116.jpg (photograph, CC BY-SA 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (train_photos), 9 June 2015the shoebeam labelled 'Danger live shoegear' on a GTR unit; no window ahead of the cab door on the left-hand side (layout only)
- Acton Main Line - GWR 387150 Paddington service.JPG (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Geof Sheppard), 2 September 2017the shoebeam on a GWR unit (2017; layout only)
- 387130 San Francisco at Paddington Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), 19 May 2023the shoebeam on a Heathrow Express unit (2023); the door-leaf windows square and 6 ft 1 in to 9 ft 5 in (1,852-2,861 mm); the cab-side window glazed; the DMOS's underframe (set T4, 20 October 2026)
- 387141 Prague at Paddington.JPG (photograph, 7 September 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, 7 September 2023rectified on the first doorway: the step and nosing under the doors, the door-leaf windows (6 ft 0 in to 9 ft 3 in (1,818-2,825 mm), square), the cab-side window (3 ft 5 in to 4 ft 6 in × 7 ft 9 in to 9 ft 9 in (1,050-1,361 x 2,359-2,982 mm)) and the DMOS's underframe cases (set T4, 20 October 2026)
- Class 387 Electrostar EMU - Heathrow Express 387134.jpg (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Samson Ng), 26 June 2025the yellow step nosings under the doors (layout only)
- King's Lynn station Norfolk class 379 and 387 (379028 side on, from the DMCO's cab end; photograph) Wikimedia Commons (Norfolks disused railways, CC BY 4.0), 27 February 2025the cab's Dellner coupler: where it stands and its heads' heights (set BC2, 20 October 2026; layout only)
- 377 133 coupled to 377 522.jpg (photograph, CC BY 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Three76Five43Nine72), 3 May 2026the cab's Dellner coupler: where it stands and its heads' heights (set BC2, 20 October 2026; layout only)
- Twyford - GWR 387152 (423152).JPG (Geof Sheppard, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 2 June 2018the saloon window rubber's height, 6 ft 2 in to 9 ft 5 in (1,870-2,870 mm; rectified on the doorway; set TFF, Kyle, 26 October 2026)
- Class 375 exterior livery sheets EVL-C1-2018859 G (DMOS), 2018861 F (MOSL), 2019035 A (MOSL 375/9), 2018860 E (PTOSL) Eversholt Rail (released by Southeastern under FOI: 'Livery Designs'), 2021the PTOSL's roof well, 1 ft 8 in to 12 ft 1 in (500-3,680 mm), floor 3,490 (sheet 2018860 E; set TFF, Kyle, 26 October 2026)
- GWR Class 387.png (side diagram, 2017, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 2017the PTOSL's roof well, about 1 ft 10 in to 12 ft 2 in (570-3,700 mm; layout only; set TFF, Kyle, 26 October 2026)
- GWR Class 387.png (side diagram, 2017, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 2017GWR's lighter-green panels at every car end, layout only (set TFF, Kyle, 26 October 2026)
- Didcot - GWR 387159.jpg (photograph, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 23 February 2018the DMOS's cab-end panel: the silver line's gap, 10 ft 3 in to 15 ft 3 in (3,126-4,656 mm; rectified; set TFF, Kyle, 26 October 2026)
- British Rail Class 387 387116.jpg (photograph, CC BY-SA 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (train_photos), 9 June 2015no cab-side window on the cab-right side (set T8, Kyle, 27 October 2026)
- 387134 Barcelona at Paddington.JPG (photograph, 19 May 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 19 May 2023the cab-side window on the cab-left side (set T8, Kyle, 27 October 2026)
- 387134 Barcelona at Paddington.JPG (photograph, 19 May 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 19 May 2023the first window group's place, 8 ft 8 in to 16 ft 0 in (2,630-4,866 mm; set T8, Kyle, 27 October 2026)
- 387 205 at Southampton Central Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)Gatwick Express livery on a Class 387/2
- 387131 Sydney at Paddington.JPG (photograph, 19 May 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, 19 May 2023the Standard-class driving car's purple doors (FX7)
- 387133 Tokyo at Paddington.JPG (photograph, 17 September 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, 17 September 2023the Standard-class driving car's purple doors (FX7)
- 387136 Paris at Paddington.JPG (photograph, 17 September 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, 17 September 2023the Business First driving car: a silver first door, a purple second door, the purple window panel (FX7)
- 387139 Dublin at Paddington.JPG (photograph, 26 May 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, 26 May 2023the Business First driving car: the swoosh behind the cab door (rectified, measured with 387130), the silver first door
- Railways of Great Britain 157.jpg (photograph, 9 April 2021, CC BY-SA 2.0) The Basingstoker, via Wikimedia Commons, 9 April 2021the Business First driving car: the purple panel past the first door and its rounded rear end (placed along the car by the doors)
- 387130 with a classmate passing Southall 09 09 25 (54780614255).jpg (photograph, 9 September 2025, CC BY-SA 4.0) Foulger Rail Photos, via Wikimedia Commons, 9 September 2025the Business First driving car's panel and rear end, unchanged in 2025
- Paddington - GWR 387141+387135.JPG (photograph, 7 September 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, 7 September 2023the Business First and Standard ends side by side (layout)
- 387138 Las Vegas at Paddington.JPG (photograph, 5 July 2023, CC BY-SA 4.0) Geof Sheppard, via Wikimedia Commons, 5 July 2023the Standard-class driving car's swoosh (hex2: rectified, a check on 387141 and 387134)
- British Rail Class 387 Wikipedia, read 13 October 2026the livery's name, who ran it and its years (no colours taken)
- First Great British Railways branded Electrostar unveiled Railmarket, read 13 October 2026387172 the first train in the livery
- GBR 387172 Victoria (1) to (9), Wikimedia Commons (Fortek67, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons, 26 May 2026387172 at London Victoria, 26 May 2026
- A Guide to Overhead Electrification (132787-ALB-GUN-EOH-000001, rev 10) Network Rail (prepared by Alan Baxter), February 2015, p. 39the contact wire in the In operation drawing: 15 ft 5 in (4.7 m) above rail, Network Rail's normal height
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unverified
- The Heathrow Express Standard-class end's swoosh (hex2 job, 11 October 2026): from photographs only (387141 and 387134 near side-on, rectified, averaged; 387138 checks them), good to about 50-100 mm; its heights are mapped onto the drawing's window band, which is about 100 mm deeper than the photographs' (the Class 375's body)
- The Heathrow Express Business First end (hex job, 11 October 2026): its swoosh and panel from photographs only (387130 and 387139 near side-on, rectified; 387138 and 387130 three-quarter, placed along the car by the doors), good to about 100 mm along and 50 mm up near the cab and about 200 mm at the panel's rear end; which end of the unit it is isn't sourced (drawn as the far car)
- Shoegear on GWR's units: seen on 387150 in 2017 and on Heathrow Express's 387130 in 2023 (photographs); no source says whether every GWR unit keeps it
- GTR's allocation is RAIL's of February 2025 (14 for Great Northern, 387101-114; 51 for Southern and Gatwick Express, of which 46 were planned in daily use); GTR's April 2026 fleet sheet confirms the three brands still run them, not the numbers
- The drawing (indicative): the Class 375's body, as no 387 drawing has been released; window frames, livery lines and colours from photographs; the 379-style front drawn with the 375's side profile
- The car order and car codes are the Class 377's (GTR's 377 manual); GTR's 387 handout was released only as its cover (FOI2026-3260), and no other 387 source gives them
- The years of the former liveries come from Wikipedia's class article and the other sources listed, and haven't been checked against a second source.
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