Following their introduction, the Class 314 fleet was typically used to operate inner suburban services on the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport rail network in Scotland. They ran in a three-unit configuration, featuring an unpowered central car and two powered driving units; for rush hour services, two formations could be temporarily coupled together to form a six-car unit. In service, they were typically operated on various routes, such as the Argyle Line, North Clyde Line, Cathcart Circle Line, Paisley Canal Line, and the Inverclyde Line.