British Rail Class 460
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2008) |
| British Rail Class 460 "Juniper" | |
|---|---|
 Gatwick Express Alstom Class 460 Juniper No. 460008, in full Gatwick Express livery, passes through East Croydon non stop with a service bound for Gatwick Airport |
|
 The interior of Standard Class aboard a Gatwick Express Class 460 EMU |
|
| In service | 2000 - Present |
| Manufacturer | Alstom |
| Constructed | 2000 - 2001 |
| Number built | 8 trainsets |
| Formation | 8 cars per trainset |
| Fleet numbers | 460001 - 460008 |
| Operator | Gatwick Express |
| Specifications | |
| Maximum speed | 100 mph (161 km/h) |
| Electric system(s) | 750 V DC (third rail) |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 460 (or 8Gat) electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath from 2000-01. These units are part of Alstom's "Juniper" family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 458.
From introduction to 2011 units ran from London Victora to Gatwick on the dedicated Gatwick Express service. The trains will be moved to South West Trains by March 2013, this is to allow SWT to enlarge their current fleet.
Contents |
[edit] Description
When the National Express Group won the Gatwick Express franchise, part of the agreement was to replace the ageing Class 73/2 locomotives, British Rail Class 488 coaching stock, and Class 489 motor luggage vans. Therefore, an order was placed with Alstom for the construction of eight 8-car Class 460 units.[1]
Deliveries of the new units commenced in 2000. The units featured controversial sloping cab-ends, which quickly earned them the nickname "Darth Vaders" amongst rail enthusiasts. A Juniper Coupler is located under the removable nose cone, though the trains are not intended for coupling, since they are formed of 8 carriages each.
Each eight carriage unit is formed of a driving motor luggage van, two intermediate 1st-class/composite trailers, two intermediate 2nd-class motor carriages, an intermediate 2nd-class trailer, another 2nd-class motor carriage, and a 2nd-class driving motor (DMLFO+TFO+TCO+MSO+MSO+TSO+MSO+DMSO).[1][2] The units are numbered 460001-008, although only the last two digits are carried on the cab ends. The full six digit unit number is carried on the side of the luggage vans.[1]
On 22 June 2008, the fleet was transferred to Southern, as the Gatwick Express service was incorporated into the Southern franchise.[3]
From December 2010 the 460s were gradually phased out from Gatwick Express service in favour of Class 442 units, with the final two 460 units going off lease in May 2011 (although two units, 001 and 002, remain in use on a spot hire basis as required). While on lease to Southern the 460s were allocated to Stewarts Lane TMD in South London.
[edit] Future
In December 2011 an announcement was made that as part of plans to improve capacity on the South West Trains network a refurbishment and re-building programme will see the Class 460 vehicles merged with the mechanically similar Class 458 fleet to create 36 x 5-car trains. The first modified units are expected to enter service in May 2013 with the entire fleet operational by July 2014.[4] Once complete, the trains will be reclassified as Class 458/5.[5]
[edit] Fleet details
| Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 460 | Gatwick Express | 2 | 2000-01 | 8 | 460001 - 460002 |
| Off Lease | 6 | 460003 - 460008 |
The formation of the 8Gat unit is shown below. Under normal circumstances, the luggage van (DMLFO) is at the 'London' end of the train (i.e. closest to the station concourse at London Victoria).
| Unit No. | DMLFO | TFO | TCO | MSO | MSO | TSO | MSO | DMSO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 460001 | 67901 | 74401 | 74411 | 74421 | 74431 | 74441 | 74451 | 67911 |
| 460002 | 67902 | 74402 | 74412 | 74422 | 74432 | 74442 | 74452 | 67912 |
| 460003 | 67903 | 74403 | 74413 | 74423 | 74433 | 74443 | 74453 | 67913 |
| 460004 | 67904 | 74404 | 74414 | 74424 | 74434 | 74444 | 74454 | 67914 |
| 460005 | 67905 | 74405 | 74415 | 74425 | 74435 | 74445 | 74455 | 67915 |
| 460006 | 67906 | 74406 | 74416 | 74426 | 74436 | 74446 | 74456 | 67916 |
| 460007 | 67907 | 74407 | 74417 | 74427 | 74437 | 74447 | 74457 | 67917 |
| 460008 | 67908 | 74408 | 74418 | 74428 | 74438 | 74448 | 74458 | 67918 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Class 460 Gatwick Express - Southern E-Group - Retrieved 2010-12-26.
- ^ Other Juniper EMUs - Southern Electric Group. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
- ^ "Gatwick Express service to remain". BBC News. 2007-04-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6524763.stm. Retrieved 2009-12-31.
- ^ "London commuters to benefit from longer peak time trains". South West Trains. http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/extracapacity.aspx. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Porterbrook signs agreement for future of Class 458s - Rail.co
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: British Rail Class 460 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
