Class 450
The Class 450 is a four coach 100mph regional electric multiple unit formed of four coaches, which are currently being operated solely by South Western Railway.
History
[edit | edit source]The class 450s was originally order as a fleet of 127 four coach and 32 five coach units. The four coach units were to be the 450/0s and the five coach units were to be the 450/2s, with this ordering being placed in April 2001 as part of the Class 444 order. The introduction of the 450s was delayed due to the power upgrades to the third rail taking longer than planned. The class 450s first entered service on the 5th of October 2003, with the final unit not entering service until May 2006. The 32 strong 450/2 fleet was cancelled by the Strategic Rail Authority due to not wanting to extend platforms and other modifications and where therefore converted into a order for 30 four coach Class 350/1s/. In January 2008 South West Trains converted a fleet of 27 450/0s into class 450/5s High Capacity units which saw the first class replaced by 2+3 standard class seating to work the Windsor Lines diagrams.
In March 2012 they regenerative braking was turned on after £2.2 million investment. In 2013 the 450/5s were converted back to regular 450/0s as part of the Class 458/5 project. In 2015 they were fitted with Automatic Selective Door Operation to reduce dwell times at short platforms. In 2017 the 127 strong fleet passed from South West Trains to South Western Railway. The class 450s are currently under going a refurbishment project which will see a reduced first class, as well as the moving of first class from the centre to the ends of the train. In May 2025 the 450s will transfer to Great British Railways.
Fleet Details
[edit | edit source]450/0 - 450001-450127