South West Trains News: Class 450
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Desiro in passenger service on the Lymington branch
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Due to a combination of 3CIG 1498 failing the previous day (resulting in the service being replaced by bus for the remainder of the day) and an engineering blockade preventing 1497 reaching Brockenhurst from Bournemouth, Desiro 450084 was pressed into passenger service on the Lymington branch on Sunday 24th September 2006. Although the class was cleared for use on the branch on 26th January 2005, this is the first use of a Desiro in passenger service on the branch. The first round trip of the day was used as a test (despite the class being already cleared) and passengers were carried from the 11.59 from Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier service. |
Although the contingency for these units to work the branch has been in existence for 18 months, it will be interesting to see if these actual workings hasten the demise of using "heritage" units on the branch - platform length at Lymington Town station and ability to keep to the tight 30 minute schedule not withstanding. (above) 450084 at Lymington Pier station whilst the driver changes ends. photograph by Stephen Hodgson |
Desiro 450101 finally in service
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The last of South West Trains' original batch of class 450 Desiro units has finally entered service. Unit 450101 was derailed and damaged on the 4th February 2005 at Lüttich-Kinkempois in Belgium whilst on its delivery run to the UK. The unit was returned to Germany for repair and was then used at the Siemens Wildenwrath test facility for software development. 450101 arrived in the country on May 24th 2006 and was delivered to Bournemouth T&RMSD on May 30th via Willesden and a sojourn in Eastleigh yard. The unit entered service briefly on Monday June 5th 2006 with an early morning working from Southampton Central to Waterloo and then a Woking - Waterloo service. |
It commenced working for a full day the following day on the NT444 diagram (Haslemere/Alton/Basingstoke to Waterloo services) and then on Wednesday June 7th the NT 411 diagram between Waterloo and Windsor & Eton Riverside where it is seen above departing Clapham Junction for Windsor for the third time that day.
South West Trains to gain a further 17 Class 450s
photograph by Colin Duff
An additional 17 new Class 450 units for the South Western fleet have been ordered by the Department for Transport at a cost of around £70 million (including spares). The new trains will provide over 4,500 extra seats for passengers on Basingstoke, Alton and Reading services. The trains will be procured from Siemens Transportation Systems, then owned and leased by Angel Trains to the incumbent South Western franchisee. This will enable South West Trains to run more 12 car trains at peak times to increase capacity on busy commuter routes. The extra trains will help boost service reliability and performance by improving boarding times at stations along these routes. Most of the new trains will be in service by the end of 2006. They will be commissioned at Bournemouth T&RSMD.
UPDATE 13th OCTOBER 2006:
Ten of this batch of units are now in the country with eight of them being in service. However, South West Trains' new business plan consequent upon them retaining the franchise will see these additional units also facilitating a cost-cutting fleet cascade resulting in the lease on class 442 units not being renewed.
