First the Slammers...

[Galvanize]

...Now Sliders!

The lease of the 30 Class 458 Juniper units of South West Trains will finish on the 10th December 2005. After this, they will be there to cover a diagram if the Desiros aren't working. The future of these units is undecided, although 2 units have gone over to Gatwick Express, to replace the 73 set completely.

If anyone wants one last ride on the 458s, should do so very soon, most 458s are on the Reading service.

 

[Met Driver]

If anyone wants one last ride on the 458s, should do so very soon, most 458s are on the Reading service.

Personally I wouldn't bother, they're nothing special. Once you've travelled on one type of plastic, you've travelled on all IMO.

 

[Guinness]

It's a shame that this country has to resort to replacing New Trains with New trains. Even though the CPM figure is way better than the Desiros now....

 

[yorkie]

It's a shame that this country has to resort to replacing New Trains with New trains. Even though the CPM figure is way better than the Desiros now....

Yes, the whole rolling stock strategy (or, rather lack of it!) is a mess.

But don't forget that the connecting doors are so unreliable (and, I've heard unsafe!) that they are permanently disconnected. This can cause problems with revenue collection and has safety implications. On some TOCs, notably MML guards have threatened to go on strike if the individual portions are not crewed. But crewing them seperately incurs extra costs.

So, yes, they are more reliable in the statistics but an important feature was so unreliable that it was disabled & removed!

Presumably Gatwick Express have two guards? or they must have an extra guard on the 458 operated services? (If not some people would get a free ride, surely not!)

 

[TheSlash]

The 458 gangway is disconnected due to the lengthy amount of time needed to 'deploy' it
When operating as 8 cars, the guard rides in the rear unit so that both sections are staffed {the driver is available to assist people in the front half in an emergency}

 

[Julian G]

this is getting quite silly

 

[Guinness]

this is getting quite silly

Depends. It's silly that they're replacing them but then again it means that SWT is almost a 'Single Stock' Type on Outer London Services which means no money wasted Training Drivers, Additional Maintenance Skills etc. In the long run can be quite profitable from a business point of view which is great news for SWT.

But then the other side of the story. What will the future told for the 458s? (See Article Thread).

 

[yorkie]

I can't blame SWT really. Providing that they have enough other stock, obviously.

They requested trains of a certain specification and that wasn't delivered. The lease expired and SWT did not want to renew it.

 

[OTS]

...Now Sliders!

The lease of the 30 Class 458 Juniper units of South West Trains will finish on the 10th December 2005. After this, they will be there to cover a diagram if the Desiros aren't working. The future of these units is undecided, although 2 units have gone over to Gatwick Express, to replace the 73 set completely.

If anyone wants one last ride on the 458s, should do so very soon, most 458s are on the Reading service.

Shame - they're nice units and much more preferable to the 450s I'll have to endure now (although at least are the right colour!).

As an aside - does anyone know when the likely intro date for the 458s on GEx is??

 

[Tom]

AFAIK, the 458s won't be deployed until they pass the safety case for GEX.

 

[matt]

According to Entrain the 458s may be going to Scotland, converted to AC and reclassified as 358s

 

[Julian G]

this is like cl377 replacing 319s :cry:

i will miss those 458s quite a lot
especially when they always beat the 159s into Clapham from Waterloo
xx:20 and xx:50 :P