British Rail Class 484 D-Train | |
---|---|
In service | 1 November 2021 –present |
Manufacturer |
|
Family name | D-Train |
Replaced | Class 483 |
Constructed | 2020–2021 |
Number built | 5 |
Number in service | 5 |
Formation | 2 cars per unit |
Fleet numbers | 484001–484005 |
Operators | Island Line |
Depots | Ryde |
Lines served | Island Line, Isle of Wight |
Specifications | |
Car body construction | Aluminium [1] |
Car length | 18.372 m (60 ft 3 in) [2] |
Width | 2.840 m (9 ft 4 in) [2] |
Height | 3.630 m (11 ft 11 in) [2] |
Doors | Single-leaf sliding pocket (each 1.127 m (3 ft 8 in) wide) [2] |
Wheel diameter | 790–710 mm (31.10–27.95 in) (new–worn) [2] |
Wheelbase |
|
Maximum speed |
|
Traction motors | 8 × Traktionssysteme Austria TME 32-43-4 56 kW (75 hp) [3] |
Power output | 448 kW (601 hp) |
Electric system(s) | 750 V DC third rail [4] |
Current collector(s) | Contact shoe |
UIC classification | Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′ |
Bogies | Bombardier [1] |
Braking system(s) | Electro-pneumatic |
Coupling system | Wedglock [2] |
Multiple working | Within class |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 484 D-Train is a class of electric multiple unit built by rolling stock manufacturer Vivarail which operates on the Island Line on the Isle of Wight. Based on the British Rail Class 230 diesel multiple unit, the units are part of the Vivarail D-Train family, converted from London Underground D78 Stock originally manufactured in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Metro-Cammell.
Five units have been converted for the Island Line to replace the Class 483 sets, with the first delivered for testing in late 2020 and the second in May 2021. The line closed in January 2021 for upgrade works and was originally scheduled to reopen on 1 April 2021 with the new fleet of trains, [5] but delayed infrastructure work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic extended the shutdown period by six weeks to 13 May 2021, [6] and then problems with software on the trains further delayed their introduction. [7] The line reopened to passengers using the Class 484 stock on 1 November 2021. [8]
The Island Line, an 8+1⁄2-mile (13.7 km) long rail route on the Isle of Wight between Ryde and Shanklin, has historically been limited in the type of rolling stock that can be operated due to clearance issues, particularly height of the Ryde Tunnel between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde St John's Road, which has had its trackbed raised numerous times over the course of its history to mitigate the risk of flooding.
These limitations continued even after electrification in 1966. Since electrification, the Island Line has used repurposed former London Underground stock, beginning with the British Rail Classes 485 and 486, built as 1923 tube stock, which were used from 1966 to 1989. Gauging trials took place in the 1960s to determine whether Class 503 units were suitable for use on the route, but without success. [9] From 1989 onward, rail services were operated using Class 483 units, which originated as 1938 tube stock and last ran on the Northern line. [10]
However, these units were first introduced on the Underground in 1938 and, by 2019, were more than eighty years old. This made them increasingly difficult to maintain, with the original fleet of eight eventually reduced to four in service, with another two retained as spares donors. [11] [12] As a consequence, replacement of the rolling stock became an urgent priority. This requirement was eventually linked with a wider need to invest in improvements in the line itself, and saw suggestions that it might be converted to a light rail operation, or even a bus rapid transit route. [13]
However, in 2019, it was announced that the existing third rail operation would be retained, with a total of £26m invested to make improvements. A significant proportion of this would be used on the procurement of a fleet of new trains, which it was announced would be sourced from Vivarail's D-Train platform. [14] [15] [16]
The first passenger-carrying Class 484 departed Ryde St John's Road railway station at 05:35 on 1 November 2021. [8]
The Class 484 units are two-car trains built using the existing bodyshells and bogies of former London Underground D78 stock units modified for use on the National Rail network. These have similar features to the Class 230 trains from the same family, with Wi-Fi, power sockets and CCTV. The D78 Stock is similar in terms of height to other National Rail rolling stock in Great Britain and taller than the previous Class 483, and having undertaken a survey of the route, Vivarail confirmed that its proposed units were capable of traversing the Ryde Tunnel. [17]
The first of the total of five units was due to be delivered for testing in the summer of 2020. [18] The first unit arrived on the Isle of Wight on 19 November 2020 via ferry. [19] [20]
Each unit is formed of two Driving Motor vehicles.
Class | Operator | Qty. | Year converted | Cars per unit | Unit numbers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
484 | Island Line | 5 | 2020–2021 | 2 | 484001–484005 |
Unit | North end vehicle | South end vehicle |
---|---|---|
484001 | 131 (ex 7086) | 231 (ex 7011) |
484002 | 132 (ex 7068) | 232 (ex 7002) |
484003 | 133 (ex 7051) | 233 (ex 7083) |
484004 | 134 (ex 7074) | 234 (ex 7111) |
484005 | 135 (ex 7124) | 235 (ex 7093) |
Pacer was the operational name of the British Rail Classes 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 diesel multiple unit railbuses built between 1980 and 1987. They were inexpensively developed using a passenger body based on the Leyland National bus on top of a chassis based on the HSFV1 research vehicle. The railbuses were intended as a short-term solution to a shortage of rolling stock, with a lifespan of no more than twenty years. As modernised replacements were lacking, the Pacer fleet remained in service on some lines until 2021, 37 years after their 1984 introduction.
The Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight which runs along the island's east coast and links Ryde Pier Head with Shanklin. Trains connect at Ryde Pier Head with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour, and these ferries in turn connect with the rest of the National Rail network via the Portsmouth Direct Line. The line also connects to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, a heritage railway, at Smallbrook Junction. For much of its length the line runs alongside the A3055, criss-crossing this road by means of the Ryde Tunnel and bridges at Rowborough, Morton Common, Lake Hill and Littlestairs.
The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is a heritage railway on the Isle of Wight. The railway passes through 5+1⁄2 miles (9 km) of countryside from Smallbrook Junction to Wootton station, passing through the small village of Havenstreet, where the line has a station, headquarters and a depot. At Smallbrook Junction, the steam railway connects with the Island Line.
London Underground rolling stock includes the electric multiple-unit trains used on the London Underground. These come in two sizes, smaller deep-level tube trains and larger sub-surface trains of a similar size to those on British main lines, both running on standard gauge tracks. New trains are designed for the maximum number of standing passengers and for speed of access to the cars.
The London Underground 1938 Stock was a London Underground tube stock design. A total of 1,121 cars were built by Metro-Cammell and Birmingham RC&W. An additional 173 cars were added to the fleet by the end of 1953, comprising 91 new builds, 76 conversions from Pre-1938 Tube Stock or 1935 Tube Stock, and six unconverted cars of 1935 Tube Stock, and the stock was used on the London Underground until 1988. During their long lives they worked on the Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly, East London, Central, and Northern City lines. Ten sets were refurbished and ran on the Isle of Wight as Class 483, making them the oldest passenger rolling stock operating timetabled services on the National Rail network at the time of their withdrawal in January 2021.
The British Rail Class 483 electric multiple units were originally built as 1938 tube stock units for London Underground. They were extensively refurbished between 1989 and 1992 by Eastleigh Works, for use on services on the Isle of Wight's Island Line. This was despite having already been used for nearly 50 years on the London Underground network. The units replaced the even older and life-expired British Rail Classes 485 and 486 units which were introduced in 1967, but were originally built as 'Standard' stock units for the London Electric Railway in 1923.
The British Rail Class 485 and British Rail Class 486 electrical multiple units were originally built for the London Electric Railway from 1923-31 as its 'Standard' tube stock. They were purchased by British Rail in 1967 and transported to the Isle of Wight to work 'mainline' services on the newly electrified Ryde to Shanklin line, where they worked for an additional quarter of a century. At the time of their purchase the units had already worked for over 40 years on the London Underground, but their introduction allowed the last steam locomotives on the line to be withdrawn.
The London Underground D78 Stock, commonly referred to as D Stock, was a type of sub-surface rolling stock which operated on the District line of the London Underground, except on the Wimbledon to Edgware Road service. The first units were withdrawn in January 2015 with the last withdrawn on 21 April 2017.
The London Underground 1972 Stock is a type of rolling stock used on the London Underground. The 1972 Stock was originally ordered to make up the shortfall in trains on the Northern line's 1959 Tube Stock fleet, but is currently used on the Bakerloo line. Following the withdrawal of the 1938 Stock-based British Rail Class 483 EMUs from the Isle of Wight in 2021, the 1972 Stock are now the oldest trains in regular passenger service in the United Kingdom. A total of 63 seven-car trains were built in two separate batches.
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948 until 1992 when railways were re-privatised. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex and Surrey. The region was largely based upon the former Southern Railway area.
Brading railway station is a Grade II listed railway station serving Brading on the Isle of Wight, England. It is located on the Island Line from Ryde to Shanklin. Owing to its secluded countryside location, it is one of the quietest stations on the island.
Ryde Pier Head railway station is one of three stations in the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Situated at the end of the town's pier, it is adjacent to the terminal for the Wightlink fast catamaran service connecting the island with Portsmouth on the English mainland. Passengers can use this to connect with the rest of the National Rail network at Portsmouth Harbour station, which is adjacent to the Portsmouth terminal. Through rail tickets for travel via Pier Head station are available to and from other stations on the Isle of Wight. These include travel on the catamaran service to or from Portsmouth as appropriate.
Island Line is a brand of South Western Railway which runs the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) Island Line on the Isle of Wight. A stand-alone franchise from 1996 until 2007, it then became part of the South Western franchise operated by South West Trains until August 2017 and since by South Western Railway.
Ryde Traincare Depot is a railway traction maintenance depot, situated in Ryde, Isle of Wight, to the east of Ryde St John's Road railway station. The depot is operated by Island Line, is allocated the Island Line fleet of the British Rail Class 484s. The depot code is RY.
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Vivarail was a British rolling stock manufacturer, founded in 2012 and based in Southam, Warwickshire. Vivarail's main project was the conversion of retired London Underground D78 Stock into two new classes for National Rail services. It was led by former Chiltern Railways chairman Adrian Shooter; the American Railroad Development Corporation was a shareholder.
The British Rail Class 230 D-Train is a diesel-electric multiple unit, diesel-battery electric multiple unit or battery electric multiple unit built by rolling stock manufacturer Vivarail for the British rail network. The units are converted from old London Underground D78 Stock, originally manufactured in 1980 by Metro-Cammell, and have been assigned the designation of Class 230 under TOPS.
Although the railway network in Great Britain has some of the smallest loading gauges in the world, the vast bulk of it is still capable of operating full sized vehicles. However, British Rail, together with its predecessors and successors have, on occasion, been required to operate passenger trains to an even smaller loading gauge and have, as a consequence, obtained rolling stock identical to that of the "deep tube" lines of London Underground; these are lines built using the tunneling shield method, that were, by necessity, smaller than those lines built using the cut-and-cover method. In 1892, a Parliamentary Committee headed by James Stansfeld recommended that such lines be in tunnels with a minimum diameter of 11 ft 6in. Two routes operated by British Rail required the use of such deep-tube rolling stock, the Waterloo & City Line in London, and the Island Line on the Isle of Wight.
South Western Railway is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and MTR Corporation (30%) that operates the South Western franchise.
The Vivarail D-Train is a family of multiple units remanufactured by Vivarail for the British rail network. They are converted from London Underground D78 Stock, originally manufactured between 1978 and 1981 by Metro-Cammell. Two versions have been produced: the Class 230 diesel electric multiple unit and the Class 484 electric multiple unit.