British Rail Class 484

The British Rail Class 484 is a class of electric multiple unit which are being built by rolling stock manufacturer Vivarail for the Island Line on the Isle of Wight. The units are converted from London Underground D78 Stock, originally manufactured in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Metro-Cammell.

British Rail Class 484
484001 arriving into Ryde St Johns Road
In service1980 – 2017 (LU)
Spring 2021 — present (IL)
ManufacturerMetro-Cammell (as D78 Stock)
Vivarail (conversion)
Family nameD-Train
ReplacedBritish Rail Class 483
Constructed1978 - 1981
Refurbished2020 - 2021
Number under construction5 units
Formation2 cars per unit
Fleet numbers484001–484005
Operator(s)Island Line
Depot(s)Ryde depot
Line(s) servedIsland Line
Specifications
Car length18.37 m (60 ft 3 in) (as D78 Stock)
Width2.85 m (9 ft 4 in) (as D78 Stock)
Height3.62 m (11 ft 11 in) (as D78 Stock)
Maximum speed60 mph (97 km/h) designed 45 mph (72 km/h) Limted
Electric system(s)750 V DC third rail[1]
Current collection methodContact shoe
Multiple workingWithin class
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Five units are being converted for the Island Line to replace the Class 483 sets, with the first delivered for testing in 2020. The line is currently closed (January 2021) until 31 March 2021 for upgrades and is scheduled to reopen on 1 April 2021 with the new fleet of trains.[2]

History

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 levels, particularly in the Ryde Tunnel between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde St John's Road.

This continued even after electrification in 1966. The Island Line has used repurposed former London Underground stock since electrification; British Rail Classes 485 and 486, built as 1923 tube stock, were used from 1966 to 1989. Since 1989, rail services have been run using Class 483 units, which originated as 1938 tube stock and last ran on the Northern line.[3]

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.[4][5] 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.[6]

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.[7][8][9]

Trains

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, but having undertaken a survey of the route, Vivarail confirmed that its proposed units were capable of traversing the Ryde Tunnel.[10]

Island Line Class 484, 484001 at Ryde St Johns Road undergoing mileage accumulation runs

Gauging trials had previously taken place in the 1960s to determine whether Class 503 units were suitable for use on the route.[11][12] The first of the total of five units was due to be delivered for testing in the summer of 2020.[13] The first unit arrived on the Isle of Wight on 19 November 2020 via ferry.[14][15]

Fleet details

Each unit is formed of 2 former London Underground D78 Driving Motors, with cars 13* facing Ryde Pier head and cars 23* facing Shanklin.

Fleet details
Operator No. built Year built Cars per set Unit nos. Car nos.
Island Line 5 1978-1981 (as built) 2 484001 - 484005 131–135, 231–235
2020-2021 (converted)
Unit details
Unit number North end car South end car
484001131 (ex 7086)231 (ex 7011)
484002132 (ex 7068)232 (ex 7002)
484003133 (ex 7051)233 (ex 7083)
484004134 (ex 7074)234 (ex 7111)
484005135 (ex 7124)235 (ex 7093)
  • First car of 484001 at Wightlinks Fishbourne ferry terminal
  • 484001 and 483009 at Ryde Traincare showing the height diffrence between Sub-Surface and deep level tube
  • 484001 at Shanklin undergoing mileage accumulation runs
  • 484001 arriving into Ryde St Johns Road from shanklin on a test run

See also

Notes
  1. David Burroughs (16 September 2019). "Fleet and track upgrades in £26m Isle of Wight investment". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  2. Marriott, Alan (20 August 2020). "Isle of Wight faces three months with no trains on Island Line". Isle of Wight County Press. Newsquest. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. Hardy 2003, p. 60.
  4. Marsh, Phil (February 2019). Milner, Chris (ed.). "DfT decision on Island Line future deferred for three months". Headline News. The Railway Magazine. Vol. 165 no. 1415. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group (published 6 February 2019). p. 6. ISSN 0033-8923.
  5. Anon (26 March 2018). "Third Ryde Tube: Transfer Troublesome". London Reconnections. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  6. "IS THE FUTURE TRAMS AND STEAM TRAINS INTO RYDE?". islandecho.co.uk. Island Echo. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  7. Isle of Wight line’s future secured with £26m investment Railway Gazette International 16 September 2019
  8. "£26m investment announced for Isle of Wight rail line". BBC News. BBC News. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  9. "UK's oldest train fleet updated with £26m investment into Isle of Wight's railway". South Western Railway. South Western Railway. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  10. "Vivarail to supply new train fleet for the Island Line". Rail Insider. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  11. Dunn, Tim [@MrTimDunn] (23 April 2019). "Some people have asked "will the @Vivarail #class230 fit on the Isle of Wight to replace the 1938 Stock?"" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 September 2019 – via Twitter.
  12. "Ryde Rail - a history of tube trains on the Isle of Wight". Railway Modeller. Vol. 70 no. 827. September 2019. p. 779.
  13. Honey, Jade. "UK's oldest train fleet updated with £26m investment into Isle of Wight's railway". Isle of Wight Observer. Isle of Wight Observer. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  14. The first refurbished Class 484 trains arriving on the Isle of Wight. Isle of Wight Council. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  15. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-55006434

References
  • Hardy, Brian (2003). Tube Trains on the Isle of Wight. Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. ISBN 978-1-85414-276-4.

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