Class 455 (BREL York Suburban Services 4-car)

The Class 455 electric multiple units were built by BREL York [1] in the early 1980s to replace 4-SUB and EPB stock on Southern Region routes. They are an example of 1982 Standard High Density Stock, 137 sets were built between 1983 and 1985. Currently they are operated by South Western Railway on commuter lines out of London Waterloo. They were also operated by Southern but these units have now been withdrawn.

SWR 455 907 at Guildford

Information
Number built:	548* (137 4-car sets) * including 43 cars from Class 508s
Built:	1983-85
Builder:	BREL York
Motor:	4 EE507-20J traction motors per set (750v DC third rail)
Power:	1, 000 hp (746 kW)
Formation:	Driving Trailer Standard Open (DTSO)+Motor Standard Open (MSO)+Trailer Standard Open (TSO)+DTSO

The units were based on some of the work behind the prototype Class 210 DEMUs and are related to the Class 317 and 318, like those units it was derived from the British Rail Mark 3 coach [2]. There are three sub-classes: 455/7, 455/8 and 455/9, a major visual difference is that the /7 and /9 sub-classes have a more rounded roof than the /8 which despite the numbering was built first. The 455/7s were built as 3-car sets but have included a carriage (TSO) taken from the Class 508 EMUs which they replaced to turn them into 4-car sets. Since privatisation the Southern 455/8s lost their cab gangways in favour of an air conditioning unit giving them a different look to the other sub-classes.

They were set to remain in service into the early 2020s following refurbishment and the fitting of new traction motors to some units [3]. (It is worth noting that the replaced motors are reconditioned English Electric motors from older SR EMUs such as the Class 405 and indeed dated from the early post-war period!)

However, the change in the South West Trains franchise in 2017 to South Western Railway saw a change of plan to replace the units with the Class 701 from 2020 [4] though as of Spring 2023 the SWR Class 455s remain in service. Southern's Class 455s were withdrawn in 2022.

SWR 455 741 at Horsley

Southern 455 802 showing the different front end

SWR 455 712 at Vauxhall

Aboard a SWR 455

A SWR 455 at Guildford, compare the roof to the top photo

[1] Colin J. Marsden, DMU and EMU Recognition Guide (Ian Allan, 2013) p. 351
[2] Brian Haresnape & Alec Swain, Third Rail DC Electric Multiple Units (Ian Allan, 1989) p. 77
[3] "Vossloh Kiepe UK to deliver traction upgrade to South West Trains’ Class 455 fleet"
[4] "Class 455 Death Sentence", Modern Railways (May 2017) p. 25