SWR Class 458/4s: fleet status and withdrawal updates

[swr444]

0848 Reading is also a 458/4

 

[Class73Electro]

0848 Reading is also a 458/4

Thanks! Will that carry on throughout the day?

 

[Stephen42]

It didn't

RealTimeTrains has it ran with 408 and 414 (rather than 416)

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q17309/2026-07-24/detailed#allox_id=0

RTT showing what looks like one set of two 458s running to Eton and Windsor alongside the 701s, is this the only 458 set running today?

There are another two pairs out today on Reading/Weybridge services. All three pairs look to be out all day.

 

[Class73Electro]

Thanks

Frustratingly looks like the service arriving at 13:13 is the last diagram on the Windsor route. I might miss it!

 

[Farnborough]

RealTimeTrains has it ran with 408 and 414 (rather than 416)

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q17309/2026-07-24/detailed#allox_id=0

Curious... when I posted, it showed as cancelled... ho hum!

 

[NSEWonderer]

Might have driven my last reading with the 458s. 412 and 404 who were surprisingly rapid yesterday. Stock changed from the expected 701.

 

[A60stock]

Little late here.

Just wanted to confirm, what services will the 458/4s be operating once the 701s take over all suburban and Winsor duties?

 

[swt_passenger]

Little late here.

Just wanted to confirm, what services will the 458/4s be operating once the 701s take over all suburban and Winsor duties?

None intended. That’s why this is a ‘withdrawal’ discussion.

 

[Siemens Staines]

There are three STP paths from Wimbledon to Strawberry Hill this week which may relate to warm storing of 458/4s. Whether or not all, or any, of these three run remains to be seen.

Monday 27.07.26
5Q95 1217 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Strawberry Hill C.S.D.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q20727/2026-07-27/detailed

Friday 31.07.26
5Q95 1215 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Strawberry Hill C.S.D.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q19638/2026-07-31/detailed

5Q97 1515 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Strawberry Hill C.S.D.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q20726/2026-07-31/detailed

The following three pairs of 458/4 are in service this morning (Monday 27.07.26) with two of them vice 701

458426 + 458427
05:26 Staines to Reading due 06:14
06:39 Reading to London Waterloo due 08:07
08:18 London Waterloo to Reading due 09:43
10:09 Reading to London Waterloo due 11:35
11:52 London Waterloo to Weybridge due 13:08
13:33 Weybridge to London Waterloo due 14:58
15:18 London Waterloo to Reading due 16:42
17:09 Reading to London Waterloo due 18:37
18:48 London Waterloo to Reading due 20:14
20:39 Reading to London Waterloo due 22:05
22:22 London Waterloo to Weybridge due 23:38
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:27/07/2026 03:13

458404 + 458412
05:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 06:49
07:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 07:56
08:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 09:23
09:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 10:26
10:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 11:49
12:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 12:56
13:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 14:20
14:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 15:26
15:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 16:49
17:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 17:58
18:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 19:19
19:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 20:26
20:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 21:49
22:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 22:56
23:05 Windsor & Eton Riverside to Staines due 23:19
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:27/07/2026 03:14

plus what I presume is now the new turn for the one remaining booked pair of 458/4s

458423 + 458421
2S05 0522 London Waterloo to Weybridge
1S14 0702 Weybridge to London Waterloo
2V15 0837 London Waterloo to London Waterloo

there will be an evening peak half to this diagram

 

[Tickle]

There are three STP paths from Wimbledon to Strawberry Hill this week which may relate to warm storing of 458/4s. Whether or not all, or any, of these three run remains to be seen.

Monday 27.07.26
5Q95 1217 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Strawberry Hill C.S.D.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q20727/2026-07-27/detailed

Friday 31.07.26
5Q95 1215 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Strawberry Hill C.S.D.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q19638/2026-07-31/detailed

5Q97 1515 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Strawberry Hill C.S.D.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q20726/2026-07-31/detailed

The following three pairs of 458/4 are in service this morning (Monday 27.07.26) with two of them vice 701

458426 + 458427
05:26 Staines to Reading due 06:14
06:39 Reading to London Waterloo due 08:07
08:18 London Waterloo to Reading due 09:43
10:09 Reading to London Waterloo due 11:35
11:52 London Waterloo to Weybridge due 13:08
13:33 Weybridge to London Waterloo due 14:58
15:18 London Waterloo to Reading due 16:42
17:09 Reading to London Waterloo due 18:37
18:48 London Waterloo to Reading due 20:14
20:39 Reading to London Waterloo due 22:05
22:22 London Waterloo to Weybridge due 23:38
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:27/07/2026 03:13

458404 + 458412
05:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 06:49
07:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 07:56
08:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 09:23
09:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 10:26
10:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 11:49
12:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 12:56
13:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 14:20
14:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 15:26
15:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 16:49
17:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 17:58
18:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 19:19
19:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 20:26
20:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 21:49
22:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 22:56
23:05 Windsor & Eton Riverside to Staines due 23:19
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:27/07/2026 03:14

plus what I presume is now the new turn for the one remaining booked pair of 458/4s

458423 + 458421
2S05 0522 London Waterloo to Weybridge
1S14 0702 Weybridge to London Waterloo
2V15 0837 London Waterloo to London Waterloo

there will be an evening peak half to this diagram

5Q95 should run later day.

8413 & 8409

 

[Siemens Staines]

8413 & 8409

Thank you for this information, it is much appreciated.

 

[D365]

Hope we keep this threat alive. The 458s are really nice trains. Surely we can continue to use them somewhere on the UK network?

They’re DC only with no prospects of that being altered, so that narrows the possibilities down a lot...

There were some rumours a few months ago about them going to Southern. It was in Modern Railways so there was likely, at some point, a prospect of them going over.

There are two recent speculative threads for discussion of this nature:

Class 458 Future Speculation
SWR class 458/4 - possible withdrawal speculation

 

[Siemens Staines]

plus what I presume is now the new turn for the one remaining booked pair of 458/4s

458423 + 458421
2S05 0522 London Waterloo to Weybridge
1S14 0702 Weybridge to London Waterloo
2V15 0837 London Waterloo to London Waterloo

there will be an evening peak half to this diagram

The evening peak half of this diagram is now allocated

458424 + 458415
2R45 1615 London Waterloo to London Waterloo
2S55 1752 London Waterloo to Weybridge
2S64 1933 Weybridge to London Waterloo

 

[A60stock]

I may have missed this elsewhere in the thread but what was the point of refurbishing them?

 

[gabrielhj07]

I may have missed this elsewhere in the thread but what was the point of refurbishing them?

For use on the PDL.

 

[A60stock]

Sorry if I was unclear but what I intended to mean was how did they only realise there was no use for them after the refurbishment? Surely the issues would have been known prior to the refurb. Also, what a waste of money?

 

[35B]

Sorry if I was unclear but what I intended to mean was how did they only realise there was no use for them after the refurbishment? Surely the issues would have been known prior to the refurb. Also, what a waste of money?

Waste, absolutely. But the timing is more unfortunate than anything else - the whole process spanned the changes in operating approach and travel plans

 

[43096]

Waste, absolutely. But the timing is more unfortunate than anything else - the whole process spanned the changes in operating approach and travel plans

As I have pointed out before, the refurbishment contract was signed in Spring 2021. That is long enough - 12 months - into Covid for someone to have thought about pausing the project to see what happened longer term with passenger numbers and commuting patterns.

 

[Cravens]

Sorry if I was unclear but what I intended to mean was how did they only realise there was no use for them after the refurbishment? Surely the issues would have been known prior to the refurb. Also, what a waste of money?

The refurbishment wasn’t all that expensive in the grand scheme of things. In the end, I expect that the DfT will have gotten its money back on the refurb programme, if not by much.

 

[waterboo]

Once again a reminder that the refurbishment was paid by the Rosco with higher lease charges intended to compensate for the expense.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Once again a reminder that the refurbishment was paid by the Rosco with higher lease charges intended to compensate for the expense.

Still a taxpayer cost though.

 

[Goldfish62]

The refurbishment wasn’t all that expensive in the grand scheme of things. In the end, I expect that the DfT will have gotten its money back on the refurb programme, if not by much.

It was indeed not that extensive a refurb. Apart from new seats, carpets and grab rails everything was left untouched - no repainting of the interior or refurbishment of the toilets, for example.

 

[Invincible]

Still a taxpayer cost though.

Although used on the London Suburban lines meant a short lease till 2027 (meant that Porterbrook might have lost out, rather than the taxpayer? But Porterbrook may still find another use for the 458s, and a new lease from someone)

Had they been used on the PDL, as planned, then SWR and Porterbrook could have had a longer, say 10 year, lease, meaning lower cost for SWR and Porterbrook more likely to get a good return

 

[gabrielhj07]

I'm sure Porterbrook were hoping for a longer lease. But as it stands DafT have been paying increased rates for the same trains to operate the same services as before, just with 2 carriages missing and worse acceleration.

 

[43096]

It was indeed not that extensive a refurb. Apart from new seats, carpets and grab rails everything was left untouched - no repainting of the interior or refurbishment of the toilets, for example.

And, comically, the PIS still thinking it is a 10-car set and announcing that passengers for Winnersh, Winnersh Triangle and Earley should use the front 8 coaches.

 

[DelW]

Sorry if I was unclear but what I intended to mean was how did they only realise there was no use for them after the refurbishment? Surely the issues would have been known prior to the refurb. Also, what a waste of money?

IIRC, it was only discovered / realised after the refurbishment had been contracted that 12x458 wouldn't quite fit within starter signals at one or more locations. Presumably 8x458 was deemed insufficient for peak services.

I was very disappointed at their non appearance on the PDL as I'd hoped they would reduce or even eliminate 450s to Portsmouth. Now we're stuck with 450s on a lot of services for probably a couple of decades to come. I've got nothing against Desiros per se, they're good trains, but narrow 3+2 suburban seating is unsuitable for Portsmouth main line services.

 

[Siemens Staines]

Down to just the one pair of 458/4s covering a 701 diagram today (Tuesday 28.07.26)

458404 + 458412
05:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 06:49
07:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 07:56
08:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 09:23
09:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 10:26
10:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 11:49
12:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 12:56
13:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 14:20
14:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 15:26
15:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 16:49
17:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 17:58
18:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 19:19
19:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 20:26
20:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 21:49
23:05 Windsor & Eton Riverside to Staines due 23:19
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:28/07/2026 05:21

plus the morning peak leg of the one booked turn for 458s

458421 + 458423
2S05 0522 London Waterloo to Weybridge
1S14 0702 Weybridge to London Waterloo
2V15 0837 London Waterloo to London Waterloo

 

[swr444]

Down to just the one pair of 458/4s covering a 701 diagram today (Tuesday 28.07.26)

458404 + 458412
05:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 06:49
07:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 07:56
08:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 09:23
09:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 10:26
10:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 11:49
12:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 12:56
13:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 14:20
14:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 15:26
15:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 16:49
17:03 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 17:58
18:23 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 19:19
19:33 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside due 20:26
20:53 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo due 21:49
23:05 Windsor & Eton Riverside to Staines due 23:19
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:28/07/2026 05:21

plus the morning peak leg of the one booked turn for 458s

458421 + 458423
2S05 0522 London Waterloo to Weybridge
1S14 0702 Weybridge to London Waterloo
2V15 0837 London Waterloo to London Waterloo

The 1703 WAT-WNR is such a busy service, I worked it 8 vice 10 the other week and I was leaving poeple behind at CLJ

 

[Siemens Staines]

plus the morning peak leg of the one booked turn for 458s

458421 + 458423
2S05 0522 London Waterloo to Weybridge
1S14 0702 Weybridge to London Waterloo
2V15 0837 London Waterloo to London Waterloo

the evening leg of the booked turn is now allocated

458424 + 458415
2R45 1615 London Waterloo to London Waterloo
2S55 1752 London Waterloo to Weybridge
2S64 1933 Weybridge to London Waterloo

but the morning pair are currently allocated to come back out again on a second vice 701 diagram

458421 + 458423
15:07 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 16:30
16:45 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 18:11
18:18 London Waterloo to Reading due 19:44
20:09 Reading to London Waterloo due 21:37
21:52 London Waterloo to Weybridge due 23:08
23:33 Weybridge to Staines due 00:02
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:28/07/2026 13:22

 

[Bazzz]

the evening leg of the booked turn is now allocated

458424 + 458415
2R45 1615 London Waterloo to London Waterloo
2S55 1752 London Waterloo to Weybridge
2S64 1933 Weybridge to London Waterloo

but the morning pair are currently allocated to come back out again on a second vice 701 diagram

458421 + 458423
15:07 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 16:30
16:45 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 18:11
18:18 London Waterloo to Reading due 19:44
20:09 Reading to London Waterloo due 21:37
21:52 London Waterloo to Weybridge due 23:08
23:33 Weybridge to Staines due 00:02
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:28/07/2026 13:22

Is there a known official end date for the 458/4s in passenger service? Could they perhaps carry on well into August?