Class 442s

[Aictos]

Just a quick question on the 442s, does anyone know what diagrams they work please?

I've tried Google and I know they get used on some Gatwick Express services but do they run any other services?

Any help would be appreciated,

 

[nowananorack]

Hi, I think you'll find they are also used for some peak time Victoria - Brighton & Eastbourne journeys. I read somewhere that all 442 units are now in use/ to be bought back into use by Southern ready for when the class 460's lease come up for renewal, the 460's will come off lease.

 

[MCR247]

They have all but 8 442s, but I'm not sure of the diagrams. They are I think used for one Eastbourne. They also work I think all brighton trains

 

[Aictos]

It's just I was thinking of having a trip up to Victoria from Brighton during the off peak if I can if not then the peak - don't know how busy the 442s get though, any help?

 

[MCR247]

They only run on the morning GatEx's from Brighton, and to brighton in the evening. I suppose I should of been clearer

 

[Jordy]

Diagrams can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKmodernEMU/files/2009/SN/

They are a bit complicated, but you'll be able to work it out hopefully!

 

[Pumbaa]

They run an 18xx service from London Bridge to Eastbourne, not Victoria. You can't go all the way through from Brighton, unless you're willing to pay for a GatEx ticket.

 

[poshbakerloo]

I love the 442s some of the best EMUs!!! Shame about the current livery they in!

 

[fgwrich]

They run an 18xx service from London Bridge to Eastbourne, not Victoria. You can't go all the way through from Brighton, unless you're willing to pay for a GatEx ticket.

Not totally there...When i went from Basingstoke to Brighton in march i took the Gat Ex from victoria to brighton - certainly the Valid via London tickets are valid on the Gatwick Express services now...And to show its not just one journey i did this way, went down to Brighton on May the 23rd for the Brighton Festival to see several of the art instilations there, and again i brought a Basingstoke to Brighton via London ticket, no probs on the Gatwick express to Gatwick airport...

I love the 442s some of the best EMUs!!! Shame about the current livery they in!

Shame about there interior aswell, TBH, i think theyve literally ripped the sould out of the 442's, by removing the buffet/snug area and First Class compartments and the seats theyve installed in them are just horrible!

Sorry but whilst its nice to see the 442's back in traffic, i dont like the fact Southern have pretty much turned them into Glorifeid Commuter Trains whereas they should have been on the Brighton Fasts from the start with Buffet Car and snug! = not impressed at all...

As for the livery...well southern certainly have gone for the money saving option there, look closesly and youll see its quite a has up of Gat Ex & SWT livery... Even the unit i had to brighton has interior and exterior vynls peeling off...certainly the ex SWT interior vynls were 'self peeling' despite the unit being a refurb one!

 

[thefab444]

You can do Victoria - Brighton on the extended Gatwick Expresses on a normal ticket, but you can't do Victoria - Gatwick Airport on Gatwick Express with a normal ticket.

 

[Evvy73]

The 18:22 London Bridge to Eastbourne service is made of 442's. It calls at East Croydon, Three Bridges, Haywards Heath and Wivelsfield on the Brighton main line and can be used on a 'normal' ticket.
There is usually an announcement along the lines of "This Southern Service is formed of stock on loan from Gatwick Express" to try and avoid confusion to passengers.

There is also plenty of room - I often catch the train home from work and it is not uncommon to have no-one sit beside you for the entire journey.

To be honest I have yet to see any of the Gatwick Express Brighton - Victoria services busy, compared to other Southern/FCC Services in the rush hours. I have only used it once in the morning peak and again I had no-one sit beside all the way from Wivelsfield to Victoria, so which ever service you catch you shouldn't have any trouble getting a seat.

 

[fgwrich]

You can do Victoria - Brighton on the extended Gatwick Expresses on a normal ticket, but you can't do Victoria - Gatwick Airport on Gatwick Express with a normal ticket.

Oh ok....Ive done it on a satuday in may on my way to Brighton then changed at gatwick and was fine all the way...hmmmmm thanks for letting me know - though at Victoria i was told it was fine with my Bas-Brighton via London ticket on the Gat Ex to Gatwick...

Confusing or what...

The 18:22 London Bridge to Eastbourne service is made of 442's. It calls at East Croydon, Three Bridges, Haywards Heath and Wivelsfield on the Brighton main line and can be used on a 'normal' ticket.
There is usually an announcement along the lines of "This Southern Service is formed of stock on loan from Gatwick Express" to try and avoid confusion to passengers.

There is also plenty of room - I often catch the train home from work and it is not uncommon to have no-one sit beside you for the entire journey.

To be honest I have yet to see any of the Gatwick Express Brighton - Victoria services busy, compared to other Southern/FCC Services in the rush hours. I have only used it once in the morning peak and again I had no-one sit beside all the way from Wivelsfield to Victoria, so which ever service you catch you shouldn't have any trouble getting a seat.

Same here - the 442's i had were only half full in the rear 5 coaches and barley anyone in the front 5...Ironicly more people actually joined the train at Haywards Heath than got off! I still think though the 442's are a good train just run in the wrong hands...

 

[Fincra5]

They wouldn;t be in the wrong hands if southern used them for brighton Express services instead of gatwick express.

Using 442s to replace 460s is stupid. 460s have a huge baggage area at one end of the train and they were designed for airport use.

 

[MCR247]

And 460s have wider doors

 

[fgwrich]

They wouldn;t be in the wrong hands if southern used them for brighton Express services instead of gatwick express.

Using 442s to replace 460s is stupid. 460s have a huge baggage area at one end of the train and they were designed for airport use.

Which is what they should have been used for in the first place...ive been on a Gat Ex 442 and internally i think there nasty...ive also been on a Brighton Fast tis summer, Wedged 377's are not my idea of fun...If Southern had brains, they should and would have refurbd the 442's with a low densitiy more express layout as was the SWT' interior, and refurb a batch of Electrostars or buy a new batch spefically for the Gat Ex...

Thus the 442's would work the Brighton fast's with Buffet & Snug, providing better passenger comfots than the present electrostars with 3x2 outer suburban seating - seating which i even find Brighton Beach more comfortable than the Southern Moquette & Gat Ex 442's new seats...

Still, becasue Southern didnt and hasnt done that yet, i still think there in the wrong hands...

But i certainly agree with you on Southerns Stupid idea to replace the 460's with 442's...Tbh, i think Southern is another TOC where Go Via /Go Ahead seems to be losing the plot...other being London Midland

Afterall, you wouldnt take a HST and put it on peak hour only services to Heathrow Airport would you ?

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

Afterall, you wouldnt take a HST and put it on peak hour only services to Heathrow Airport would you ?

How do you know there's not going to be a few commuters from New York/Boston...

The 442's, personally I think are outrageous. The interiors are disgusting compared to the old ones.

 

[thefab444]

I don't care about the 460 / 442 thing, but I am stunned by this plan to replace 377/3s with bloody 313s!

 

[SWT Driver]

Got the yobbo's on the Beirut line to thank for that, the 313's are perfect for the Coastway line.

I should know I used to drive it!

 

[Fincra5]

i agree with SWT Driver. the 313s are perfect for the short hops anlong the CoastwayLine. Brighton-Seaford and Brighton-WestWorthing are relitively short distance routes, perfect for a class 313. Although they are 30ish years old they still run well and once refurbished i suspect they will look like new. It will also bring another variation of stock to the south coast. Brings back my times of living in london as a kid, getting a 313 to london euston from Bushey

 

[Class 33]

Hey less of the "bloody 313's"! As others have said, they'll be allright for the Coastway line services. I like them better than the 377's myself. Older and LOUDER! Carriage windows that can be opened! And without those annoying pre-recorded onboard audio annoucements(What I hate about modern trains). It will be interesting for these services to be replaced with much older trains.

 

[class377man]

And without those annoying pre-recorded onboard audio annoucements(What I hate about modern trains).

They haven't been refurbished yet...

Presumably the 313s wll be on Hove-Brighton shuttles as well? I've always thought that was a waste of a 377, even a 3 car one.

 

[SWT Driver]

Hove-Brighton shuttles are only there to get the stock out of the way & to make sure the units are in the correct sequence for maintenance purposes, nothing more.

TBH, it amazes me why the locals wait for one, when they could quite easily use "Shanks' Pony Express" and be there quicker.

 

[class377man]

I thought they were there to connect the Littlehampton-London Victoria train to Brighton?

I can't imagine many locals use it at all incidentally, the local bus service goes from Hove into Brighton city centre (rather than the station), notwithstanding the fact it is easily walkable as you say.

 

[Fincra5]

Hey less of the "bloody 313's"! As others have said, they'll be allright for the Coastway line services. I like them better than the 377's myself. Older and LOUDER! Carriage windows that can be opened! And without those annoying pre-recorded onboard audio annoucements(What I hate about modern trains). It will be interesting for these services to be replaced with much older trains.

I refirbished ones most likely will have pre-recoreded audio. Just like the 455s.

 

[thelem]

I can't imagine many locals use it at all incidentally, the local bus service goes from Hove into Brighton city centre (rather than the station), notwithstanding the fact it is easily walkable as you say.

I find them very useful either when my BML train is cancelled (I can change at Hove and only arrive at work a few minutes late) or when travelling along coastway west (I live near Brighton station, and train times are more reliable than bus times).

I'm not sure what the primary purpose of them is, but they are certainly timed to connect with the littlehamption trains (Brighton -> Hove a few minutes before littlehampton train arrives, then returns a couple of minutes after littlehampton train has left).

 

[class377man]

I find them very useful either when my BML train is cancelled (I can change at Hove and only arrive at work a few minutes late) or when travelling along coastway west (I live near Brighton station, and train times are more reliable than bus times).

I should have phrased what I wrote better, I meant that very few people who live in Hove or Brighton will get the train for just travelling between the two, however they will use it to connect to trains along the West Coastway and up the BML, as Southern intend them to.

 

[43021HST]

Just a quick question on the 442s, does anyone know what diagrams they work please?

I've tried Google and I know they get used on some Gatwick Express services but do they run any other services?

Any help would be appreciated,

442 one of the most handsome EMUs built

 

[Juniper Driver]

Shame they couldn't re-design the brake pipe covers at the front instead of just taking them off.

Yes I know why they took them off.

 

[MCR247]

Sorry if its obvious, but why?

 

[fgwrich]

well quite a few of them fell off from what i know, used to see plenty of SWT 442's with there covers falling off - mostly holding on on hinge...

rich