Class 455 at Redhill.

[swt class 450]

Does anyone know why there is always a class 455 unit parked up in Platform 4 at Redhill. I see it almost every evening sitting there (if you go through at around 00:00 you will definitely see it). Does this work to and from Redhill as a passenger service? Or is this just kept here as a spare unit?

 

[Class455]

Does anyone know why there is always a class 455 unit parked up in Platform 4 at Redhill. I see it almost every evening sitting there (if you go through at around 00:00 you will definitely see it). Does this work to and from Redhill as a passenger service? Or is this just kept here as a spare unit?

I believe it comes ECS from Caterham, and they get stabled there overnight.

 

[tsr]

On weekdays, this unit then usually works the next day's 2P09 0530 Redhill - London Victoria, which has the distinction of the only train scheduled to be a 455 from Redhill, as well as the only train from Redhill which calls at all stations from Coulsdon South to Victoria.

Unfortunately (especially as it is fairly well used, even from Redhill), this service has been cancelled quite a few times lately. When it doesn't run, the stock is often left in situ until the next morning. The unit is generally cleaned overnight and other than that, it always seems quite happy sitting there, if a little chilly on a cold morning!

Because it starts at Redhill and berths there, it is especially useful if the very early morning services via Redhill from further down the BML are disrupted in any way, because it is not usually affected. This may change, as follows...

Soon the Post Office Dock at Redhill (not really Platform 4) will be completely signed out of use, so the unit will originate from Three Bridges, where it will berth overnight instead, and will start from Redhill after travelling ECS. At the moment the Dock is only really capable of being used by 4 coach 455s, as it's no longer cleared for 377s and the conductor rail can't accommodate longer trains, so it only has "niche" uses (quite literally really, if you think about it!)... this does add extra vulnerability to an extra morning service from Redhill, though, as it means it could be affected by any problems between Three Bridges and Redhill.

 

[swt class 450]

Many thanks for the info. So as the platform doesnt have a number when its used for the 05:30 Redhill to London Victoria 06:20 service what do the departure screens and automated announcements at Redhill show? Do they show Platform 4 or is the platform number just left blank?

I presume that this service has a Guard between Redhill and Purley (or do they stay on all the way to London Victoria)?

Also what is the reason for taking this platform out of use? It does indeed seem like a really useful platform (especially if there is the usual service disruptions or engineering works). When it runs to and from Three Bridges instead is there any chance that they will eventually start to put it in passenger service from Three Bridges?

 

[tsr]

It shunts out from the Dock to Platform 3 as an ECS movement, and enters service from there.

There hasn't been a conductor on this service for a long time, if ever. It's one of the services which was DOO long before the massive expansion in recent months.

No idea if that train will ever run in passenger service from Three Bridges. At the moment I have heard no suggestions of it.

As for using that platform, it's not long enough to accommodate a lot of the trains heading down from London, and as I say, it's not cleared for 377s, which means that there could only ever be very occasional use anyway. In addition, there is only a GPL starter signal, which means the signalling may not be permitted for use with trains in passenger service anyway.