SWR Class 458 to be retained

[WarrenTManager]

how come?

The kinematic envelope of the 4 car has changed and there’s a clearance issue.

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What's happening with 458533? Has it finally finished with South Western Railway?

It’s stopped for an exam.

 

[43096]

The kinematic envelope of the 4 car has changed and there’s a clearance issue.

Has it changed from a 458/0?

 

[TrainLifeGB]

It’s stopped for an exam.

Ah. Is it known which 458/5 might be next to go Off-Lease?

 

[WarrenTManager]

Ah. Is it known which 458/5 might be next to go Off-Lease?

8529 only has a few miles left. It won’t be long. The other three have 100-200K left. A unit used to do about 2.5K a week, not sure these days.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Sep 2025 ==

Has it changed from a 458/0?

Yes. Gangway/coupler beam/leading bogies all heavier. Seat bases are metal now not plastic, which are heavier.

 

[TrainLifeGB]

8529 only has a few miles left. It won’t be long. The other three have 100-200K left. A unit used to do about 2.5K a week, not sure these days.

Yikes. This won't help capacity issues!
A shame their reign is almost over. I presume they'll be scrapped in due course. A fleet of 8 458/5s doesn't look great for any operator.

 

[Boalbads]

8529 only has a few miles left. It won’t be long. The other three have 100-200K left. A unit used to do about 2.5K a week, not sure these days.

What is going to happen once it's out of miles?
Will it be sent to scrap, be used for spares, etc, maybe it will go to Long Marston with some ex-460 sets?

 

[WarrenTManager]

What is going to happen once it's out of miles?
Will it be sent to scrap, be used for spares, etc, maybe it will go to Long Marston with some ex-460 sets?

It’ll be off lease, so I would expect Porterbrook to have it at Long Marston. What they do with it is up to their asset team.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Is there any reason they decided not to convert two of them? I would have thought having an extra spare pair would have justified the marginal cost.
I'm assuming, since the two not converted are not a random pair but the last two built, that its not because there was something wrong with them.

 

[TrainLifeGB]

Is there any reason they decided not to convert two of them? I would have thought having an extra spare pair would have justified the marginal cost.
I'm assuming, since the two not converted are not a random pair but the last two built, that its not because there was something wrong with them.

It's just what they calculated to be sufficient for their plans. Technically they only need 27 458/4s, but the 28th unit is a spare for emergencies i guess. Obviously now it doesn't seem like they'll get any more use once 701s take over fully.

 

[43102EMR]

Is there any reason they decided not to convert two of them? I would have thought having an extra spare pair would have justified the marginal cost.
I'm assuming, since the two not converted are not a random pair but the last two built, that its not because there was something wrong with them.

Probably just as well seeing as the future use of the 28 converted is still up in the air

 

[Big Jumby 74]

A unit used to do about 2.5K a week, not sure these days.

Mileage of course can be a very mixed bag, depending what the answer is required to be! Taking the 458/5 on introduction to service as 5 car sets, the main criteria being SX days, and at that time the minimum diagram mileage per SX day for two units (one pair) was 129 miles (each unit) per SX day, the maximum being 397 (per unit) miles for a-another pair each SX day.

Taken overall the operating traffic fleet (32 units) at that time ran a daily (SX) average of 309 miles per unit, but if that is calculated for maintenance purposes the entire fleet is taken in to account (so 36 units, as was), where upon the average miles (per unit, per SX day) worked out at 274 miles.

Add on the SO and SUN figures and the averages will be slightly different again of course.

Based on the SX alone mileages for 458/5 in 2016, the average SX (ie Monday through Friday) figure was approx 2163 miles per unit, per 5 x SX days, so your 2.5 figure, once SO and SUN are taken in to account sounds about right.

 

[Boalbads]

Makes me wonder how (in the thousands, not hundreds of thousands) 529 has left, would be interesting to go take some photos before it goes...

 

[LUYMun]

Probably just as well seeing as the future use of the 28 converted is still up in the air

The future use of the 28 converted units will be going up into the scrapyard in the air, so the two extra (let alone the ex 460 units) should get a head start.

 

[Boalbads]

The future use of the 28 converted units will be going up into the scrapyard in the air, so the two extra (let alone the ex 460 units) should get a head start.

There isn't expected date for the 458/4 scrap is there? It's just once the 455s are done and the 701s are fully introduced isn't it?

 

[bb21]

at least the up 2S leaves Weybridge at 1910 meaning it has a minimal wait time at Virginia water with the doors locked shut

They will not wait at Virginia Water. If on a working with booked dwell there, they will wait the dwell time out at Chertsey instead in order to allow it to run non-stop through Virginia Water.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Sep 2025 ==

8529 only has a few miles left. It won’t be long. The other three have 100-200K left. A unit used to do about 2.5K a week, not sure these days.

On the booked Sheepy pair I believe is around 380 a day SuX, variable SuO but unlikely to exceed that, so 2.5k is still about a week's worth.

 

[Goldfish62]

There isn't expected date for the 458/4 scrap is there? It's just once the 455s are done and the 701s are fully introduced isn't it?

On the private SWR Enthusiasts Facebook group it was claimed the other day that as soon as the 455s are all displaced the 458s will be next (rather than the 450s), so that's well before all the 701s are introduced.

 

[mansonlo49]

On the private SWR Enthusiasts Facebook group it was claimed the other day that as soon as the 455s are all displaced the 458s will be next (rather than the 450s), so that's well before all the 701s are introduced.

so this hints that the 458/4 be going in a short future?

 

[Goldfish62]

so this hints that the 458/4 be going in a short future?

Unless they move to the Portsmouth line of course...

 

[Carnforth_24]

Plenty of speculative wibble on here ...

 

[Goldfish62]

Plenty of speculative wibble on here ...

Which bits in particular?

 

[GEC465]

On the private SWR Enthusiasts Facebook group it was claimed the other day that as soon as the 455s are all displaced the 458s will be next (rather than the 450s), so that's well before all the 701s are introduced.

I would take that with a pinch of salt since said group said there is a rumor that 701/5s were going....

 

[mansonlo49]

I would take that with a pinch of salt since said group said there is a rumor that 701/5s were going....

Where’s the group people saying the 701/5 going

 

[Goldfish62]

I would take that with a pinch of salt since said group said there is a rumor that 701/5s were going....

Unlike that rumour this claim does make sense. Which would you displace first on suburban routes? Units with a suburban interior configuration (450s) or those with a mainline interior configuration (458s)?

 

[DelW]

Unlike that rumour this claim does make sense. Which would you displace first on suburban routes? Units with a suburban interior configuration (450s) or those with a mainline interior configuration (458s)?

But despite the 450s being a suburban layout, they're not well suited to metro routes with close spaced stations. There's not much standing space, the aisles are narrow, and the doors are soooo slow ...

 

[Boalbads]

Anyone know whats up with 458418? Did some looking through my photos and noticed its the only 458/4 I haven't seen, and that it hasn't been out too recently...

 

[Siemens Staines]

Anyone know whats up with 458418? Did some looking through my photos and noticed its the only 458/4 I haven't seen, and that it hasn't been out too recently...

The last day I have 458418 as being in passenger service was 11.06.25. It was reported by @NSEWonderer in #4,236 of this thread, as due to an axle issue. Like some others of this fleet, they seem to have a period of several months out of use. 458401 was in that camp earlier this year, and may be again as it is very nearly a month since it was last in use on 11.08.25

 

[Boalbads]

The last day I have 458418 as being in passenger service was 11.06.25. It was reported by @NSEWonderer in #4,236 of this thread, as due to an axle issue. Like some others of this fleet, they seem to have a period of several months out of use. 458401 was in that camp earlier this year, and may be again as it is very nearly a month since it was last in use on 11.08.25

makes sense, thanks.

 

[NSEWonderer]

The last day I have 458418 as being in passenger service was 11.06.25. It was reported by @NSEWonderer in #4,236 of this thread, as due to an axle issue. Like some others of this fleet, they seem to have a period of several months out of use. 458401 was in that camp earlier this year, and may be again as it is very nearly a month since it was last in use on 11.08.25

Yep 458401 is currently in the doghouse as its had parts and pieces nicked to service other units. 458418 is also in the same Kennel as its also had parts taken to service other units.

 

[Goldfish62]

458413 and 458414 disgraced themselves by failing at Clapham Junction on 2C37 (1320 to Reading) this afternoon. They're still sat there nearly three hours later blocking Platform 5.

 

[Boalbads]

458413 and 458414 disgraced themselves by failing at Clapham Junction on 2C37 (1320 to Reading) this afternoon. They're still sat there nearly three hours later blocking Platform 5.

Managed to record leaving a bit ago, I believe they are implementing a 20mph esr after there was some damage to the track