British Rail Class 456
| British Rail Class 456 | |
|---|---|
South West Trains Class 456 approaching Guildford | |
Interior of a South West Trains Class 456 after refurbishment | |
| In service | September 1991 – 17 January 2022 |
| Manufacturer | British Rail Engineering Limited |
| Built at | York Carriage Works, York |
| Family name | BR Second Generation (Mark 3) |
| Constructed | 1990–1991 |
| Refurbished |
|
| Scrapped | 2022 |
| Number built | 24 |
| Number scrapped | 24 |
| Successor | Class 377 (Southern) |
| Formation |
|
| Fleet numbers | 456001–456024 |
| Capacity | 152 seats |
| Owners | Porterbrook |
| Operators | |
| Depots | |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel |
| Car length | 19.95 m (65 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 2.82 m (9 ft 3 in) |
| Height | 3.78 m (12 ft 5 in) |
| Doors |
|
| Wheelbase |
|
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Weight |
|
| Power output | 500 hp (373 kW) |
| Electric system(s) | 750 V DC third rail |
| Current collector(s) | Contact shoe |
| Minimum turning radius | 71 m (232 ft 11 in) |
| Braking system(s) | Air (Westcode) |
| Safety system(s) | |
| Coupling system | Tightlock |
| Multiple working | Within class, and with Class 455 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 456 was an electric multiple unit passenger train introduced by Network SouthEast on inner-suburban services in South London to replace the elderly Class 416 2EPB units. Twenty-four two-car units were built by British Rail Engineering Limited's York Carriage Works in 1990 and 1991.
Following the privatisation of British Rail, the fleet was sold to Porterbrook and operated by Southern up until late 2013, when they were transferred to South West Trains and heavily refurbished. Routes that were operated by Class 456 units will be operated by new Class 701 Bombardier Aventra units in the future.