South Western Main Line: Rolling Stock

(asked on 25th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who is liable for the financial costs of the withdrawal from service of South Western Railway's Class 442 Wessex Electric units.


Answered by
Chris Heaton-Harris Portrait
Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This question was answered on 2nd June 2021

The impact of Covid-19 on passenger numbers travelling on South Western Railway services has been significant, and is not expected to return to previous levels when restrictions are lifted for some time. The Class 442 fleet is no longer needed to deliver SWR’s planned timetable.

SWR has decided to withdraw the fleet with immediate effect and cease the programme of modifications that were underway to avoid incurring further costs to the taxpayer to reintroduce and operate these trains. The aborted cost of the 442 project is £32m and the withdrawal of the fleet is expected to save circa £8m per year.

The Class 442s would have been withdrawn in August 2024 in any event as the trains are not compliant with requirements for Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM). This decision brings this forward and removes a fleet that is not fully accessible from the Rail Network sooner than originally planned.

Under the current Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement, revenue and cost risk are borne by the DfT.

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