Construction
The 2-BIL units (2-car Bi-Lavatory stock) were so-called because each set had two lavatories, one in each car. They were built in four batches, each for service on newly-electrified lines:
| Units | Built | Intended Use |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–2010 | 1935 | London to Eastbourne |
| 2011–2048 | 1936 | London Waterloo to Alton and Portsmouth slow services |
| 2049–2116 | 1937 | Portsmouth to Bognor Regis |
| 2117–2152 | 1938 | London Waterloo to Reading |
The different batches were broadly similar, though in the first one, the driving motor brake car had a smaller brake compartment and seven full compartments, rather than six-and-a-half in the later batches.
Several of the cars were destroyed in World War 2 at various points on the system. Some unit numbers were withdrawn while others received a single replacement car from the small batch of postwar all-steel 2-HAL units which were built as replacements.
Read more about this topic: British Rail Class 401
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