Operations
The first Class 444 units entered service with SWT in early 2004. As part of the launch, unit no. 444018 was named "The Fab 444" at a ceremony at London Waterloo.
The units were introduced on services from London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour via the Portsmouth Direct Line. They were also used on some services on the South Western Main Line to Southampton Central, Bournemouth and Weymouth. This allowed the withdrawal of the final 4Cep units by mid-2004, and inroads were made to the 4Bep, 4Cig and 4Vep fleets.
It was originally hoped that the final slam-door trains would be withdrawn by the end of 2004. In the event, some were allowed to remain operational until May 2005 as the last replacement Desiros came into service. Initially, the Class 444s were used mainly on Portsmouth direct services, allowing the Wessex Electric units to be used on the Weymouth line. The Class 444 units were also used regularly on Sunday-only Bournemouth stopping services, Waterloo to Southampton services and the Brockenhurst to Wareham shuttle service. Previous power limitations meant that the trains were not permitted to run west of Poole; these restrictions have since been lifted.
During 2007, the Class 444 units replaced the Wessex Electrics (Class 442) on the Weymouth line. Some Class 442 workings were taken over by Class 444s as early as November 2006; the final Class 442 was withdrawn in February 2007. Class 444s transferred to the Weymouth line were replaced on Portsmouth services by Class 450 Desiros which became available after the reintroduction of the Class 458 units on the Waterloo to Reading line. The decision to transfer many 444s units to the Weymouth line was not popular. Portsmouth line passengers protested over the use of class 450s on some services, while there were complaints that the 444s were inferior to the units they replaced on the Weymouth line.
Class 444s are currently used on the following services:
- Waterloo to Alton (peak services)
- Waterloo to Basingstoke (peak services)
- Waterloo to Poole (shared with Class 450)
- Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour via Guildford (shared with Class 450)
- Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour via Basingstoke and Fareham (shared with Class 450)
- Waterloo to Weymouth via Winchester and Southampton Central
In June 2007 it was reported in the Ipswich Evening Star that Network Rail's Greater Anglia area Rail Utilisation Strategy was suggesting the possibility of introducing a train based on the class 444 on the London - Ipswich - Norwich line.
Read more about this topic: British Rail Class 444
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