Island Line (Brand) - Island Line Rolling Stock - B

Island Line (Brand) - B

Island Line Rolling Stock

Standard National Rail vehicle types cannot be used by Island Line Trains, due to the low ceiling within Ryde Tunnel, where the track-bed needed to be raised following flooding. Instead, services are operated using Class 484 units, which are refurbished ex-London Underground tube trains originally built in 1978.

These recently replaced the older Class 483 which in turn had replaced the Class 485 units, which dated from 1923 and were introduced to the island in 1967 when the line was electrified. The Class 483 trains entered service on the island in 1989, originally painted in the standard Network SouthEast livery, and were replaced by the Class 484 trains in regular passenger service during 2021.

South West Trains bought the stock outright from the leasing company HSBC Rail in March 2007 for the nominal sum of £1. The purchase meant that the leasing costs, which were reimbursed by the government, were eliminated, thereby lowering the line's tax burden.

The rolling stock operate in the former London Regional Transport livery, which the units would have had when operating on the London Underground. Two units first received this livery in 2000, when the rest were painted in a blue livery with pictures of dinosaurs aiming to entice tourists in the summer months when passenger numbers are high.

A modern change is that there are yellow warning panels on the front ends of the units, required for the safety of track workers and a change compared with the original red. The livery was introduced as part of a refurbishment completed between 2007 and 2008, which also included work at all stations.

Rolling stock also received the same seat moquette that the London Underground A60 and A62 Stock received during their refurbishment between 1993 and 1998, and interior route maps in green. Stations also received new tarmac platforms, green and cream painted seating, new waiting shelters and 'heritage' style station name boards.

In September 2019, South Western Railway announced the Class 483s would be replaced by five two-car Class 484s in 2020. The first Class 484 unit, 484001, arrived on the Isle of Wight on 19 November 2020. The final unit, 484005, was delivered on 16 February 2022 and was moved to Ryde Traincare Depot on 29 February of the same year.

Island Line Current Fleet

Class 484 Electric multiple unit

Island Line

Entered service on 1 November 2021

1978–1981 (as D78 stock)

2019–2020 (rebuilt)

Island Line Past Fleet

Classes 485 and 486

1966–1992

Class 483

1989–2021

Island Line Route

The Island Line Railway has Eight Stations:

Ryde Pier Head

Ryde Esplanade

Ryde St John's Road

Smallbrook Junction

Brading

Sandown

Lake

Shanklin

Island Line (Brand) Overview

Island Line Franchise(s): Island Line

13 October 1996 – 3 February 2007

Part of South Western franchise

4 February 2007 – present

Island Line Main Area(s): Isle of Wight

Island Line Fleet Size: 5

Island Line Stations Called at: 8

Island Line Parent Company: South Western Railway

Island Line Reporting Mark: IL

Island Line, Isle of Wight Legend Map

mi-ch

ferries to Portsmouth

0-0 Ryde Pier Head

Ryde Pier

0-32 Ryde Esplanade

Hovercraft to Southsea

tunnel under Ryde 396 yd 362 m

B3330 St John's Road

1-19 Ryde St John's Road

Ryde depot

2-17 Smallbrook Junction

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

to Havenstreet & Wootton

A3055

to Bembridge

4-55 Brading

Sandown Road

A3055

to Newport and Cowes

Sandown sidings

6-42 Sandown

A3055

7-24 Lake

A3055

8-29 Shanklin

closed 1966

Wroxall

tunnel under

St Boniface Down

Ventnor

Rail Holidays
Rail Vacations

Luxury Trains
Luxury Tours

International Trains
International Tours