British Rail Class 421

British Rail Class 421 (4CIG)
Class 421/7 No. 1498 at North Weald in 2012
The interior of Standard Class aboard a Class 421
In service1964 - 2005 (Mainline services)
- 2010 (Lymington branch)
ManufacturerHolgate Road carriage works
Number built166 (138 class 421 (4 CIG) and 28 class 422 (4 BIG) Units)
FormationDriving trailer + Motor coach + Trailer/Buffet + Driving trailer
Operators
Specifications
Train length265 feet 8+12 inches (80.988 m)
Width9 feet 3 inches (2.82 m)
Height12 ft 9+14 in (3.893 m)
Maximum speed90 mph (145 km/h)
Weight150 long tons (152 t; 168 short tons)
Traction motorsFour
Power output4 x 250 hp (190 kW)
total 1,000 hp (750 kW)
Electric system(s)750 V DC third rail
Current collector(s)Contact shoe
Coupling systemDrop-head buckeye[1]
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
The interior of a First Class compartment aboard a Class 421
Class 421/5, no. 1313, at London Waterloo on 19 July 2003. This is one of 22 "Greyhound" units that were operated by South West Trains.

The British Rail Class 421 (4CIG) electric multiple units were built at BR's Holgate Road carriage works between 1964 and 1972. Units were built in two batches, and were initially introduced on services on the Brighton Main Line. Later units were introduced on services to Portsmouth. These units replaced older Southern Railway-designed units, such as the 5Bel "Brighton Belle" units, and 4Cor units. The fleet's lifespan was 46 years.

  1. ^ System Data for Mechanical and Electrical Coupling of Rail Vehicles in support of GM/RT2190 (PDF). London: Rail Safety and Standards Board. 22 June 2011. p. 4. SD001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2022.