British Rail Class 402
The Southern Railway gave the designation 2-HAL to the electric multiple units built during the late 1930s to work long-distance semi-fast services on the newly electrified lines from London Victoria to Maidstone and Gillingham. This type of unit survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated TOPS Class 402.
Construction
A development of the earlier 2-BIL units, the 2-HAL units were so-called because only one car in each unit had a lavatory. They were built in three batches:Units | Built | Intended Use |
2601–2677 | 1938 | London Victoria to Maidstone and Gillingham |
2677–2692 | 1939 | London Waterloo to Aldershot and Reading |
2693–2699 | 1948 | Post-World War II additional units |
2700 | 1955 | Accident replacement unit |
The handful of post-war units were of completely different appearance, of all-steel construction, and looked very like the standard 4-SUB units being built at the same time, with flat ends, whereas the main 2-HAL units had the domed end appearance of the first 10 prototype "Queen Mary" 4-SUB units.
In the early 1960s the Eastern Division was fully changed over to EP-braked electric stock, and the 2-HAL units operating from Victoria to Maidstone/Gillingham etc. were removed to the Central and Western Divisions, being replaced by the large new build of 2-HAP units. The units then remained in service on these divisions until replaced at the end of their life by new 4-VEP units.
Formations
The original formations of these units are set out in the table below:Unit Numbers | ||
2601–2646 | 10719 to 10764 | 12186 to 12231 |
2647–2699 | 10765 to 10817 | 12801 to 12853 |
2700 | 12664 | 12855 |