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:
UnitsBuiltIntended Use
2601–26771938London Victoria to Maidstone and Gillingham
2677–26921939London Waterloo to Aldershot and Reading
2693–26991948Post-World War II additional units
27001955Accident 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
2601–264610719 to 1076412186 to 12231
2647–269910765 to 1081712801 to 12853
270012664 12855

2-PAN

In 1971 six units were converted for use conveying parcels and newspaper traffic. They were renumbered 061-066 and designated 2-PAN, reusing the PAN code originally allocated to 6-PAN stock. Their life was not extended by long; within two years all had been withdrawn.

Withdrawal

After withdrawal in 1971, various 2-HAL units in company with 2-BIL units were noted at Stratford in east London destined for scrapping by Kings of Norwich, or being hauled west for scrapping in the Newport area.