Alstom Coradia Juniper
| Industry | Railway rolling stock manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Birmingham , United Kingdom |
| Products | Electric multiple unit trains (Coradia Juniper series) |
The Alstom Coradia Juniper series represents a collection of electric multiple unit trains manufactured by Alstom Transport Birmingham for operation on the British railway system. Sharing a connection with the Coradia 1000 diesel multiple units, the Juniper range comprises two principal variants currently utilized by several TOCs, amounting to a total of 76 trainsets (36 Class 458 units and 40 Class 334 units). Notably, all Class 460 sets have been transformed into Class 458/5 units for service with South Western Railway.
Class 334
The Class 334 EMU is deployed by ScotRail on suburban lines in the vicinity of Glasgow, mainly operating routes from Edinburgh Waverley through Airdrie and Bathgate on the North Clyde Line, alongside select services on the Argyle Line. These 40 three-car trains (numbered 001–040) receive power from overhead electrification and were delivered beginning in 1999. Despite initial technical setbacks delaying their introduction, they entered operational service in 2001. Additionally, two extra units were supplied as compensation for early reliability problems.
Class 458
The Class 458 Juniper (5JUP) fleet is run by South Western Railway on routes extending from London Waterloo to Reading, Weybridge, Windsor & Eton Riverside, as well as on circular suburban services via Richmond and Hounslow. These thirty four-car sets, powered by third-rail electrification, were constructed between 1998 and 2004. Initial operational difficulties included roof leaks and electronic malfunctions, which led to their storage between 2004 and late 2005 and their temporary replacement by Class 450 trains. Although briefly leased to Gatwick Express, they never entered service there.
In a major refurbishment project starting in 2013, South West Trains together with Porterbrook combined and rebuilt the Class 458 and Class 460 fleets into a refreshed group of thirty-six five-car trains, designated Class 458/5. This involved integrating original Class 458/0 vehicles with former Class 460 carriages and assembling six new five-car sets exclusively from ex-Class 460 stock. The upgrade included redesigned driving cabs, gangways between cars, and modernized passenger interiors, alongside a livery update aligning with the Class 450 appearance. The conversion was completed by 2016, yielding units numbered from 458501 to 458536. Variations in window styling and pantograph recesses identify the former Class 460 conversions (units 458531–458536), which influence future modifications related to overhead line equipment.
Currently, all these units operate under South Western Railway branding. Plans to replace them with new Class 701 trains scheduled between 2019 and 2020 were cancelled in March 2021; instead, SWR opted to maintain the existing Class 458 fleet while returning their Class 442 vehicles to lessors, viewing the former as suitable replacements.
Class 460
The Class 460 Juniper EMUs (8GAT) were produced between 2000 and 2001 specifically for the dedicated Gatwick Express service running to London Victoria. Powered via third-rail electrification, this fleet consisted of eight eight-car sets (numbered 460001–008), each comprising a combination of driving motor luggage vans, first-class or composite trailers, and standard second-class coaches.
Following their withdrawal from Gatwick Express operations in September 2012, these Class 460 units were integrated with the Class 458 fleet to form thirty-six five-car trains aimed at increasing capacity across the South West Trains network. The initial converted trains were delivered in October 2013 and commenced passenger service by March of the following year.