British Rail Class 930 facts for kids

Class 930, unit 930004 at London Victoria station in 2003. It was painted in Railtrack's blue and lime green colours. This train was once a passenger unit before being changed to help with railway maintenance.

The British Rail Class 930 was a special group of trains used by British Rail. These trains were not for passengers. Instead, they were old electric or diesel trains that had been changed to do important jobs for the railway.

What Was the British Rail Class 930?

The Class 930 trains were originally passenger trains from the Southern Region of British Rail. They were given new numbers in the 930 series when they were converted. This meant they were now "departmental units."

Special Jobs for Special Trains

These special trains were used for railway maintenance. Their main jobs included:

• De-icing: Clearing ice from the electric rails, especially in winter. This helped other trains run smoothly.
• Sandite: Spreading a special mix of sand and glue onto the tracks. This improved grip for trains, especially when leaves made the rails slippery.

Over time, other types of converted trains also joined the Class 930 series. They all helped keep the railway safe and working well.

The Story of Unit 930004

One example of a Class 930 train was unit number 930004.

• It started its life as a passenger train called a "4Sub" unit.
• In 1979, it was changed into a sandite and de-icing train.
• You can see it in the picture, painted in the blue and lime green colours of Railtrack.
• This unit was taken out of service in mid-2004.
• After that, it was taken apart and recycled.

These hardworking trains played a big part in keeping the railway running, even though they didn't carry passengers.