#2581· London Underground 1938 Stock
British Rail Class 483
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Metro-Cammell· from 1938· class of British electric multiple unit
2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 483008 at Smallbrook Junction in 2020: Superalbs· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2. British Rail Class 483 - door open buttons: Superbfc· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The British Rail Class 483 electric multiple units were originally built as 1938 tube stock units for London Underground. They were extensively refurbished between 1989 and 1992 by Eastleigh Works, for use on services on the Isle of Wight's Island Line. This was despite having already been used for nearly 50 years on the London Underground network.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 88 years ago, in 1938.
- 500 kW is about 6 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 9 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 15.9 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 83 years (1938–2021).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1938
- in service from
- 1938
- retired
- 2021
- status
- retired
- number built
- —
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Metro-Cammell
- operators
- Island Line Trains
- top speed
- 72 km/h
- power
- 500 kW
- electric system
- 660 V DC 3rd rail
- formation
- 2 cars per trainset
- length
- 15.9 m
- weight
- 55 t
- capacity
- 84 passengers
- Dutch name
- London Underground 1938 Stock
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q3303620, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 483 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.