At the end of 1992 to mark the service's detachment from the Intercity sector to become a shadow franchise there was a further change of livery. The broad red/white stripe replaced by a broad white stripe. This contained a thinner (than the previous red stripe) burgundy line towards its lower edge with there being a thin white line below the burgundy. From this time the GLVs carried "Baggage Car" lettering to encourage their use for luggage by passengers. The cab fronts were given the Gatwick Express double pennant motif in light grey between the unit numbers on the end. For some reason "Private" was no longer applied to the driver's doors. The words "Senior Conductor" were applied to (what was) the guard's door in white on the beige area below the stripes where it could scarcely be seen.

Then from early 1994 in the run up to privatisation the beige and white/burgundy striped lower body sides were replaced by pearl white with a narrow burgundy stripe, pearl white also replacing the beige above the dark grey window band. In more recent times the double pennants motif was dropped from the cab front.

Operationally airline baggage checked in at Victoria Station airline check-in desks is carried in airline containers within the GLV and is transferred to the airport's terminals upon arrival. Movement of these containers outside of the GLV can be very low tech - they are trundled across a barrow crossing (across the up platform loop track) at Gatwick Airport by hand!

Most GLVs have been withdrawn and stored though until the new class 460 units have proved to be as reliable as their specification a small number have been retained by Gatwick Express for use in reserve trains. Further use of the this Gatwick Express stock is underway but nothing firm has yet been announced about recycling of the GLVs.

For an overview of the Gatwick Express Service 1984-2000 follow this Gatwick Express link.

photograph by John Lewis

photograph by John Lewis

photograph by John Lewis

photograph by John Lewis