However, the under-floor equipment was thought to be a problem, as extensive adaptations would be needed to Ryde Works to allow fitters to access it.

It was also felt that the under-floor equipment would be vulnerable to salt water damage on Ryde Pier, especially in bad weather.

[6] The last batch of 1938 stock was withdrawn in London in 1985, except for five trains required on the Northern line between 1986 and May 1988 due to increasing passenger numbers.

In 1987, Network SouthEast (NSE) managers realised that the existing 1923-built Class 485 trains on the Isle of Wight would not be economically serviceable beyond around 1990 and thoughts turned to the future of the line.

While the project's feasibility study suggested that three-car units would be preferred, it was thought that the alterations required to Ryde depot would be both difficult and expensive.

The first unit was tested on the South West Main Line between Basingstoke and Eastleigh before travelling to Fratton ready for its transfer to the island.

"[17] In March 2007, South West Trains purchased the rolling stock outright from the leasing company HSBC Rail for £1.

[21] This reduction in service was by mid-September expected to last for approximately one month, until 14 October,[22] but the company warned that the trains' age and increasing difficulty of getting spare parts meant it might take longer.

Normal service was not restored for approximately 5 weeks, but further fleet faults brought repeated disruption through much of November.

[24] The London Transport Traction Group was founded to facilitate the preservation of a Class 483 unit to run via an on-board power supply on the Epping Ongar Railway in Essex.

[31] On 29 July 2020, SWR, the owner and operator, announced that it was looking for new homes for the trains as soon as possible, to make room for the arrival of the first Class 484 units for testing later in the year.

SWR had already received enquiries from preservation groups, including the adjacent Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

Organisations expressing interest will need to demonstrate the capacity and financial security to remove and look after the train, as well as an appropriate long-term physical storage location.