Southeastern to finally receive more trains – 17 in total
Here’s a bit of good news after a difficult few years for commuters as Southeastern will finally be receiving some additional trains.
The extra carriages will come from Thameslink as they are displaced by new trains arriving there. The incoming trains are around 10 years old – and will go on lines into Kent such as Maidstone and Ashford.
It frees up Networker trains to bolster suburban services to Dartford, Gillingham, Hayes and the like. The 25 year-old Networkers are looking pretty tired these days though.
Around three trains will be moving over in coming days. More will follow in coming months. In total 17 trains of four carriages will move. That’s 68 carriages in total.
Ignoring some of their limitations, i.e. Selective Door Opening ( SDO) giving the Networkers a deep clean and a complete refurb of their interiors they would be too bad.
The class 365s on the Great Northern lines are essentially the same trains and with that kind of refurb would be a great improvement to what is currently running.
Networkers have not had a major refurb since they were brought into service in the 90’s.
I don’t mind if they’re a bit tired. Any additional trains are GOOD NEWS.
The Networker train I was on at Woolwich seemed to have been refurbished. It had a different toilet, seating and special access doors for wheelchairs.
Hi Murky,
This article in the Railway Gazette today mentions the following
‘As part of the Department for Transport‘s Access for All programme, Network Rail is about to submit planning applications for the installation of lifts and other accessibility improvements costing a total of £30m at Bexley, Canterbury East, Carshalton, Coulsdon South, Crawley, Plumstead, Selhurst and Shortlands stations.’
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/uk-railway-news-round-up-29.html
Do you know any more about it
Heathrow Express who have got the Class 387/1 Electrostar units could of inherited the Class 379 from Greater Anglia and Great Western Railway to retain the 45 Class 387/1 and Great Northern to keep the 29 Class 387/1 and the 6 Class 387/3.