New name for former SWR Class 707s moving east
DMU
SHORTLY before the DfT announced the train operating company would transfer to Government ownership on October 17 (see Headline News, page 10), Southeastern introduced a new name for its Class 707 fleet, the first of which entered passenger service on September 27.
The 30 units, which are in the process of being transferred from South Western Railway and will be used on the Hayes, Sevenoaks and Dartford routes, have been branded as ‘City Beam’ trains, although it is unclear whether this branding will be continued once the Operator of Last Resort takes over services.
Arriving on Southeastern metals in the early hours on September 4, were Nos. 707011/12. Initially moving from Waterloo to Grove Park, they ran to Gillingham later that day to be prepared for use with their new train operating company. This pair were among the four sets which saw use on the first day of normal service operations (September 27), along with Nos. 707009/10.
Further arrivals later in the month (September 18) were Nos. 707025/26. This left (as of late September)
Nos. 707001/02/13-24/29/30 still to be transferred between the two operators. Of these, Nos. 707027/28 were due to move on October 2, with Nos. 707001/29 scheduled for transfer on October 16.
Despite having released 12 units as of late September, delays in the introduction of its ‘Arterio’ (Class
701) fleet means that South Western Railway still has 18 operating diagrams on weekdays for its Class 707s. With a further four sets due to be transferred in October, this means some services will be either short-formed or operate with alternative rolling stock.
■ The six-year-old Class 707 fleet, originally known as ‘Desiro City’ units, became surplus after First Group/MTR, which took over the South Western Railway franchise from Stagecoach in 2017, announced that it was to replace its entire suburban EMU fleet – including the ‘707s’, most of which had not even entered service – with new ‘Arterio’ Class 701 units ordered from Bombardier. The first ‘701s’ were due to enter service in 2019, but it is now looking likely that it will be 2022 before the first units are put into traffic.
CLASS 142 ‘PACER’
DISPOSAL of the former Northern Class 142 fleet was completed on September 16, when the last unit at Heaton, No. 142071, was dispatched by road to Sims Metals at Hull for scrap.
CLASS 153
RELEASED from Chrysalis Rail at Landore after completion of its ‘PRM lite’ upgrade, No. 153922 departed for Cardiff Canton on September 17.
It is the sixth example to be dealt with, the others being Nos. 153906/09/10/21/26, all of which are owned by Porterbrook. Present undergoing modifications in late September were Nos. 153913/35, with No. 153914 still to be dealt with. A further four sets, Transport for Wales owned (ex-Angel) Nos. 153918/ 68/72/82, also remain in service in unmodified form.
Northern has increased its number of Class 153 operating diagrams from three to five, with two sets now seeing use as part of ‘153+155’ combinations on the York-Hull-BridlingtonScarborough circuit. The operator has 10 sets on its books, which have a derogation to remain in traffic until the end of the year.
DMU CLASS 156 ‘SUPER SPRINTER’
PRESENT at Wolverton since May 12, No. 156902 has reverted to its original identity of 156402 following replacement of its Passenger Information System (PIS) during a C6 overhaul. It has received Northern livery, but with EMR branding, in anticipation of its forthcoming transfer.
Two other ‘156/9’ sets, Nos. 156909/17, have been stored at Barrow Hill since June, while No. 156918 is out of traffic at Derby
Etches Park.
CLASS 158
RUNNING from Heaton to Bristol Barton Hill on September 19 for modifications was No. 158859.
CLASS 170 ‘TURBOSTAR’
SEPTEMBER 12 saw No. 170510 head from Tyseley to Crewe for application of East Midlands Railway colours. Heading the opposite way later the same day, resplendent in EMR livery following attention by Arriva Traincare, was
No. 170507. The latter set has returned to traffic with West Midlands Railway, and will transfer to EMR in due course.
Another unit released from Crewe during the month was ScotRail’s
No. 170450, which returned north on September 17 after refurbishment. Heading the opposite direction three days later was No. 170433.
During September, a regular EMR ‘Turbostar’ working to Norwich began operating, with one set forming the 1L08 11.40 Nottingham-Norwich and 1R78 14.57 return.
CLASS 175 ‘CORADIA’
UNDERGOING refurbishment at Alstom’s Widnes site during September was No. 175106, the unit having replaced No. 175107 which departed on August 27.
CLASS 196 ‘CIVITY’
SPACE constraints at Tyseley have resulted in several of West Midlands Railway’s Class 196 units being sent to Bletchley for storage. The first to move were Nos. 196006/007/011 on the 5Q81 11.06 Tyseley-Bletchley on September 1, with Nos. 196010/104 following five days later.
Arriving at Tyseley for testing/ commissioning on August 31 was
No. 196012, which was moved from Telford Railfreight Terminal by No. 37800.
CLASS 319
SEPTEMBER 1 saw No. 319373 undertake a return test run from Crewe to Nuneaton and back with
No. 768001 (ex-319010), the first time the two variations of units rebuilt for ROG’s ‘Orion’ logistics operation have worked in multiple. Subsequently, the non-passenger ‘319’ was taken to Willesden PRDC (Princess Royal Distribution Centre) by No. 37884 on September 13.
CLASS 320
EMERGING from Brodie Engineering on September 20, No. 320317 was collected by No. 57312, which formed the 5Q06 11.03 08.32 KilmarnockYoker. The ‘57’ then took No. 320310 away to Brodie’s for attention.
CLASS 323
FOLLOWING the return of overhauled No. 323240 to Soho (Birmingham) by No. 57312 on September 1, the same loco took No. 323214 away to Wabtec, Doncaster on September 3. The latter set returned to the West Midlands on September 18, when No. 37884 formed the 5Q65 09.10 Wabtec DoncasterSoho.
CLASS 345 ‘AVENTRA’
LOCATED at Old Dalby since June
2020, No. 345001 departed for Old
Oak Common behind No, 37800 on September 11. Three days later, the set was noted on test runs from Old Oak Common to Reading and Paddington. The set is now formed with its own two additional cars (Nos. 340401 and 340601) rather than two from No. 345022.
Recently made up to nine cars from seven, Nos, 345005/008 returned to service on the Liverpool Street to Shenfield route during September.
CLASS 465 & 466 ‘NETWORKER’
RUNNING as the 5Q88 21.33 Wabtec Doncaster-Slade Green, No. 66703 took No. 465920 back to its home depot on August 28 following overhaul. Two days later, the same loco formed the 5Q89 04.15 Tonbridge Yard-Wabtec Doncaster with No. 465902 in tow.
CLASS 484 ‘D-TRAIN’
THE delayed debut of VivaRail’s former London Underground ‘D-Stock’ on the Isle of Wight took a step forward on September 21, when the first four-car test run on the island, made up of Nos. 484002/03, ran from Ryde St Johns to Shanklin and back.
CLASS 507
DAMAGED in the buffer stop collision at Kirkby back on March 13, No. 507006 was hauled from Kirkdale to Seaforth Docks by Nos. 57310/12 in the early hours of September 16. The three cars were then dispatched by road to Sims, Newport for disposal.
CLASS 701 ‘ARTERIO’
FOLLOWING modification work at Widnes, No. 701008 was moved to Worksop for storage by Nos. 47749 and 56081 on September 2.
September 14 saw No. 710507 emerge from Derby, the ‘Arterio’ set
being taken to Worksop for storage by Nos. 47749 and 56081.
CLASS 720 ‘AVENTRA’
PUT into passenger service during the first half of September were Nos. 720559/60/66/68, bringing the total number of ‘Aventras’ in service with Greater Anglia to 29. Nos. 720566/68 had arrived at Ilford on August 6.
Newly released from construction at Derby, No. 720569 was hauled to Wembley by No. 47727 on September 9. Four days later, a similar move took place when No. 720573 was taken south by Nos. 47749 and 56081.
The same ‘47’ and ‘56’ combination also formed the 5Q40 09.20 Derby Litchurch Lane with No. 720570 in tow on September 17. They were also used to return No. 720513 from Worksop to Derby on September 14.
CLASS 755 ‘FLIRT’
OUT of action since November 2020, having been used as a ‘Christmas Tree’ at Norwich Crown Point, No. 755403 has recently undergone work to prepare it for a return to traffic.
Class 755 units have recently been appearing on some services on the Harwich Town branch, providing cover when a PRM compliant Class 321 is not available.
❮ CLASS 769 ‘FLEX’
EMERGING from Brush, Loughborough on August 31 was GWR’s No. 769927, which was taken to Wolverton by
No. 57312. Two days later, No. 769936 also arrived at Wolverton, having been brought from Burton Wetmore, where it had been stored since December 2020, by No. 57310.
Following a spell at Eastleigh Works, No. 769943 returned to Reading on September 6. GWR began driver training on the units during the month.
CLASS 777 ‘STADLER’
AFTER several months in store at Walton Old Junction Sidings (near Warrington Arpley), Nos. 777002/09 were moved to Arriva Traincare at Crewe by Nos. 37510/601 on September 14. A further two sets followed on September 21, when Nos. 777005/07 were moved by Nos. 57312 and 37510.
The public were given an opportunity to see inside one of the new units for the first time on September 9, when No. 777010 was displayed at Birkenhead North station. The units should enter service on the Merseyrail network in 2022.
IET CLASS 800 & 801 ‘AZUMA’
THE last two weekends of September saw LNER services to/from Scotland diverted via the Tyne Valley, Carlisle and Beattock. Like in 2020, a number of mixed bi-mode (Class 800) and electric only (Class 801) sets were in use, with only the ‘800’ providing traction between Newcastle and Carlisle, the ‘801’ being used for ETS (Electric Train Supply) only. Such pairs in use on the first weekend were Nos. 800202+801110, 800206+801103, 800208+801109, 800209+801105 and 800210+801111.
On September 27, No. 801228, which had been fitted with sensors to enable monitoring of vehicles in connection with yaw damper bracket crack testing, returned to normal service on the ECML.