Disposals begin for Class 317s
THE FIRST Class 317 EMUs have been disposed of at Eastleigh Works, with Raxstar cutting 317661 on site in the second half of November 2020 and then 317656 in the first half of December. Next to be scrapped were due to be 317664 and 317665, which arrived from Ilford behind 57312 on November 23, while classmate 57303 similarly delivered 317503 and 317666 on December 4. These six sets are among those not to receive PRM modifications, the majority of which have now been removed from traffic. For example, 317514, 317651 and 317654 were all in store at Harwich Parkeston Quay in mid-December, the latter pair having arrived on November 24, while 317505 and 317670 were at Ilford awaiting movement to Eastleigh, having ended their own stint at Harwich on December 9.
Prior to its move to Eastleigh, 317503 had returned from the Brodie Rail workshops at Kilmarnock to Ilford in the company of 317512 on December 1, 57303 providing the traction. With DTS 77063 from 317512 having been found to have severe corrosion issues, it was replaced in the set by 77050 from 317503, the two-month stay at Kilmarnock seeing an exchange of PRM compliant parts between the two cars, such as door controls and PIS screens. As a result, 317512 is now in traffic formed of 77015, 62676, 71592 and 77050, with the formation of the doomed 317503 being 77002, 62663, 71579and 77063.
Given a temporary reprieve until the middle of 2021, the first two Class 317/7s to return to traffic with Greater Anglia were 317710 on November 26 and then 317709 on December 4, both debuting on the Stratford-Bishops Stortford/ Meridian Water circuit. Two more of the former London Overground sets were retrieved from Wembley Yard on November 24, 317719 and 317723 moving to Ilford to be prepared for service.