Final City Beam trains finally set to head to Southeastern
The final Class 707 trains branded as “City Beam” are finally set to head from South Western Railway to Southeastern imminently.
A stock move is planned for the early hours of tomorrow morning (Saturday 7th September) which will complete the transfer of 30 five-car trains.
Southeastern have been introducing a one-in, one-out policy with a Networker heading for storage when each train arrives.
Upon arrival they get a paint job and interior seat cushion changes before entering service.
They lack toilets unlike the Networkers but do have air-con alongside walk-through carriages.
In their place at SWR are due to be long, long delayed Class 701 Arterio trains. Running years late, driver training has finally commenced.
Despite 30 trains moving over to Southeastern the Networkers – which are more than 30 years old – will remain the mainstay of the Metro routes alongside some other routes further into Kent.
Around 100 trains remain and they’re remain the main fleet until a replacement order is confirmed.
The Class 707 City Beam are mostly used on shorter suburban routes in & around Southeast London and North Kent (including Medway) hence why there isn’t no toilets on those trains.
I take it that “707024” and “707030” are already heading their way to Southeastern that will make the total of 30 Class 707 City Beam on Southeastern suburban services.
About time that the 2 last remaining Class 707 Desiro City units “707024” and “707030” are heading to Southeastern and South Western Railway to start using the Class 701 Arterio units. That they should operate on the London Waterloo-Chessington South, Shepperton, Guildford, Feltham, Woking, Dorking, Hampton Court, Weybridge and Reading services.
And the Class 701 to operate on the clockwise & anti-clockwise routes via Hounslow and via Strawberry Hill and to allow the Class 458/4s to be used on the Aldershot and Alton service.
The Class 458/4 units are now in service on the Waterloo – Weybridge services
Suppose they are to be retained on the Weybridge service.