From a source - 4075 has returned from Doncaster and 4079 has gone down. Turn around is getting quicker.
Also been announced that more than £100m funding has been agreed today for the next stage of the modernisation project.
Can confirm that being the case. With 4089 back also, perhaps another car has went down, have not seen 4054 for a while so this might of went down to Doncaster whilst 4089 has came back to Tyneside.
Interesting you say the turn around is getting quicker, it still took 2 months for 4075 to get refurbished and Nexus/DB Regio was aiming for the refurbishments of each car to take 3-4 weeks, so how they'll get 86 cars refurbished by Dec 2015 I will never know!
Some observations to note within the fleet:
* 4087 could well be returning to service shortly, CoachAlex posted a video on Youtube of 4087 being shunted by a battery loco from the paint shop and then into the wheel shop without the train doors attached!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaCl3OEbXcg
* 4051 has had partial repaints on both the drivers doors it seems, makes sence why I had not seen it on the system for a while before last week.
* 4011 has got its A front end repainted and it would appears 4034 has also had it front end repainted too which is surprising considering they are likely to be refurbished in the near future.
Has anyone got any updates on 4052? Its been exactly a month since that incident between Gosforth and Longbenton and I have not seen it back out on the system since then.