Southeastern removing Networkers from some routes

Jack Wicket · 29 Jun 2019

I have noticed that 375's and 377's have been replacing networkers on some routes. Such as:

London Victoria - Ashford Int
London Victoria - Canterbury West
and no more Networkers from London Victoria - Gillingham

I think these are great changes as Networkers were horrible for long journeys. They did not have a nice feeling and they were not as 'relaxing' as the 355's. Do you think when ThamesLink expands to Ashford International, southeastern will replace more Networkers?

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Doomotron · 29 Jun 2019

Jack Wicket said:
I have noticed that 375's and 377's have been replacing networkers on some routes. Such as:

London Victoria - Ashford Int
London Victoria - Canterbury West
and no more Networkers from London Victoria - Gillingham

I think these are great changes as Networkers were horrible for long journeys. They did not have a nice feeling and they were not as 'relaxing' as the 355's. Do you think when ThamesLink expands to Ashford International, southeastern will replace more Networkers?

It's been like this for years; since they got 377s.

bionic · 30 Jun 2019

The eventual idea is to rid all the 'mainline' routes of networkers and sticking them on the metro. The North Kent Thameslinks have helped with that by ending the Charing X - Gillingham service, and if the Ashford / Maidstone East service ever finally materialises that should free up a few more.

Chiltern006 · 30 Jun 2019

They do still run on the Charing Cross- Tunbridge Wells on wekends

bionic · 30 Jun 2019

Chiltern006 said:
They do still run on the Charing Cross- Tunbridge Wells on wekends

700s on the Maidstone East line will take care of that.

Saperstein · 30 Jun 2019

Jack Wicket said:
They did not have a nice feeling and they were not as 'relaxing' as the 355's.

I’ve never herd of a 355, did you mean 455 or something else?

southern442 · 30 Jun 2019

Saperstein said:
I’ve never herd of a 355, did you mean 455 or something else?

He means 375's.

mic505 · 30 Jun 2019

Class 455's did use to operate the SE metro services long before the Networker's arrived lol.

Peter Mugridge · 30 Jun 2019

mic505 said:
Class 455's did use to operate the SE metro services long before the Networker's arrived lol.

That was 415s.

Those few 455s that did show up at Charing Cross were working for South Central - the current Southern - and not South Eastern.

ComUtoR · 30 Jun 2019

Jack Wicket said:
Do you think when ThamesLink expands to Ashford International, southeastern will replace more Networkers?

Networkers go bye bye. They are penciled in to be replaced. At this rate, probably 10yrs away.

bionic said:
700s on the Maidstone East line will take care of that.

A rumor I heard.... 2022 !

bionic · 1 Jul 2019

ComUtoR said:
A rumor I heard.... 2022 !

That doesn't surprise me. In fact it wouldn't surprise me if they never end up going there at all. They need to get Chart Leacon sorted out first.

brad465 · 4 Aug 2019

There are still plenty of Networker operations between Victoria and Gillingham via Bromley S, some even going to Dover. CHX-Tunbridge Wells is almost entirely 465/9s Mon-Sat, and you can even get the 19:20 from CST-Faversham, fast to Rochester, as a 6 car set. Networkers are far from cleared off Mainline runs.

700s on the Maidstone East line will only at best remove the last 2 peak Networker workings in the evening peak, if SE get to keep all their other VIC trains, and as already said, without Chart Leacon renovated that won't happen.

JackTheLad · 13 Aug 2019

465/9's were operating Charing Cross to Ramsgate last Sunday

Islineclear3_1 · 13 Aug 2019

I would welcome 700s on the Maidstone East line but I don't think I could sit on one all the way into deepest Kent or Thanet

Roast Veg · 13 Aug 2019

There must be quite the operational reason why Tunbridge Wells has to take networkers - I wouldn't be surprised if the new metro stock also gets coerced down there.

Islineclear3_1 · 13 Aug 2019

Roast Veg said:
There must be quite the operational reason why Tunbridge Wells has to take networkers - I wouldn't be surprised if the new metro stock also gets coerced down there.

It used to be (in slam door days) Tunbridge Wells Central could only take 11 carriages between the tunnels so I don't know if the limit (with Networkers) is 10car or if 12car 375s can be used with SDO

Doomotron · 13 Aug 2019

JackTheLad said:
465/9's were operating Charing Cross to Ramsgate last Sunday

Via Ashford? That's unusual.

JackTheLad · 13 Aug 2019

Doomotron said:
Via Ashford? That's unusual.

No, via Medway and Faversham. Still unusual though

Roast Veg · 13 Aug 2019

robert7111a said:
It used to be (in slam door days) Tunbridge Wells Central could only take 11 carriages between the tunnels so I don't know if the limit (with Networkers) is 10car or if 12car 375s can be used with SDO

This actually became more restrictive when the down signal was moved out of the tunnel and onto the platform. 12 car 375s can and do work through there but actually (if I'm not mistaken) have to occupy the next section as well, and can't be platformed without the next section also being available.

bionic · 13 Aug 2019

12 car 375s regularly work into tunbridge wells and even split there. Networkers restricted to 10 cars due to lack of SDO.

CoastlinerEast · 1 Sep 2019

JackTheLad said:
465/9's were operating Charing Cross to Ramsgate last Sunday

It's Southeastern's Summer Special Service that happens every year from Cannon Street to Ramsgate via Greenwich, Woolwich Arsenal, Dartford, Gravesend, Medway Towns, Faversham, Herne Bay, Margate and Broadstairs. It's not just 465s/9s that run it. 4650/1s and 2/s and the 466s.

brad465 · 2 Sep 2019

Roast Veg said:
There must be quite the operational reason why Tunbridge Wells has to take networkers - I wouldn't be surprised if the new metro stock also gets coerced down there.

I suspect the reason Networkers run the service is there are not enough 375/377s with SE to run all of them. Of all the mainline routes that exist, if Networkers have to run somewhere that is probably their best route, considering platform lengths are suitable for 10 car (compared to say 6 car at some stops on the Maidstone East line) and service time-wise is not terribly long (just over an hour each way). Also the line speeds and calling pattern balance are manageable by Networkers; while 90/100mph running is present on the service's route, the line speed is achievable from London-Orpington, to Tonbridge it can't get to the max speed but Sevenoaks and Hildenborough stops don't make that an issue, then Tonbridge-Tunbridge Wells I believe is max 60mph.

CoastlinerEast said:
It's Southeastern's Summer Special Service that happens every year from Cannon Street to Ramsgate via Greenwich, Woolwich Arsenal, Dartford, Gravesend, Medway Towns, Faversham, Herne Bay, Margate and Broadstairs. It's not just 465s/9s that run it. 4650/1s and 2/s and the 466s.

Yes I got the service over the BH weekend, and did once the year before, both on my annual visit to Dreamland in Margate.

Terry Tait · 2 Sep 2019

I quite like a networker on a long distance service because of the open windows, the ambient rail noise is good for blocking out the noise of music players and cell phones of other passengers

Southeastern removing Networkers from some routes

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