Thank you for your email.
The 319 types are used quite extensively during the week so maintenance regimes
have been organised around the weekends. The train you saw at Kensington on 19
April appears to have been some sort of special unscheduled working;
unfortunately we don't have any more detail.
In the longer term it is likely that the remainder of these trains will transfer
to First Capital Connect to enable increased capacity between Bedford and London
where demand is particularly strong. There are no plans to re-introduce the 319s
to the Watford service nor to re-instate the former service north of Watford.
The Electrostar trips to Tring each evening are run in order to maintain
drivers' route knowledge so that in the event of any blockage of the bay
platform at Watford Junction, we would be able to turn trains around at Tring
instead of having to curtail the service short of Watford.
Regards
Richard Lancaster
Southern Customer Services
The 319 types are used quite extensively during the week so maintenance regimes
have been organised around the weekends. The train you saw at Kensington on 19
April appears to have been some sort of special unscheduled working;
unfortunately we don't have any more detail.
In the longer term it is likely that the remainder of these trains will transfer
to First Capital Connect to enable increased capacity between Bedford and London
where demand is particularly strong. There are no plans to re-introduce the 319s
to the Watford service nor to re-instate the former service north of Watford.
The Electrostar trips to Tring each evening are run in order to maintain
drivers' route knowledge so that in the event of any blockage of the bay
platform at Watford Junction, we would be able to turn trains around at Tring
instead of having to curtail the service short of Watford.
Regards
Richard Lancaster
Southern Customer Services