A fleet of trains ordered for South West Trains are to be transferred to Southeastern to increase capacity on the network.
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A fleet of trains ordered for South West Trains are to be transferred to Southeastern to increase capacity on the network.
A quantity of Class 707 trains were ordered back in 2014, but when FirstGroup/MTR was awarded the South Western franchise in 2017, it annnounced that it would standardise its services on Bombardier Class 701 trains.
With the Class 707 trains no longer needed, but also very young in rolling stock terms, an agreement has been signed to migrate them over to Southeastern.
A Southeastern spokesman said: “We are in the early stages of planning for additional capacity for the Southeastern network”, adding that “We are dependent on the availability of existing rolling stock, and we are working with the industry on a plan to transfer 30 x 5 car Class 707 units which are currently in service on the South Western Railway network – only when they become available.”
They were expected to be made available for reuse last year, but delays in delivering the replacement trains to SWR has slowed that plan.
The transfer agreement is part of the Direct Award Contract
announced last month with the Department for Transport
The 30 five-car trains are expected to be used on Southeastern’s Metro routes within London, although the specifics are still be to worked out.
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