Class 357 units hired from C2C to ONE in the early 2000s.

[stadler]

ONE hired a couple of 357s from C2C back in 2004 and 2005 for a period of about a year. I think it was related to stock shortages or something.

I only remember them doing London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria services. They were regulars on that route, and I took them multiple times on those services.

But I was wondering if they got any use on anything else?

For example, did any ever go on the Emerson Park branch or on the Southminster branch or even further on the mainline to Braintree or Chelmsford or Colchester etc?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

ONE hired a couple of 357s from C2C back in 2004 and 2005 for a period of about a year. I think it was related to stock shortages or something.

I only remember them doing London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria services. They were regulars on that route, and I took them multiple times on those services.

But I was wondering if they got any use on anything else?

For example, did any ever go on the Emerson Park branch or on the Southminster branch or even further on the mainline to Braintree or Chelmsford or Colchester etc?

Would have made for a big upgrade from a 321 if you ask me.

 

[stadler]

Would have made for a big upgrade from a 321 if you ask me.

Oh absolutely the 357s were certainly an upgrade. Especially back then when they were nice and new they really seemed like a luxury. Even back then the 321s were starting to get a bit knackered and worn out. I also remember the 360s used to occasionally go to Southend Victoria in the mid 2000s and that was also quite a big upgrade when one of those turned up.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Oh absolutely the 357s were certainly an upgrade. Especially back then when they were nice and new they really seemed like a luxury. Even back then the 321s were starting to get a bit knackered and worn out. I also remember the 360s used to occasionally go to Southend Victoria in the mid 2000s and that was also quite a big upgrade when one of those turned up.

I didn’t think they were able to?

 

[stadler]

I didn’t think they were able to?

They were definitely able to. I did two trips to Southend Victoria on a 360 around the early or mid 2000s. I recall it was around 2004 or 2005 during the same period they had the 357s. So the 360s certainly did turn up on Southend Victoria services every now and again. I have seen a photo somewhere on flickr as well.

The only drivers that signed both Southend and the 360s was Ilford so it could be a bit of a pain from an operational perspective as the Southend drivers could not work them. So it was probably only done occasionally. I remember talking to a friend who was a FGE/ONE/NXEA driver about this a while ago and he mentioned 2008 or 2009 was the last time he saw a 360 on a Southend service.