Actual 377 and 387 Cascades (GN, SN, SE)

[Minstral25]

Seems 387304 and 387172 have transferred from Great Northern to Southern on 5O89 Hornsey E.M.U.D. to Stewarts Lane T&R.S.M.D yesterday

​

 

[444013]

18/12/2025
387172 and 387304 have entered service with Southern today...

 

[stadler]

Units 377 111 and 377 434 were being used on Gatwick Express services earlier on today. Even more brand confusion mess. You would think they would have enough 387s now to avoid this. This is the sixth time in 2025 that i am aware of 377s being used on Gatwick Express services.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Units 377 111 and 377 434 were being used on Gatwick Express services earlier on today.

Along with a solo Southern branded green interior 387, and a Southern branded green interior 387 coupled to an ex GWR Southern 387. Oh, and yet another Southern branded green interior 387 attached to a 387/2.

There was only one pair of Gatwick Express 387/2s on the Gatwick Express today. Most were on Southern services to Ore.

What’s especially amusing is 377s can’t even play different recordings for GX services, so when they’re used, the announcements still say “This train is the Southern service.”


So in summary, today, the Gatwick Express was operated by:

ONE pair of red GX 387/2s…

and
• A Southern 377/1 + a Southern 377/4
• A solo ex-c2c Southern 387
• An ex GN Southern 387 + ex GWR Southern 387
• An ex GN Southern 387 + GX 387/2

Ridiculous

 

[foggy69]

There is now the added confusion of the 17.03 London Bridge to Eastbourne service formed of 387 stock that doesn't call at Gatwick Airport.
So at least twice this week there has been the situation of a Gatwick Express branded train not stopping at the airport

 

[gabrielhj07]

All the more reason to scrap the silly GX brand exercise and run it all as Southern.

 

[Bikeman78]

There is now the added confusion of the 17.03 London Bridge to Eastbourne service formed of 387 stock that doesn't call at Gatwick Airport.
So at least twice this week there has been the situation of a Gatwick Express branded train not stopping at the airport

The Bognor Regis to London Bridge and return are 387s again. They don't stop at Gatwick.

 

[brad465]

How much could this specific situation be put down to 387s being deployed to the East Coastway line to strengthen services for Brighton home fans?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

How much could this specific situation be put down to 387s being deployed to the East Coastway line to strengthen services for Brighton home fans?

Not at all. It’s down to GTR putting all 387s in one common pool instead of having solely /2s on Gatwick Express and solely /1s and /3s on other services. If there’s too many /2s, they need to look at debranding a few of them and permanently putting them in the pool with the /1s and /3s.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Dec 2025 ==

The next four Gatwick Express departures (1829, 1859, 1929, 1959) from Victoria use Southern branded ex c2c, ex GN, or ex GWR 387s.

Meanwhile, the 1924 and 2024 Victoria to Eastbourne Southern services use Gatwick Express 387/2s, as do the 1813, 1826, 1843, 1926, 1936, 1943 and 2013 Southern coastway departures from Brighton. All red Gatwick Express 387/2s.

I will shut up about it now but I do find it amusing.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Dec 2025 ==

Edit: 24/12/25

Southern have resorted to displaying “Southern service.” on the external PIS of all Southern services now, due to the ongoing confusion.

(Image shows the aforementioned)

 

[Graham H]

If already answered please accept my apologies but were all 387's built with 3rd rail capability even if initially allocated to GW or GE etc for 25kv work. If so then thats great foresight

 

[stadler]

If already answered please accept my apologies but were all 387's built with 3rd rail capability even if initially allocated to GW or GE etc for 25kv work. If so then thats great foresight

Yes every single one of the Class 387 units has third rail capability and can run on third rail without needing anything to be done.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Yes every single one of the Class 387 units has third rail capability and can run on third rail without needing anything to be done.

They have the shoebeams but are they all running around with shoegear or was that removed on GN/GWR units

 

[St. Paddy]

They have the shoebeams but are they all running around with shoegear or was that removed on GN/GWR units

All still fitted, they retract behind the shoe beam when in AC and are almost invisible

 

[Failed Unit]

All still fitted, they retract behind the shoe beam when in AC and are almost invisible

That will explain why I can’t spot them on the GN units.

 

[tfw756rider]

Just to be clear, what units involved in the "Electrostar shuffle" are with which operator as of the 19/1/26?

 

[stadler]

Just to be clear, what units involved in the "Electrostar shuffle" are with which operator as of the 19/1/26?

This is the new current updated status of the SN to SE transfers and GN to SN transfers:

SN to SE:
377 121 - Transferred
377 122 - Transferred
377 123 - Transferred
377 124 - Transferred
377 125 - Transferred
377 126 - Transferred
377 127 - Transferred
377 128 - Transferred
377 129 - Transferred
377 130 - Transferred
377 131 - Transferred
377 132 - Transferred
377 133 - Transferred

GN to SN:
387 114 - No
387 115 - No
387 116 - No
387 117 - Transferred
387 118 - Transferred
387 119 - Transferred
387 120 - Transferred
387 121 - Transferred
387 122 - Transferred
387 123 - Transferred
387 124 - Transferred
387 125 - Transferred
387 126 - Transferred
387 127 - Transferred
387 128 - Transferred
387 129 - Transferred
387 172 - Transferred
387 173 - Transferred
387 174 - Transferred
387 301 - Transferred
387 302 - Transferred
387 303 - Transferred
387 304 - Transferred
387 305 - Transferred
387 306 - Transferred

All of the 13x planned 377s have transferred from SN to SE with the final one having moved a while ago.

Out of the 25x planned 387s we are just waiting for three units to transfer from GN to SN now with 114 115 116 being the units that still need to transfer.

So the transfer programme is almost complete. Only three left to go. Hopefully the remaining three will move over soon. I reckon they are likely waiting for more 379s to enter service.

It is worth pointing out that 117 has transferred but not entered SN passenger service. It is long term out of use so likely has some problems with it. It went ECS to Selhurst on the 11th of December in 2025 but the 21st of October in 2025 was the last GN passenger working. So it has been out of use for three months now.

 

[gm671]

It is worth pointing out that 117 has transferred but not entered SN passenger service. It is long term out of use so likely has some problems with it. It went ECS to Selhurst on the 11th of December in 2025 but the 21st of October in 2025 was the last GN passenger working. So it has been out of use for three months now.

Suffered significant front end damage in a fatality. Cab needed to be rebuilt, may have been beyond Hornsey's abilities but I'm told there is also a long wait for Electrostar parts.

 

[milooo]

387112 is headed from Hornsey to Selhurst https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K60661/2026-02-02/detailed

Link to realtime trains 5O90 2057 Hornsey E.M.U.D. to Selhurst T&R.S.M.D

 

[physics34]

387112 is headed from Hornsey to Selhurst https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K60661/2026-02-02/detailed

Saw what looked like a GN branded unit at selhurst last night, must be this. Must be there for tyre turning or repairs as its not due to be one of those getting transferred.

 

[Class455]

387117 is now in service at Southern, it had been stopped for a while since it came over from GN.

 

[TransportHub]

Not at all. It’s down to GTR putting all 387s in one common pool instead of having solely /2s on Gatwick Express and solely /1s and /3s on other services. If there’s too many /2s, they need to look at debranding a few of them and permanently putting them in the pool with the /1s and /3s.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Dec 2025 ==

The next four Gatwick Express departures (1829, 1859, 1929, 1959) from Victoria use Southern branded ex c2c, ex GN, or ex GWR 387s.

Meanwhile, the 1924 and 2024 Victoria to Eastbourne Southern services use Gatwick Express 387/2s, as do the 1813, 1826, 1843, 1926, 1936, 1943 and 2013 Southern coastway departures from Brighton. All red Gatwick Express 387/2s.

I will shut up about it now but I do find it amusing.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Dec 2025 ==

Edit: 24/12/25

Southern have resorted to displaying “Southern service.” on the external PIS of all Southern services now, due to the ongoing confusion.

(Image shows the aforementioned)

View attachment 194691

In Train Planning we do actually separate the fleet diagrams out into 387/2 (GX) and 387/3 (SN). Obviously there are more physical 387/2s than there are /2 diagrams so some red ones will end up on SN services. But that means there are always enough planned red 387s for the express diagrams.
So as far as TP goes there are no nonGX units on the Express, however when units get assigned to diagrams on the day other factors like milages and exams dictate if a nonGX one goes on a GX diagram.

 

[RichJF]

Interestingly 2 x 377s (432, 443) on one of the Victoria - Eastbourne diagrams today! Not seen 377s operate weekday Eastbourne services for a while!

 

[4BEP]

Thanks. And I have amended my original post to cite the correct subclass.

Actually it is 121 to 133.

 

[KT550]

It's been months now since the last class 387 transfered from Great Northern to Southern.

Are the final three units 387114 to 387116 still expected to transfer to Southern, or has it been decided that SN can manage with what they have?

Maybe the fact that not all the 379s are in service with GN yet is slowing the transfer?

Thanks for any update.

 

[JonathanH]

Was there not always an expectation that the units 'in the middle' would operate whether traffic demands and availability dictated?

 

[Solent_Desiro]

Maybe there waiting to see if the class 458 to Southern gets authorised

 

[bramling]

It's been months now since the last class 387 transfered from Great Northern to Southern.

Are the final three units 387114 to 387116 still expected to transfer to Southern, or has it been decided that SN can manage with what they have?

Maybe the fact that not all the 379s are in service with GN yet is slowing the transfer?

Thanks for any update.

There are currently 12x 387 diagrams on GN. On top of that 387101 remains unavailable. So essentially the diagrams wouldn’t be able to be covered by just 387101-113.

I assume four diagrams are designed to be capable of easy conversion to 379, at which point we would be left with 8/12 required 387 availability, assuming everything else stays the same.

Speculation on my part, but I reckon if Welwyn-Sevenoaks goes all day then expect to see 10/13 387 as the “final” outcome, with one less 700/0 on GN-only workings.