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To be fair, the Desiro family already has some familiarity to the North West through the 23.7m length Class 185s and 350/4s also previously operated by TransPennine Express, though of course there are other routes where modifications will need to be made. All in all a positive step for a fleet...

Perhaps Reading town centre needs another re-design to make Blagrave Street and Friar Street bus only? At least when routes ran outside the station that from memory was bus and Taxi only.

Whilst the main entrance is indeed under the railway, there are 3 other entrances and 2 of which are somewhat less flashy. The original HMS Vernon gatehouse on Park Road / St George’s Road / Opposite HMS Temeraire is your other main entrance, the other two are through the flats on Gunwharf Road...

Correct. On top of that, a Class 57/3 very much doesn’t fit into what McClaren Rail are after either which is a heritage loco. Let’s face it (whether you’re a fan of 47s or not), people would turn up to a Pres line for a 47. They’re less likely to turn up for a 57/3.

Whilst there is that, you just know that within a few months of the franchise ending / GBR Operation they will find a way to hail this as a GBR project, just like the Thameslink 700 clean.

Yes. Now left at Strawberry Hill and won’t be attending - so I presume 128 will now run in its place. Given 210 suffered a brake (I’ve seen many comments stating it has a Break fault which is somewhat ironic) fault only a few weekends back, it did seem like quite a push to get it ready for this...

I don’t know either and it’s something I too would like to one day see rectified. Sadly it wasn’t included in the recent refurbishment plans for Gunwharf either so it seems there’s little appetite for doing it. Granted, the Wightlink Terminal need a work around as the station and Ferry...

At least one loco has arrived though, 33108 is being unloaded at Alresford as we speak. If I were at the MHR though I’d be keeping West Coast or HeavyHaul on standby for that VEP!

Brake fault on the 31 resulting in it not leaving Burton. Rescheduled for tomorrow (hopefully).

To be fair, given the fairly large amounts of steelwork that has gone in to keep other sprinters going over recent years, such as the GW 150s or Northern 156s as @diligentdave can testify, chassis rot is a rather plausible reason for the retirement of 950001.

Desiro Air Con has always been rather good, although admittedly I have had a few slightly unhappy 450s recently.

Not so much a contract lost at Eastleigh - Hitachi does the work in house and leases Bay 2 North & South and Bay 1 South from Arlington for it as part of Project Acer. 1783242022 Also saves a long drag and conducting clearance work for the 385s.

On that point, I remember the regular collection of freshly dry cleaned seat covers hanging in the windows of the dry cleaners down on Fisherton street. Presumably that’s now stopped too. Just picking up on someone’s comment regarding Just In Time - granted, for manufacturing yes, for keeping...

If it’s what I think you’re referring to, SWT was known to have a large parts inventory in Salisbury TMD which allowed them to remain pretty hot on fleet issues. When First MTR came along, that was changed to a Just In Time set up with a heavier reliance on outside companies such as LH Group...

The last 47 in NSE was 715 in its tired late NSE livery. Since last year it is now in RES* Virgin Trains inspired livery. *(rail engineering solutions not Rail Express Systems)

Darn! I’d have swung by Clapham again this evening if I realised it is spending the night there. Presumably they’ll get around it by swapping 93005 from the rear to the front and then it’ll get a little further than Wimbledon to Clapham.

I did a double take when I past a rogue two car in service by Wimbledon earlier too. A shame to see the fleet taking a dip again!

They have proposed a new UK design based on the “Adessia” platform, however I’m not sure if the plan is to start with the Voyagers and then move onto the Bi-Mode Adessia’s or now aim for a new start with a brand new train a few years down the pipeline...

Final loco announcement (and of course something to work with 3417) is 33108 ahead of its Southern Region holiday at the Bluebell.

And presumably, and somewhat annoyingly, keeps the ex Avanti 6 (221s) in limbo for that bit longer. Unless the plan has now changed for Alstom to have the new services up and running with their new build stock?