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The refurbishment wasn’t all that expensive in the grand scheme of things. In the end, I expect that the DfT will have gotten its money back on the refurb programme, if not by much.

I think it was poorly worded, but 5871 is the one the SETG have.

Brilliant, thanks for confirming!

Would anyone know if Jeff Morss’ Fareline service is still going? Taking a quick look on BusTimes, the last time T127OAH tracked was on 20th March.

I got in a quick ride on it today, having run out of Class 455's to bash. I think it could be a good innovation; while the D78 Stock is a little rough and ready as platforms go, I think they could have a future on the quieter branch lines of the GWR network. Cheap to deliver and now a...

It is a bit daft, that there’s some expectation that these units somehow will have a future. Maybe as spares donors for the Class 334’s, but I can’t expect these ones have much of a future.

According to someone on FB, both remaining 458/5’s have jumped the queue to be stood down. Is there any truth to this?

Doubt it, given 458 availability (or lack thereof).

According to someone on the ever reliable Facebook, some kids busted the doors on the Chessington run, but not so badly it couldn’t run to Guildford and back

I guess it will be the last retired now along with 5712, as 5717+5727 are all but doomed to a one-way trip to Litchurch Lane.

5732 + 5712 have been allocated this morning’s run from Surbiton. Would I be right in guessing that both 701 and 450’s are tied up with covering for faulty 458/4’s to bring this about?

5712 + 5732 (12/03/2026) 07:52 SUR - WAT Will have to wait and see if it rocks up on anything tonight!

Things must be bad vis a vis 458/4 availability this morning as 455727 has gone out into service on its own this morning to work a Waterloo - Weybridge and return service.

According to some chap on FB (who accurately reported 5716+5721’s demise), it looks like all of SWR’s 455’s have now been stood down. Unless anyone knows anything to the contrary, it looks like the last time one ran in ordinary passenger service was on the 25th February. I expect that the...

Afternoon all, what are the chances of 455’s being deployed on crowd-buster services during the six nations games at Twickenham?

I can confirm it’s working the slightly delayed 18:43 from Waterloo - I’m hitching a ride from Richmond to Fulwell

That’s not strictly true, as IIRC SWR had inked a deal to lease them up until 2028 if needed, and they could be handed back at a month’s notice as needed. If the remaining 701’s to release to traffic are as big a bag of bolts as is made out on the 701 intro thread, it might make sense to keep...

Did a Class 701 go bang this morning? A Class 455 turned up on the 07:30 ex-Hampton Wick heading towards Richmond, which seems to be the first time in months I’ve had a 455 on this run.

I’d second that it is a British problem - the Portuguese seem quite skilled at keeping 1960’s British locos and 1940’s Swiss coaching stock reliably running up and down the Douro line, I’d assume maintained on quite a tight budget as well.

Something else on the A Stock that might have made announcements a bit ineffective is that the volume would need to be way up to compete with the din created by the compressors on the A60’s in particular