Class 395 at Southampton Docks

[Steddenm]

Saw this on Facebook earlier:


(Image uploaded by Roy Freeman showing 395008 Ben Ainslie at the QE2 terminal at Southampton Docks)

Any idea why it'll be there or is it waiting transport out of the UK?

 

[brad465]

That was the unit that derailed at Ramsgate still awaiting repair. I'm guessing they're considering sending it back to Japan for repairs if it's there.

 

[stadler]

That was the unit that derailed at Ramsgate still awaiting repair. I'm guessing they're considering sending it back to Japan for repairs if it's there.

That would seem utterly crazy to have to go all the way back to Japan just to get repaired. Can they seriously not carry out repairs in this country. We have dozens of rail repair and maintenance facilities and even Hitachi have a factory in this country now. Sending it all the way to Japan for a repair is bonkers.

 

[800001]

That would seem utterly crazy to have to go all the way back to Japan just to get repaired. Can they seriously not carry out repairs in this country. We have dozens of rail repair and maintenance facilities and even Hitachi have a factory in this country now. Sending it all the way to Japan for a repair is bonkers.

From what i have reliably been told, yes, Japan is the destination.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Thought it was bound for Eastleigh??

 

[NSE]

That would seem utterly crazy to have to go all the way back to Japan just to get repaired. Can they seriously not carry out repairs in this country. We have dozens of rail repair and maintenance facilities and even Hitachi have a factory in this country now. Sending it all the way to Japan for a repair is bonkers.

True, but maybe if the damage is unique or incredibly specific then Hitachi might want to use it as a learning curve/teaching lesson themselves. Unlikely I agree, and surely cheaper to fly Hitachi staff to look at the unit in the UK, but the railway works in mysterious ways.

 

[SEtrains]

Thought it was bound for Eastleigh??

They can’t send it by road or rail to Eastleigh due to Campbell Road outside of Arlington having a bend too tight for low-loaders

 

[NSEWonderer]

They can’t send it by road or rail to Eastleigh due to Campbell Road outside of Arlington having a bend too tight for low-loaders

Oh wow ok. Thanks

 

[skyhigh]

True, but maybe if the damage is unique or incredibly specific then Hitachi might want to use it as a learning curve/teaching lesson themselves. Unlikely I agree, and surely cheaper to fly Hitachi staff to look at the unit in the UK, but the railway works in mysterious ways.

Allegedly they need the original jig for the repairs, which is still in Japan, and it's easier to send the unit to the jig and staff than send them to the unit.

 

[aaronspence]

Allegedly they need the original jig for the repairs, which is still in Japan, and it's easier to send the unit to the jig and staff than send them to the unit.

I guess its lucky the original jig wasn't cut up then!

 

[wickham]

Presumably we are only talking about the two cars here - not the whole unit. But how did the two cars get to Southampton, surely not by rail ? But they have been put back on rail, even if moved by road. Usually these sorts of things would be shipped on a flat deck container or sledge type thing with wheels, then they would just be pulled onto one of the big ro-ro ships that link various ports around the world on a planned (timetabled) basis.

 

[Russel]

Other than the obvious damage at the front, what other damage has occurred to require it to be sent back to Japan?

Also, on a similar note, was the 800 that got too close to an HST in Leeds a few years ago which had similar looking damage sent to Japan or was that repaired by Hitachi here?

 

[Phil R]

Some rather wild sounding suggestions on here.

From what i have reliably been told, yes, Japan is the destination.

Source?

They can’t send it by road or rail to Eastleigh due to Campbell Road outside of Arlington having a bend too tight for low-loaders

Indeed. If it was low-loaderable it might have gone straight there. But why not from Southampton by rail?

 

[Snow1964]

Presumably we are only talking about the two cars here - not the whole unit. But how did the two cars get to Southampton, surely not by rail ? But they have been put back on rail, even if moved by road. Usually these sorts of things would be shipped on a flat deck container or sledge type thing with wheels, then they would just be pulled onto one of the big ro-ro ships that link various ports around the world on a planned (timetabled) basis.

There is a video in post #125 of the Ramsgate crash thread of them leaving Ramsgate on low loaders

Derailment at Ramsgate (29/11/24)

Was on my usual journey up to London yesterday and as we passed Ashford there was a Class 395 that had been separated into different sections with one of the driving cars standing next to what looked like a low loader. Wondering if this is the one that had the accident at Ramsgate being taken...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[ExRes]

From what I've heard they were moved by road on 30th September

 

[800001]

Other than the obvious damage at the front, what other damage has occurred to require it to be sent back to Japan?

Also, on a similar note, was the 800 that got too close to an HST in Leeds a few years ago which had similar looking damage sent to Japan or was that repaired by Hitachi here?

No, it was repaired at a specialist company in Derby.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Nov 2025 ==

Some rather wild sounding suggestions on here.


Source?

some sources can't be named! Just trust people!

 

[Phil R]

some sources can't be named! Just trust people!

We'll see how that goes then.

 

[800001]

We'll see how that goes then.

We will!
And I'm fully aware, not all sources are correct 100% of the time

 

[Rob F]

We'll see how that goes then.

This isn't a peer reviewed journal. People can share information they have without the requirement to provide chapter and verse on where they obtained it. It is up to you whether you choose to believe it or not.

 

[ainsworth74]

That's enough of that thank you.

One of the strengths of the Forum is that people are willing to provide information from internal sources but by the nature of that source aren't always in a position to be able to reveal the precise details of that source. It is up to the reader to decide how much weight they place on the person providing the information. Obviously a formal source is preferred and where available should be provided (with a link and quote). But sometimes that just isn't available.

 

[Pep and co]

395008 certainly has had an unusual 12 months. Derailed then only recovered three months later. Tucked away at Ramsgate for months before being split and transferred to Ashford and Southampton Docks by road. 4 coaches have been noted outside Ashford depot and now the other two coaches appear to be heading to Japan.
By the time it completes it's journey to Japan and back plus repair time plus returning to (presumably) Ashford then rejoining it's other coaches and under going tests before hopefully going back into traffic it will probably have broken some sort of record of being out of service.

 

[wickham]

If indeed it is returning to Japan because they need to use the building jigs - this sounds quite serious and an extensive repair. Use of the jigs could indicate a new carriage body or indeed new replacement sections. Surely they could have made the bits required in Japan and sent them to the UK to be fitted, but I suppose it is a case of let the experts sort it out !

 

[Russel]

If indeed it is returning to Japan because they need to use the building jigs - this sounds quite serious and an extensive repair. Use of the jigs could indicate a new carriage body or indeed new replacement sections. Surely they could have made the bits required in Japan and sent them to the UK to be fitted, but I suppose it is a case of let the experts sort it out !

Indeed, it's certainly a strange scenario.

I know it over-ran the buffers by some distance, was it a high(ish) speed incident to result in damage substantial enough to warren the work needed?

 

[321362]

was it a high(ish) speed incident

No, not at all. The train was shunting at a low speed in a siding. Bizarre that it's deemed damaged enough to be shipped to the other side of the world for repairs.

 

[Ciderking]

They can’t send it by road or rail to Eastleigh due to Campbell Road outside of Arlington having a bend too tight for low-loaders

In the past stock has been offloaded in the East Yard and then moved from there into the works.

 

[westcoaster]

I'd heard an access issue into Eastleigh depot, so we're awaiting movement by rail instead.
If they were to go back to Japan they would not have been re railed and reformed. They would have stayed on the trailers for onwards shipping.

 

[fgwrich]

I'd heard an access issue into Eastleigh depot, so we're awaiting movement by rail instead.
If they were to go back to Japan they would not have been re railed and reformed. They would have stayed on the trailers for onwards shipping.

Point of note - it’s into the Arlington works, not the TRSMD. Hitachi will be squeezing it in between the IET work.

 

[BorderCollie]

That makes much more sense.

Otherwise, why would vehicles hauled on a low-loader from Ramsgate be re-railed at Southampton QE2 Terminal, for them then to be put back on another low-loader to get them quayside to be loaded by crane onto a ship to go to Japan? Makes no sense. Eastleigh.

 

[Phil R]

I'd heard an access issue into Eastleigh depot, so we're awaiting movement by rail instead.
If they were to go back to Japan they would not have been re railed and reformed. They would have stayed on the trailers for onwards shipping.

Point of note - it’s into the Arlington works, not the TRSMD. Hitachi will be squeezing it in between the IET work.

That makes much more sense.

Otherwise, why would vehicles hauled on a low-loader from Ramsgate be re-railed at Southampton QE2 Terminal, for them then to be put back on another low-loader to get them quayside to be loaded by crane onto a ship to go to Japan? Makes no sense. Eastleigh.

Thank you. Yes, SETrains in post #7 above explained the road access issue and I do recall from a visit some years ago it's a bit interesting with corners and gradients although possibly not insurmountable using another route as Ciderking in post #25 suggests, depending on its destination on site. Given the unit was recovered from the siding from which it came to grief into Ramsgate depot by rail, the distance from where it is now into Eastleigh works isn't outrageous. To answer Rob F in post #19 and Mr Ainsworth's point in post #20, indeed it's not appropriate to post contract details on here, however I don't recall any mention or possibility of it being subbed out overseas but I could have another read.

 

[Mikey C]

If Hitachi still have the 395 jigs, perhaps they could make a few more of them!