Why? They're not some tiny microfleet, made by a long gone manufacturer, and they're a lot newer than the 455s and 313s that Southern operate.
The manufacturer(s) are long gone - none of the original factories that built them are extant are they? Parts supplies are likely to be veyr thin on the gorund - moreso even than the 455/313s given their "transitional" onboard tech.
The Met Cam ones were built by what became Alstom, ditto the GEC Traction (also used by the London Underground for its 1996 stock)
Well the traction systems were updated with Alstom systems in the late 00's. Although it is probably best to start replacing the PEPs and Mk3 stock with newer, more efficient and safer trains.
I have no doubt that the Hitachi fitted units are much easier to care for, not least when it comes to the brake block bill. Would alstom even be any use for spare parts? I'd have thought it would be a question of component suppliers - and when they disappear? The tipping point usually comes around the time you have to fabricate your own spare parts.
So what would have happened if the 707s weren't available? They've only gone to SE because it's a convenient place to offload them rather than put them in storage.
The repeated short term extensions have now of course ended with SE going to OLR, but this doesn't seem to have led to an order (from what's been disclosed) for any new metro fleet. If GBR goes ahead this might do, but all the budget cutbacks and other post-covid neglect of the railways is not helping make the case for a new fleet. Covid has kind of shown how size does matter in the future of a fleet: the 365s were a relatively small fleet and thus easy to withdraw entirely in response to covid cutbacks. The 465s+466s on the other hand are too large to be entirely, and for 707s to fully replace them, so a whole new fleet is going to be needed sooner rather than later, but covid if anything isn't going to help with ordering a new fleet, unless we get a Government that will take the railways more seriously.
Currently working 2H19 0945 London Waterloo to Shepperton with 707017!
Don't believe any on SE, think they will next run 4th Jan due to the Lewisham engineering works altering the metro diagrams.
According to Google, that image was taken on 30th March 2021.
Yes. 707s begun cascading and repainting from around April time.
By any chance was that 707s in red at Southeastern, you know like 707 003-6? As far as I know, they still sport SWT Red livery just unbranded.
Thanks still haven't seen it but have been released from my prison of the Windsor side this year.Till Saturday where I do an Ascot via Hounslow.
You'll enjoy that.
I don't know the plans but I'd thought 465/9s would be a low enough priority not to be replaced by 707s: the total carriage count of all 465/2s and 466s is exactly 150 (64+86 respectively), the same number of carriages found in 30x 707s. All 465/2s have gone, some 466s have also, so I would have thought it would make sense to send the remaining 466s. Any 10 car formations can be made out of 707s or 376s, leaving all the remaining 465s to form 8 and 12-car sets where needed.
Given the collapse in commuting demand, I would hope that an opportunity is taken to trim the total fleet and that with 150 Desiro City cars coming in there would be 175-200 cars leaving.
There will be no long term collapse in commuting from SE London, with the vast number of new flats being built and the large number of essential workers who tend to live in the scruffier parts of London, rather than the leafy shires...
Absolutely whilst i wont go down the 365 alley over the 465's they need to be kept in warm store until there is more clarity about what level of demand will return and whilst i see the high peak as consigned to history there will still be the need to enhance the services in the morning and evenings.
Trouble is they will need to make their minds up soon, as the 465/2s are in the worst shape of them all so I'm told, and placing them into store won't help things...
