Network SouthEast 40th anniversary Southeastern tour

[A S Leib]

I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned on the forum; there's no very recent thread I could see.

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/tickets-alert-southeasterns-network-southeast-train-tour-92130/

To celebrate 40 years of Network SouthEast, Southeastern is running a special commemorative rail tour aboard its uniquely restored Network SouthEast Networker train.


Southeastern’s Network SouthEast at the Greatest Gathering (c) ianVisits
Beginning and ending at London Victoria, this one-off journey will travel across both Metro and Mainline routes to Ramsgate and Dover, passing some of the oldest stations on the Southeastern Railway network.

As with last year’s sold-out tour and just 250 tickets available, demand is expected to be high.

The tour takes place on Saturday 12th September 2026, and tickets are available here.

After event costs have been covered, any remaining funds will be donated to Alzheimer’s Research UK, Railway Benefit Fund, Railway Children, Railway Mission and the Transport Benevolent Fund CIO.

I think last year's stuck to the metro routes; I don't know which routes this one would cover beyond the mentions of Ramsgate and Dover.

Edit: the paths seem to be in RTT. Victoria to Ramsgate; Ramsgate to Dover; Dover to Victoria.

 

[Purple Train]

It ran and was a really nice tour all things considered (although a stop would have been nice as nearly five hours in a Networker seat is a mild strain on the legs). Here's 465908 on the blocks this morning:

Photo shows 465908 in platform 1 at Victoria.

 

[brad465]

It ran and was a really nice tour all things considered (although a stop would have been nice as nearly five hours in a Networker seat is a mild strain on the legs). Here's 465908 on the blocks this morning:

Yes this is my take. I'm guessing they didn't want the doors opening in case anyone not supposed to be on the tour got on, though some sort of alighting at Dover would have been nice. I enjoyed the rare thrill of going through Bromley South, Canterbury East, Faversham and Gillingham non-stop at more or less line speed (on the out journey the tour went through loop platforms, but coming back stuck to the mains).