Southeastern metro fleet replacement/improvement

[GEC465]

One of those as far as I know not scrap related something is happening with

 

[Krystal]

Given that many MetCam units have been stripped and scrapped so far, for BREL/ABB units to have gone this long without issues would be a miracle.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Mar 2026 ==

Does anyone know if 466001 and 466043 have left Ely for scrap? If they have, they must have gone by road as I can't recall seeing a rail drag taking them away. If they are gone it means Ely is Networker-free.

Both 466001 and 466043 are still at Ely.

 

[DesDobramento]

You are correct Up Siding 1 is 16 coaches and can berth any length, however Up Siding 2 when it was in operation may be 14 coaches in length but the walkway to access Up Siding 1 sits at the mid point of Up Siding 2 and it was then split into two roads of 6 and 8 lengths so it would of never been able to have anything longer than 8 coaches without blocking that walkway

As a previous poster also mentions Sidcup Siding is a backup road is not used in normal berthing only as a lesser last resort, i believe there have been issues there with youths throwing things through the fence at train crew in the past. There are other similar berthing locations all with differing issues like regular graffiti attacks and lighting problems which make berthing extremely difficult on Southeastern

A special empty stock working to/from Dartford Down Sidings has seen a Class 377 today, 377507 being used on a Gillingham/Charing X/Dartford Down Sidings empty stock working, arriving as 5Z92 then 1302 5Z94 Dartford Down Sidings>Charing X and return to Gillingham, a meander taking a Class 377 to and through less usual SE London locations.

 

[Krystal]

A special empty stock working to/from Dartford Down Sidings has seen a Class 377 today, 377507 being used on a Gillingham/Charing X/Dartford Down Sidings empty stock working, arriving as 5Z92 then 1302 5Z94 Dartford Down Sidings>Charing X and return to Gillingham, a meander taking a Class 377 to and through less usual SE London locations.

Driver training/route learning I reckon, happened a month or two ago as well when a 377 went down to Hayes

 

[DesDobramento]

An interesting everyday Southeastern Networker empty stock curiosity runs on all Mondays to Fridays. 5Y11 1546 Victoria-Beckenham Junction via Denmark Hill, Lewisham, Ladywell, New Beckenham. This immediately returns from Beckenham Junction as 5Y12 1636 to Blackfriars, broadly retracing its footsteps to Denmark Hill then Blackfriars, positioning the 4-car Networker for its pm peak Blackfriars/Beckenham Junction shuttles. Once upon a time, positioning runs from Victoria to Blackfriars would have run direct via the very short route utilising the western part of the Loughborough Junction 'triangle' viz Canterbury Road Junction to Loughborough Junction (the physical junction not the eponymous station), rather than undertaking a lengthy suburban ramble.

Indeed, I'm not sure that the western part of the Loughborough Junction triangle has any booked use at all though it was once part of a 'round the houses' means of keeping overnight Thameslink services on the move

 

[FR510]

An interesting everyday Southeastern Networker empty stock curiosity runs on all Mondays to Fridays. 5Y11 1546 Victoria-Beckenham Junction via Denmark Hill, Lewisham, Ladywell, New Beckenham. This immediately returns from Beckenham Junction as 5Y12 1636 to Blackfriars, broadly retracing its footsteps to Denmark Hill then Blackfriars, positioning the 4-car Networker for its pm peak Blackfriars/Beckenham Junction shuttles. Once upon a time, positioning runs from Victoria to Blackfriars would have run direct via the very short route utilising the western part of the Loughborough Junction 'triangle' viz Canterbury Road Junction to Loughborough Junction (the physical junction not the eponymous station), rather than undertaking a lengthy suburban ramble.

Indeed, I'm not sure that the western part of the Loughborough Junction triangle has any booked use at all though it was once part of a 'round the houses' means of keeping overnight Thameslink services on the move

This is probably doubling up as a route knowledge retention trip for the Beckenham Spur.

 

[mitchec1]

Does anyone know if 465021 is still at Grove Park? As 465045 has moved to Dollands Moor, I expect 021 will join it as it's long term out of service too.

021 is now at Gillingham

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Mar 2026 ==

A member on trainlogger has said that 465188 is being stripped ready for disposal. Anyone have anything to back up/refute this claim? 188 is another 465 that has been sitting in SLADEGD since 2024.

It's been stripped and is currently due to be moved by road in the next week

 

[brad465]

It's been stripped and is currently due to be moved by road in the next week

Is it going by road as it's been stripped to the point it can't go by rail, or because the scrapyard can't be accessed by rail (or both)?

 

[Phil R]

Is it going by road as it's been stripped to the point it can't go by rail, or because the scrapyard can't be accessed by rail (or both)?

Best overall deal.

 

[Jturner98]

I thought Alstom had won the contract for bogie overhaul for the BREL 465s? Obviously this doesn’t include 188?

 

[Stephen42]

I thought Alstom had won the contract for bogie overhaul for the BREL 465s? Obviously this doesn’t include 188?

They have. It was specified in all the press releases as up to 398 bogies (which feels like a typo for 388) rather than all 97 units. It's unclear how many others will go to scrap instead of being overhauled.

This is a natural point to consider what units have a realistic chance of further operations, there's no point spending £200k on an unit to be non-operational for its remaining years. The contract is with Eversholt according to Alstom not Southeastern. Would expect Southeastern to have negotiated a variation with Eversholt to reduce lease costs and Eversholt to save on their contracted heavy maintenance plus realise the scrap value earlier.

 

[mitchec1]

Is it going by road as it's been stripped to the point it can't go by rail, or because the scrapyard can't be accessed by rail (or both)?

Haven't got a clue what Eversholt/Southeastern have agreed or where it's going, but 188 is a shell. Coaches are split and there's no way they could have been moved by rail due to the equipment taken

 

[Phil R]

Haven't got a clue what Eversholt/Southeastern have agreed or where it's going, but 188 is a shell. Coaches are split and there's no way they could have been moved by rail due to the equipment taken

All covered in the pre-existing contract.
005 and 021 the others as has previously been surmised here.

 

[Class455]

465188 is being taken away for scrap from Slade Green, saw some photos on Facebook

 

[GEC465]

465188 is being taken away for scrap from Slade Green, saw some photos on Facebook

2 coaches today and remainder tomorrow

 

[Krystal]

This image I found on FB shows what probably is 188 going by road to scrap.

 

[brad465]

Elsewhere in Networker scrap moves, there appears to be an Ely-Kingsbury scrap drag this Wednesday:

Realtime Trains | 5Q19 0928 Ely Mlf Papworth Sidings to Kingsbury Emr Sidings | 18/03/2026

Real-time train running information for 5Q19 0928 departure from Ely Mlf Papworth Sidings to Kingsbury Emr Sidings on 18/03/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Krystal]

Elsewhere in Networker scrap moves, there appears to be an Ely-Kingsbury scrap drag this Wednesday:

Realtime Trains | 5Q19 0928 Ely Mlf Papworth Sidings to Kingsbury Emr Sidings | 18/03/2026

Real-time train running information for 5Q19 0928 departure from Ely Mlf Papworth Sidings to Kingsbury Emr Sidings on 18/03/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Let's wait until Wednesday first. There aren't just the two 466s at Ely so could be an HST or Sprinter or whatever is there now.

 

[Roger B]

465188 is being taken away for scrap from Slade Green, saw some photos on Facebook

Does anyone know its last day in service, and which scrapyard its going to?

Many thanks

 

[Snow1964]

They have. It was specified in all the press releases as up to 398 bogies (which feels like a typo for 388) rather than all 97 units. It's unclear how many others will go to scrap instead of being overhauled.

This is a natural point to consider what units have a realistic chance of further operations, there's no point spending £200k on a unit to be non-operational for its remaining years. The contract is with Eversholt according to Alstom not Southeastern. Would expect Southeastern to have negotiated a variation with Eversholt to reduce lease costs and Eversholt to save on their contracted heavy maintenance plus realise the scrap value earlier.

As the trains age (and now close to 35 years old), having a few spare parts around, including spare bogies is useful, because it allows damaged parts to be swapped and keep remainder of the fleet going.

Compare that to GWR trying to keep every 165+166 running (another networker type train), and generally unable to, because two or three always seem to be out of service for weeks/months awaiting parts.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Does anyone know its last day in service, and which scrapyard its going to?

Many thanks

Definitely haven't seen 465188 around for ages. No allocations shown for Feb or March this year from the limited data I can see.

 

[CR165022]

Definitely haven't seen 465188 around for ages. No allocations shown for Feb or March this year from the limited data I can see.

It's not been in service since 2024

 

[NSEWonderer]

It's not been in service since 2024

That will explain why then. Thanks

 

[Roger B]

It's not been in service since 2024

Many thanks @CR165022

 

[brad465]

Elsewhere in Networker scrap moves, there appears to be an Ely-Kingsbury scrap drag this Wednesday:

Realtime Trains | 5Q19 0928 Ely Mlf Papworth Sidings to Kingsbury Emr Sidings | 18/03/2026

Real-time train running information for 5Q19 0928 departure from Ely Mlf Papworth Sidings to Kingsbury Emr Sidings on 18/03/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Been reported to be 466001 and 465920. Also seen 466043 is leaving Ely by road, which is odd given it could easily have been hooked to this rail drag.

 

[Class15]

Been reported to be 466001 and 465920. Also seen 466043 is leaving Ely by road, which is odd given it could easily have been hooked to this rail drag.

Not fit to move by rail perhaps?

 

[Stephen42]

Been reported to be 466001 and 465920. Also seen 466043 is leaving Ely by road, which is odd given it could easily have been hooked to this rail drag.

Most (if not all) of the drags have been limited to two units. There were concerns/challenges with moving 465+466+466 formations out from Gillingham and expect the same applies from Ely. It might be cheaper for two cars to go by road than a loco drag or was no longer deemed fit to move by rail.

 

[adc82140]

There are still the 3 465/2s at Worksop. It was my understanding that these were still on lease to SE. If that's the case, what is their future? Parts donors?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Would anyone be kind enough to list all of the 465s and 466s which have now been scrapped (or are stood down) please?

 

[Roger B]

Been reported to be 466001 and 465920. Also seen 466043 is leaving Ely by road, which is odd given it could easily have been hooked to this rail drag.

Any idea which scrapyard it's heading to, please?