A Class 700 Train On Test
I took this picture of a Class 700 train just North of Norwood Junction station.
A Class 700 Train On Test
After halting for a minute or so, it turned off towards Crystal Palace.
During the day, I also saw a couple of bright-red Class 387/2 Gatwick Expresses running around. In one case, I felt that it wasn’t just an eight-car formation, but possibly a twelve-car. As I was in a waiting room at East Croydon station, I can’t be sure, but it certainly appeared to be a long train.
According to this page on the Thameslink web site, the Class 700 trains will start to be introduced on the 16th April 2016.
The Thameslink web page also says that the introduction of trains will be completed in June 2018. So give or take a month, that is twenty-five months to introduce sixty eight-car and fifty-five twelve-car trains. So that is a rate of somewhere between four and five trains per month.
At present the Thameslink service is run by three different types of trains.
- Twenty-nine Class 387/1 trains, which are supposed to be going to the Great Western Railway, but can’t as there are no overhead wires.
- Thirty-two Class 377 trains, which could go to Southeastern to improve their services. Clare Perry has promised new trains and these would fit.
- Upwards of fifty Class 319 trains, which I suspect will do what Mark 3 based stock does best and fill in where operators have a shortage of trains. Handsome is as handsome does!
It does appear that as time progresses there will be a number of Class 387 trains, available to provide a quality service.
It’s why I think, thast some will be converted into IPEMUs.
And as GTR, have lots of experience and drivers for Class 387s, it would appear logical that Class 387 IPEMUs would be used to replace the Class 171 trains on the services on the Oxted Line and the Marshlink Line.
The Anonymous Widower 