Southeastern is seeking to reassure its passengers that its services will improve, by providing updates on its latest plans for refurbishing and upgrading its trains.
The troubled train operator serves south-east London, Kent and parts of East Sussex, and has faced criticism over its performance and reliability.
It hopes that the full introduction of its Class 707 ‘City Beam' trains in its Metro area by December will improve the situation.
The trains are modern and air-conditioned, and have been refurbished to meet the standards set by the operator.
Southeastern has moved forward on the project by introducing another three pairs of the trains on its Grove Park, Hayes and Dartford lines.
This represents half of the final twelve of the fleet of thirty, with the remainder promised to be in service by the end of the year.
The operator summarises its fleet plans as follows:
- Better Metro: The completion of the Class 707 ‘City Beam' introduction by December, with six of the final twelve trains (of thirty in total) already in service.
- Better Mainline: The Class 375 upgrade is due to be completed in March 2024, introducing three-point plugs, USB power sockets, new LED lighting and energy metering.
- Better High Speed: The Class 395 ‘Javelin' refurbishment is under way, with two of the twenty-nine trains upgraded, including new carpets and seats, USB at-seat charging, CCTV system upgrade, live passenger information system (PIS) upgrade including media screens (from 2024) and new LED lighting (from 2025).
Southeastern also continues to work on the procurement process it started in November 2022 for a future train fleet that can operate in both its Metro area and some mainline routes.
Mark Johnson, Southeastern's Engineering Director, said: “The upgrade of our train fleet is just one aspect of our drive towards a better, more reliable and more sustainable railway.
“Our Class 707 ‘City Beam' trains are lighter, with open, accessible interiors including two wheelchair spaces every five carriages, plus bigger windows flooding the train with light. The air-conditioned carriages with improved ventilation and heating will mean a more pleasant travelling environment whatever the time of year.
“They're also smarter trains, with better on-board information showing space available in each carriage, plus free Wi-Fi and handy plug sockets so you can keep charged up and connected”.
Having a networker on a semi fast service to Ashford is a joke at there are dule power 350 in the midlands that would be perfect for the London to Ramsgate service via Ashford why are Southeastern not adding them to replace the 377/5 units that they are loosing
Siemens could have carried on with the mass production of the Class 707 Desiro City DC units that would have been built for Southeastern and new Desiro City trains for Southern to replace the Class 455 on the suburban lines in South London. With the current Class 707s to be retained by South Western Railway to operate on the Reading and Windsor & Eton Riverside routes.
It’s gonna be great getting the new trains I travelled on 1 of them last year from gravesend to Waterloo it was a very comfortable journey I’ve loved travelling on the networkers for several years but personally it’s good there gonna gradually get phrased out I will miss them but the railway has to move on with the modem age
Park bench seats being extra hardened I suppose
I think it’s best for South Western Railway to give up on using the Class 707 Desiro City and send to to Southeastern so that Southeastern can continue on using their “City Beam” trains on the metro and suburban lines in Southeast London, North Kent and on the Dartford Loop lines and to work alongside with the Class 376.
Or why not transfer the remaining Class 707s from SWR to Southeastern and Southeastern to give up on using the Class 376 and to transfer them to Southern to be used on the London Victoria/London Bridge-Cattenham Corner, Caterham, Epsom Downs, Reigate and London Victoria-London Bridge via Peckham Rye.