On the 24th August, Southeastern is opening the doors to its Ashford Train Maintenance Centre in celebration of Railway 200.

The event will run from 10 am until 4 pm, with ticket proceeds going into running the event, and any profit will be sent to the 5 Railway 200 charities.

The exclusive one-day event will allow thousands of people to glimpse behind the scenes of one of the busiest depots in the south east.

Those attending will be able to get up close and personal with locomotives, both new and old and learn about the careers across the railway and what each role entails.

Locomotives on show in the maintenance shed will include the Class 395 Javelin (395015), the special Railway 200 train and the Network SouthEast Networker, 465908.

Outside in the yard, there will be a selection of heritage locomotives:

• Clan line steam engine
• MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle)
• Hastings Diesel ‘Thumper’
• Balfour Beatty Tamper
• Class 73
• Class 66
• Bluebell ‘Stepney’ Locomotive

Do take note that locomotives are subject to change before the event.

Further information about the range of stands which will also be present can be found on Southeastern’s website.

Additionally, should anyone have accessibility requirements, they can contact Southeastern here; however, not all aspects of the depot will be accessible.

Lastly, tickets can be booked online here.

“We are incredibly proud of the hard work which goes on behind the scenes at Ashford every single day and this open day is a fantastic opportunity to show what it takes to keep delivering a reliable service for our customers.  

“In addition to the opportunity to see a variety of trains and provide a huge range of fun activities for adults and children, we also want to demonstrate the variety of rewarding careers available in the railway.

“But, space is limited and we expect this special event to sell out quickly so buy your tickets today.”

Jim Shead, Ashford Depot Manager, Southeastern