Final Class 707s enter service
THE last two Class 707 units to arrive from Germany, Nos. 707024/030, made their debut passenger runs on March 13, their first working being the 2V43/15.37 Waterloo-Waterloo via Hounslow.
The pair had been delivered to Clapham Yard for acceptance trials on February 24, being moved the previous evening by No. 56303 as the 6X87/22.36 Dollands Moor-Clapham Yard.
Earlier in the month, on March 10, Nos. 707021/022 – which had been delivered on February 10 – were put into service.
The introduction of these four units ends a process that began in August 2017 (see table) when two sets were used by South West Trains for a single day prior to the transfer of the franchise from Stagecoach to First Group on August 20. Proper entry to traffic began the following month.
The entry to service of the remaining units has enabled South Western Railway to introduce the full operating diagrams for ‘Desiro City’ units – 27 sets are to be in traffic on weekdays, giving a planned 90% fleet availability. They are due to remain with SWR until December 2019, but their future after this date, when they are due to be handed back to Angel Trains after being replaced by new Bombardier ‘Aventra’ EMUs, remains unclear.
LAST ‘387’ INTO TRAFFIC TOO
Great Western Railway’s last
