c2c Aventra debut
The passenger debut for c2c’s fleet of 12 Class 720/6 Aventra units arrived earlier than expected on September 27, when 720609 and 720610 were deployed to work 1B21, the 07.29 Thorpe Bay-Fenchurch Street, before emerging again in the evening peak to form 1B80, the 17.16 Fenchurch Street-Shoeburyness. Other sets noted making their debuts were 720601 and 720605, with the amended 1B86 17.58 Barking-Shoeburyness on October 9, while 720602 and 720604 formed 1B39, the 07.39 Shoeburyness-Fenchurch Street, the next morning.
Class 707s finish with SWR
The last passenger working for the Class 707s with South Western Railway took place late on October 13 when 707024 and 707030 formed 2O63, the 20.30 Waterloo-Waterloo circular via Twickenham and Wimbledon. The units then ran to Wimbledon depot to be prepared for transfer to Southeastern, being the last pair to go. Back on September 29/30, 707015 and 707016 ran from Clapham Yard to Grove Park overnight, while 707017 and 707022 repeated the exchange on October 13/14.
More Networkers stored
As a result of the arrival of the Desiro City units, Southeastern has sent further Networkers into store. On September 18, 37884 removed 465931 and 466017 from Gillingham to Worksop and the Type 3 visited the Kent depot again three days later to collect 465920 and 466009 and then on September 28 to haul 465921 and 466005 away. 5Q26, the 11.01 Gillingham-Worksop, ran once more on October 12, with 465934 and 466030 behind the same Rail Operations Group locomotive.
TfW phases out Class 175s
The rundown of the troubled Class 175 fleet was more or less completed in mid-October as the units ceased to have any planned diagrams from October 16, with appearances thereafter on an ad-hoc basis to cover for stock shortages. Four of the Alstombuilt DMUs had begun the month still nominally available for traffic in the form of 175101/109/113/114, but rather than be deployed on their usual north-south duties, workings in the South Wales valleys were instead noted, including visits to Ebbw Vale and Maesteg. Five of the sets can now be found at Ilford, with 175010 running to the East London depot from Crewe on September 29, while 175005 headed east from Landore on October 9, the
