South Western Arterio in storage near Bicester?

[PLY2AYS]

Between Bicester Villiage and Islip on the Up, there’s a loop with a junction off into an MOD facility. Can’t remember the name as I’m still route learning, (think it’s next to Langford Village on the map) but parked inside the set of gates is (what appears to be to me) a South West Trains 701 Arterio.
Now I am assuming that this is merely housed here for some form of storage, rather than military purposes… or perhaps I have completely mistaken the installation/infrastructure along the route.

Just curious if anyone knows where or what I mean!?

 

[norbitonflyer]

MoD Bicester is one of several sites used to store rolling stock that, for one reason or another, is not in operational use. For example the GWR 769s went there. Marchwood, near Southampton, and Long Marston in the Cotswolds, are other such sites.

Being military sites, they have the advantage of being securely fenced and guarded, making vandalism less likely.

EXCLUSIVE: Rail Operations Group to store stock at MoD Bicester

Rail Operations Group leases space at MoD Bicester as it eyes expanding storage business

www.railmagazine.com

Rail Operations Group has agreed a deal to use MoD Bicester as a storage facility.

Speaking exclusively to RAIL, the company’s Chief Executive Officer Karl Watts said: “Bicester is massive. It has 5,200 metres of storage, and we will put anything there.”

As context, the site could hold 266 23-metre Mk 3 coaches, or 65 four-car electric multiple units (each vehicle being 20 metres).

 

[Taunton]

Security such sites provide is key.

Only last Friday I passed West Ruislip Underground depot, where the historic 1938 museum Tube train, and the comparable 1960 stock vehicles were visible, both absolutely ruined by imbecile graffiti covering the entire sides of multiple cars. It's complete criminal damage, but despite countless see it-say it-sorted messages the transport police seem incapable of identifying any of the perpetrators. So storage at a military base, with all the costs of haulage to and fro, is the best that can be done.

 

[Cowley]

Now that the question has been answered we feel that we should leave it at that.

Thanks