Thameslink 377 running Charing Cross to Hastings?

[mister-sparky]

Hey guys,

Today at Tunbridge Wells station around 5.30pm I was awaiting a northbound departure, and out of the tunnel and into the southbound platform came a Thameslink purple liveried 377 working a service to Hastings!

It was a shock to see a Thameslink unit at Tunbridge Wells!

Have the previous proposals to run peak-only to T.Wells come to fruition a few years early? Or have Southeastern just borrowed some units? If so, why?

Thanks.

 

[TheJRB]

It's a case of shared stock at the moment. There are a few Southeastern services booked to use 377s and they are swapped out regularly, mainly through empty stock movements to and from Bellingham Sidings which are used both by Thameslink and Southeastern.

You saw the pair on 1H90, the 16:20 Charing Cross to Hastings, the down 90 minute service. After spending some of the evening in Hastings, they head back up empty stock to Victoria Grosvenor Shed.

 

[tsr]

Hmmm, yet another rather confusing Thameslink stock swap for passengers, methinks! It's bad enough for some to be going around with different logos slapped on, albeit virtually impossible to prevent. However, having a Thameslink-branded unit so far off their network, and with a guard, must lead to some interesting questions from passengers. It's bad enough with the ex-Southern-liveried 319s!

Yes, I know this is making the best of the situation, and there's really not much that can be done about it. But you'd hope if this continues that there'd be a way to announce that another company is using the stock - it can happen on CIS with Southern using their more specialised Express stock, though that's internal.

Now, a question: does half the First Class seating remain declassified on these units, or is it reinstated somehow? I should imagine it does remain for anyone to use, or so my common sense would tell me.