Southeastern is gearing up for the introduction of extra services this December with the arrival of more modern trains.
Between now and the start of the new Southeastern timetable, Southeastern will receive the first two additional Class 377 units following a joint agreement with Govia Thameslink Railway.
The trains will help provide a more reliable service and a better experience for customers with air conditioning, at-seat plug sockets, and improved onboard information.
A further 11 trains will enter passenger service before December 2025.
They will mainly be used to replace the older Networkers on the Maidstone East and Tunbridge Wells lines.
Southeastern’s new timetable includes the introduction of an extra 220 weekly services across the Southeastern network from 15 December. Two evening services from Charing Cross to Maidstone East will be extended to Ashford International on weekdays.
Sophie Barker, Head of Major Programmes at Southeastern, said:
"The arrival of these trains is a key milestone in our ongoing work to provide a more reliable service by modernising our fleet.
"The Class 377s have better acceleration and braking than the Networkers they're replacing. This should help us provide a more reliable service, while providing a better experience for customers.”
The 13 units will join the 23 existing Class 377s already operated by Southeastern. Maintenance will continue to be provided by Govia Thameslink Railway.
Steve Lammin, Engineering Director at Govia Thameslink Railway, said:
“We’re delighted to be able to assist Southeastern with this major improvement for customers. This demonstrates how the industry works together for the benefit of everyone.
“We are making this possible by bringing in 30 additional Class 379 Electrostars over the course of next year, which will start work on our network early in 2025.”
It's part of a wider plan to upgrade Southeastern's various fleets of trains and follows the introduction of 30 City Beam trains to provide a better and more reliable service on Southeastern's Metro routes.
A £27 million project to refurbish Southeastern's highspeed trains continues. As of late November, 22 of the 29 Class 395s have now received a full interior refresh, including new seats and carpets, LED lighting, and USB at-seat charging.
Further work to improve the existing Metro fleet will be announced shortly and a procurement process to replace the fleet of Networkers with new or upgraded trains continues.
