These trains were supposed to be the future. What happened?



Daniel, Dylan, and guest Willow/Antigod finally make a video dedicated to the Class 465 Networker, a train which sparks controversy within the train community, but most ultimately agree has seen better days, both in terms of passenger comfort and the quality of its maintenance.

Antigod: https://www.youtube.com/@antigod8385

465 NSE livery and 465 Connex livery photos: The original uploader was Our Phellap at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 {http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/} via Wikimedia Commons

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTfLThree

Discord (free!): https://discord.gg/mwT5Anm3bj

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28 thoughts on “These trains were supposed to be the future. What happened?”

  1. CORRECTION: The Metro Cammell units still have their original traction system, it's the BREL/ABB ones that were replaced with Hitachi VF Drives. You can tell because these ones sound like 395s.

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  2. 15:18 Although I get why they need to say it, but I'm not sure how much use Bromley North passengers have for the piccadilly line in practice. That line has everything wrong with SouthEastern written on it – (Mostly) irrelevant information and a confirmation that they will be running a crappy train. What more do you need from SouthEastern.

    I am obviously joking with that Piccadilly line point.

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  3. You guys really need to work on your audio issues. When the channel was new it was excusable, not so much now.

    BTW the whole blue pole / orange pole thing really has nothing to do with the manufacturer, that is just a by product of which subset of units were converted to /9. I don't remember what colour the poles were originally but I'm pretty sure they were all the same regardless of the sub class or manufacturer.

    Fwiw, back when these units were still fairly new I would always choose (when possible) a slam door train over a networker. Conversely – 5 years ago I would have chosen a networker over a 376. I no longer live in the area so can't comment more recent than that.

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  4. When I was on the 465 earlier this year. The toilets looked like it had be hit by a bomb in WW3. Just imagioning it. When the 465 were refurbished? Was it a cannot be bothered refurbishment?

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  5. Ah the 465s. I share your dislike for them. Was on one a few weeks ago and the ankle-level heaters were burning my feet. Plus what is that smell that always seems to lurk in them? To say nothing about the sticky floors (one shudders to think!!). I really hope TFL takes over Southeastern Metro (this is possible, given the new Government's stated plan for the railways) and we get something new and shiny in terms of rolling stock.

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  6. You need to come down to the East Kent Railway as they have the prototype networker (Class 457) and the only surviving Class 365 Networker too (ok not fully complete three carraiges though). 29th Sept they are doing a English Electric Running day with the Cl73 and Class 08 running.

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  7. they got old. that, and TOCs don’t look after trains that they expect will be replaced/withdrawn in the near future. same things happening with 455s, the unrefurbed 458s and it happened with 319s and 317s (the latter being a particularly bad case, considerably worse than the networkers imo).

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  8. A big issue is what sort of maintenance regime they were designed to expect and what is actually provided. Units like the 376 were designed more realistically to endure the kind of maintenance that the 465s get rather than what the designers expected they would get. That means no lavs, rock hard seats and the like, but they are turned out from the depot more in line with what they are supposed to be like. Units for inner suburban runs with unforgiving passengers will never have good lives.

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  9. There is no need to do toilet reviews on trains we all know what they are like. The south east and London do not deserve new trains as they don’t know how to look after them and do not respect the public transport.

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  10. If the 465 story was tragic then the 365 story is downright criminal.
    Perfectly good and still relatively young trains all completely scrapped well before their end of life while older trains remain in service. Thanks to the DfT being completely incompetent at managing rolling stock.

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  11. Good points made, if somewhat depressing … I remember them when they were new, in NSE livery – pretty good then. It was nice that they still had opening windows.

    Ages ago there used to be a good fish-and-chip shop at Bromley North station – is it still there?

    Look forward to your next production

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  12. The Class 465 and Class 466 Networker trains should continue for another 10 years until they reach 50 years old I think. Then see them being replaced by new trains that train manufacturers are willing to build new trains for Southeastern.

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