Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2021 to Question 131410 on South Western Railway: Rolling Stock, what the proposed timeline is for the South Western Railway Class 455, 456, 458 and 707 fleet leaving the operator; and when the new Class 701 will be open for passenger service.

The first of the new Class 701 trains is expected to be in passenger service from early Summer this year, with the full fleet to be deployed in passenger service over the following 12 months, enabling the cascade of the current fleets out of South Western Railway on a like-for-like basis as the new trains enter passenger service. This timeline is contingent upon there being no further delays in the delivery and acceptance of the new trains, a risk that is heightened with the current situation with COVID-19, and completion of the associated training for the traincrew to enable the trains to be operated in passenger service. However, I can confirm that first two Class 707 units have already been cascaded to Southeastern Railway.