The CEPG are overjoyed to finally announce we have successfully completed the purchase of BR Class 309 EMU No. 624, Preventing it from being broken for spares and securing its future in preservation...
With this, we are proud to have successfully achieved the first big step in our organisation’s main goal. It’s been a long road with many setbacks but we are proud to say that 309 624 will continue to be preserved.
The purchase has been funded by a generous benefactor, who first approached us back in December. After this, the main challenge has been finding a new home. All of our original options did not materialise, so after much discussion with the Lavender Line, we have reached an 18-month deal to allow us to stay on-site paying commercial storage fees. Our long-term aim is still to get the set back to East Anglia.
Hopefully, now we have this time we can carry out some initial conservation and restoration work, working towards the possibility of getting the vehicles operational, then subsequently we can re-approach various railways in the future.
We are incredibly grateful to the Lavender Line for providing the space to keep the set safe, without this deal the set would have assuredly been sold off for spares.
The "Clacton Express" should now have a brighter future ahead!
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