News from HDL

Our DEMUs’ status

Last updated on 1 July 2025

Our main-line certified DEMUs are based at St. Leonards depot. They can now be regarded as two distinct units:

• 1001 the (largely!) blue&grey three- or four-car DEMU
• 1013 the green six-car DEMU

DEMU 1001 is currently on loan to the Bluebell Railway, and its formation is:

[East Grinstead end] 60000 Hastings – 60502 – 60501 – 60116 Mountfield [Sheffield Park end]

DEMU 1013’s formation at St. Leonards depot is:

[Bexhill end] 60119 – 60529 – 70262 – 69337 – 60528 – 60118 Tunbridge Wells [Ashford end]

[correct as at 1 July 2025]

Following the re-certification of motor coach 60000 Hastings in early January 2025, the subsequent completion of maintenance to trailer 60501, and the completion & certification of trailer 60502, our train(s) now have ten active vehicles certified for main-line use, including the CEP coach and Buffet car. See our Fleet list for full details.

The restoration of trailer coach 60502 reached a milestone this spring, as it was main-line certified on 29 April 2025, and went on a test/turning trip on 9 June 2025; it made its return to passenger service on our Wymondham Winder railtour to Norwich on 21 June 2025.

The restoration of 60119 our fourth motor coach is completed! It has been re-certified for main-line running, following its inspection on Monday 24 April 2023. This vehicle finally carried fare-paying passengers on 3 September 2023, the first such occasion for around 35 years!

The restoration of trailer coach 60528 is completed! It has been re-certified for main-line running and was marshalled into our train on Monday 17 April 2023, in place of 60501 which was then stopped for maintenance from which it has since re-emerged.

During autumn 2022, our train was also retro-fitted with Controlled Emission Toilet equipment so that its toilets no longer discharge onto the track.

Please visit the DEMU Diary to see our train’s recent activities, as well as a record of its many workings on the main line since March 2003. See also the HDL Railtour archive.