Late 2023 and SWT's much delayed fleet of class 701 EMUs have yet to carry a single passenger in normal service. The one bright spot in this tragic tale is the work they provide for GBRf's Class 47s, dragging the unfortunate units to and from Eastleigh Depot.
47727 passed Potbridge with 5Q20, the 09:09 delivery run from Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh, on 15 November 2023. After commissioning and mileage accumulation the unit, 701522, would probably join its classmates in store somewhere, waiting for an eventual entry into service, possibly sometime this century .