22 October 2025 •
On Saturday 18 October local train operator c2c railway opened up the doors to its East Ham depot for over 90 lucky competition winners for the first time.
2025 marks 200 years of the railway in the UK, so as part of the Railway 200 celebrations, c2c decided to host its first Depot Open Day, where over 800 people applied for places to be taken on the unique depot tour.
The experience started with a private train from Fenchurch Street station to East Ham depot, which gave winners the chance to see c2c’s fleet up close, as well as meet the amazing c2c team behind the scenes.
c2c’s East Ham depot is the home of 74 class 357 trains and 12 class 720/6 trains. Each day, all trains leaving the depot are cleaned and serviced for customers’ daily commute or trip to the seaside and run a staggering circa seven million miles every year.
Stuart Browning, c2c Safety & Operations Director, said:
“We received a huge amount of interest about the depot open day and it’s been great to see so much excitement and interest from our communities. We would love to do more of these events in the future!”
Originally opened in 1961 when the line was electrified, the depot has the facilities to replace wheels, pantographs and air conditioning modules as well as the many smaller components that make up the modern train.
The open day also featured a raffle for c2c merchandise, which raised over £1,000 for the Macmillan Cancer Support.
Peter Hubbard, c2c Rolling Stock Specialist, said:
“As part of the Railway 200 celebrations, we welcomed over 90 lucky rail enthusiasts to East Ham depot – for our first open day since it opened in 1961. Guests arrived on three special trains from Fenchurch Street and were given guided tours by the c2c Fleet team, showcasing everything from cab access to the wheel drop and waste systems. Staff from c2c Operations, Alstom and Bidvest were on hand to explain how the trains work and are maintained, answering hundreds of questions throughout the day.
“Thanks also to the generosity of attendees through a c2c sealed bid auction, we raised over £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. It was a fantastic day enjoyed by all!”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
About c2c
- c2c is the award-winning train operator running services between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, serving 26 stations in East London and South Essex.
- c2c is one of the UK’s most punctual and popular train operators and nearly 37.3 million journeys are made on its services every year.
- The operation of all c2c services transferred into public ownership on Sunday 20 July 2025 and is managed by DFTO (DfT Operator Ltd).
- For more information email mediaenquiries@c2crail.net
Images
Featured Image – c2c East Ham Depot Open Day tour
Second Image – c2c Safety and Operations Director, Stuart Browning, on the tour
Third Image – Depot Open Day tour
Fourth Image – Depot Open Day guests on the train to East Ham Depot
Fifth Image – Depot Open Day tour aboard the train to the East Ham Depot