The Clacton Express Preservation Group, which was formed to save the three-car express electric multiple unit Class 309 624 from scrap and restore it to working order, has announced that the benefactor who helped secure the initial purchase of the unit last year has decided to step away from the project.

However, this does not mark the end of the Clacton Express Preservation Group as it has engaged in a lot of discussions up to this point to ensure that it can find a way forward. The unit will be listed “For Sale” on the group’s website, with the priority being to keep all three carriages of the unit in one piece as a set. The ideal solution would be for a new benefactor to purchase the unit outright, with the Clacton Express Preservation Group coming as part of the package so it can continue to support the vehicles wherever they are located.

The unit is currently stored at Isfield on the Lavender Line, and the Clacton Express Preservation Group’s agreement with the Lavender Line lasts until October 2023, and the group intends to make full use of that agreement until it expires.

A “New Works Plan” has been formulated to ensure that more working parties work on the unit regularly until October. Those plans have been sent to The Lavender Line and the group is now awaiting further communication.

Although this is not good news, the Clacton Express Preservation Group remains confident that a solution can be found and 309 624 will have a future. It is working on a number of options behind the scenes, and all those who have supported the group so far will continue to do so through the challenging year ahead.

309 is being offered for sale on an as-seen and where-lying basis, and the successful buyer must remove the complete unit from Isfield within two months of purchase. There is reasonable road access to the site, and assistance with loading will be provided to the buyer. The group is open to reasonable offers for the unit, and it can be inspected by appointment.

Full details of the unit’s present condition and sale details are on the group’s webpage here.