South Woodford resident Lakshman Pathak recalls how the Class 315 train from First Great Eastern sparked his love of railways and led to a restoration project in time for the train’s 45th birthday
The Elizabeth Line is London’s brand new railway, but before it opened, the commuter lines from East London and Essex into London Liverpool Street once looked very different. They were run with a different kind of train, known as Class 315, dating from 1981. Class 315 trains formed the basis of my childhood during the early-to-mid 2000s. On many occasions, my mum would take me and my brother on the Central Line from South Woodford to Stratford before connecting with one of those trains to take me to my grandparents’ house in Romford.
During this time, the services from Liverpool Street to Stratford, Ilford, Romford and Shenfield ran under First Great Eastern, a privatised Train Operating Company that began in 1997. Their trains, including the Class 315s, sported eye-catching livery of blue, green and grey curves. This, combined with the noise, character and even smell of the trains, is what formed my enthusiasm for transport, and without doubt, my current job on the railway.
I attended Oakdale Junior School during this time, and I was never one for following the latest trends with my classmates. But train journeys filled me with joy, and in my spare time, I used to draw the Class 315 trains in First Great Eastern livery on whatever piece of paper was available.
In 2025, after initially joining a movement to save a Class 315 from the scrapyard a few years prior, I decided to take a big step up and lead the direction of the train’s new life in preservation (owing to the legacy group suffering from financial difficulties caused by internal foul play). Merging with a friend’s similar preservation group, we co-founded a non-profit organisation called the Alternating Current Multiple Unit Society, focused on the Class 315 and other similar trains.
And so, Project Yellow Submarine was launched, in good time for the train’s 45th birthday. Named after the Beatles’ song (because the end of the train’s cab is yellow and the interior was soaking wet from leaks), this project formed the biggest rolling series of undercover roof and bodywork repairs to the train since it entered preservation. A fundraiser brought in over £1,500 in just three days. The main work on the leading vehicle was carried out over 10 days in January 2026 at the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway in Wales. Not only was our primary objective met, a secret secondary ambition was met too: one side was repainted in First Great Eastern livery, just like I used to draw 20 years ago. It feels good to come full circle, having started as a child who just liked trains to owning the sole-surviving Class 315 and painting the vehicle exactly how I remember it. But by no means was this a solo endeavour. I want to thank everyone who helped get this preservation effort back on track.
For more information on Project Yellow Submarine, visit acmusociety.com
