508205 passes Five Oak Green on 28 January 2001 with the 09:50 Three Bridges to Maidstone West Connex South Eastern service. In just over a mile, at Paddock Wood, the train would diverge from the Tonbridge to Ashford line, and head north down the Medway Valley. Twelve Class 508s had been transferred from Merseyside a few years previously, but they were not popular on the Southern Region. Despite being much more modern than the Class 411 4-CEPs that they replaced, their ride quality and lack of facilities was a real step backwards.