Class 701 'Aventra' trains for South Western Railway: progress updates

[Nicholas Lewis]

So SWR have this to say in their 2022/23 business plan

We will introduce the new Arterio fleet as soon as possible, while minimising risk to our timetable, and continue to manage the Arterio programme in line with our obligations. We recognise that there have been continuing problems that have prevented the start of driver training and delayed the programme of train acceptance, but close working with our partners Alstom and Rock Rail is expected to resolve this situation shortly.

followed by

2022/23 actions include: Agreeing with the DfT the roll-out milestones for our Arterio fleet • Introducing system enhancements including Attune train planning software and Solano train management system • Managing the cascade of our legacy fleets • Enhancing CCTV at four depots to increase security • Extending the provision of two trains per hour on the Island Line • Delivering efficient timetables that make the best use of available resources • Maintaining focus on safe operations

See

https://www.southwesternrailway.com...-us/our-plan/swr-business-plan-2022-2023.ashx

 

[spark001uk]

• Enhancing CCTV at four depots to increase security •

About time. Believe a 701 has already been repainted hasn't it?
Get some snipers in I say.!!

 

[43096]

So SWR have this to say in their 2022/23 business plan


followed by

See

https://www.southwesternrailway.com...-us/our-plan/swr-business-plan-2022-2023.ashx

So still in the "believe it when it happens" box then. No firm commitments on dates - not even one based on the seasons - suggests they are as far away as ever to deployment.

Mind you, the whole document is just utter waffle - although I was amused by the "Environment and sustainability" section being illustrated with a pair of Class 159s. Someone must have been having a laugh when they put that together!

 

[Elorith]

Well they've been "expecting to resolve the situation shortly" for well over a year now...

 

[XCTurbostar]

‘Resolve the situation shortly’.. yes but we’re nearly in August with no drivers or driver managers trained on the stock.. it won’t be for a few months at the earliest and it’s probably more realistic to say that revenue service will start from December

 

[moley]

Isn’t the document just to deflect from the fact that SWR are dropping their Dec-22 major timetable revamp they consulted on?

This after they did the same pre-pandemic with the very high capacity timetable.

 

[Invincible]

The 5Q51 1115 London Waterloo to Staines Up Loop test ran yesterday, but realtimetrains is not showing any data for today?

 

[Goldfish62]

Isn’t the document just to deflect from the fact that SWR are dropping their Dec-22 major timetable revamp they consulted on?

This after they did the same pre-pandemic with the very high capacity timetable.

The DfT won't allow the December 22 timetable to be introduced because it's a cost over the current "Covid" one and passenger numbers haven't recovered as much as predicted they would have by now at the time the Dec 22 timetable was developed.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

About time. Believe a 701 has already been repainted hasn't it?
Get some snipers in I say.!!

Not our friends at Feltham, surely?

 

[DelW]

The DfT won't allow the December 22 timetable to be introduced because it's a cost over the current "Covid" one and passenger numbers haven't recovered as much as predicted they would have by now at the time the Dec 22 timetable was developed.

Which of course means that the DfT is ignoring the fact that the current timetable was hastily cobbled together as a "temporary" emergency measure, provides very poor services and connections in many places, and won't encourage passengers to return unless and until it's replaced by a properly designed one - which the Dec 22 *might* have been.

Welcome back to the spirit of the 1980s and managed decline. No need for the 701s, just drive (sic) passengers off the trains and into cars instead.

 

[Goldfish62]

Which of course means that the DfT is ignoring the fact that the current timetable was hastily cobbled together as a "temporary" emergency measure, provides very poor services and connections in many places, and won't encourage passengers to return unless and until it's replaced by a properly designed one - which the Dec 22 *might* have been.

Welcome back to the spirit of the 1980s and managed decline. No need for the 701s, just drive (sic) passengers off the trains and into cars instead.

I'm with you in respect of the current timetable.

 

[EdChap]

Interesting that whilst I was watching TikTok yesterday (I know, I should have been doing something more useful) a short video, from South West Railway, appeared of a Class 701 unit (701048) and the caption read "All you 'Rail Fans' better be excited because we are releasing the 701 this summer!

Official channel. What are your thoughts?

Ed Chap

 

[XCTurbostar]

Interesting that whilst I was watching TikTok yesterday (I know, I should have been doing something more useful) a short video, from South West Railway, appeared of a Class 701 unit (701048) and the caption read "All you 'Rail Fans' better be excited because we are releasing the 701 this summer!

Official channel. What are your thoughts?

Ed Chap

No evidence to suggest this, I re-iterate, no drivers have yet been trained on the 701s..

 

[fgwrich]

No evidence to suggest this, I re-iterate, no drivers have yet been trained on the 701s..

I think SWR's new tagline should have been "You'll Believe it When You See It' Units still in the works, Units still needing modifications, no units handed over to SWR and No drivers trained on them. An absolute farce.

 

[galwhv69]

Interesting that whilst I was watching TikTok yesterday (I know, I should have been doing something more useful) a short video, from South West Railway, appeared of a Class 701 unit (701048) and the caption read "All you 'Rail Fans' better be excited because we are releasing the 701 this summer!

Official channel. What are your thoughts?

Ed Chap

I've seen that, and the style of writing replying to users makes it seen like someone's personal account who's making themselves look like SWR

 

[Bigfoot]

You’ll have hopefully seen from my message yesterday, that along with Network Rail and the Department for Transport we have taken the decision not to make any significant changes to our timetable in December this year. Given the current level of customer demand at around 70% of pre-Covid levels and the ongoing cost challenge facing the rail industry, this is a sensible approach that has been broadly acknowledged by our stakeholders.

We will be continuing with the timetable that’s currently operating well on our network for now. We’ve also been able to confirm this week that we have the stock in place to do this. This is thanks to the deferred departure of the remaining 707s and refurbishment of the 458s, and the tremendous work of our engineering teams in maintaining the fleet.

Source: staff newsletter.

 

[swt_passenger]

I've seen that, and the style of writing replying to users makes it seen like someone's personal account who's making themselves look like SWR

Is it possible to link to it please?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

This is thanks to the deferred departure of the remaining 707s and refurbishment of the 458s, and the tremendous work of our engineering teams in maintaining the fleet.
Source: staff newsletter.

So this infers that until sufficient 701's are in traffic the remaining 707's are going nowhere nor are they going to get the 458 refurbishment programme going although that's another SWR waste of money.

 

[galwhv69]

Is it possible to link to it please?

SWR on TikTok

All you ‘Rail Fans’ better be excited becuse we are releasing the 701 this summer!

vm.tiktok.com

 

[swt_passenger]

SWR on TikTok

All you ‘Rail Fans’ better be excited becuse we are releasing the 701 this summer!

vm.tiktok.com

Thanks. As you say it doesn’t look particularly official, does it.

 

[XAM2175]

Official channel.

It's not an official channel.

 

[Agent_Squash]

Interesting that whilst I was watching TikTok yesterday (I know, I should have been doing something more useful) a short video, from South West Railway, appeared of a Class 701 unit (701048) and the caption read "All you 'Rail Fans' better be excited because we are releasing the 701 this summer!

Official channel. What are your thoughts?

Ed Chap

There’s a lot of fake TOC TikTok’s set up by rail fans. As @XAM2175 says, that account is one of them.

 

[Goldfish62]

There’s a lot of fake TOC TikTok’s set up by rail fans. As @XAM2175 says, that account is one of them.

Apart from it being amateurish an obvious giveaway is that SWR do not in any public-facing communication refer to the trains as 701s. They always use the name Arterio.

 

[Snow1964]

Source: staff newsletter.

The phrase “broadly acknowledged by our stakeholders“ is a very polite way of saying they don’t really like it, but are resigned to it.

What worries me is that this usually implies given up making any serious effort at improving things, and will just allow a slow decline.

I do wonder if what is being said is that ASLEF have worn has down over the new trains, so now we are going with overall cuts (compared to 3 years ago) because it is easier. Maybe union has overdone it if ends up with less work for their members.

 

[Goldfish62]

The phrase “broadly acknowledged by our stakeholders“ is a very polite way of saying they don’t really like it, but are resigned to it.

What worries me is that this usually implies given up making any serious effort at improving things, and will just allow a slow decline.

I do wonder if what is being said is that ASLEF have worn has down over the new trains, so now we are going with overall cuts (compared to 3 years ago) because it is easier. Maybe ifunion has overdone it if ends up with less work for their members.

Well, the DfT will be happy with this outcome because all they're concerned with is cutting costs.

What I assume they haven't factored in is that if the 701s aren't going to be introduced the 455s will need a major overhaul to continue in service for however many more years.

 

[nlogax]

What I assume they haven't factored in is that if the 701s aren't going to be introduced the 455s will need a major overhaul to continue in service for however many more years.

I have been wondering about this. They appear to be reliable for now but outside of the traction packages they're extremely long in the tooth and grim to travel in at this time of year. Feels like SWR are in for a big problem if these 701s stay on the sidelines for much longer.

 

[XCTurbostar]

I would imagine that SWRs plan is to get one 701 in service as soon as possible to remove the two units most out of miles and then progressively increase dependant on drivers trained? Has ASLEF even accepted these trains yet?

 

[swr444]

I would imagine that SWRs plan is to get one 701 in service as soon as possible to remove the two units most out of miles and then progressively increase dependant on drivers trained? Has ASLEF even accepted these trains yet?

No they haven’t.

 

[Mikey C]

Well, the DfT will be happy with this outcome because all they're concerned with is cutting costs.

What I assume they haven't factored in is that if the 701s aren't going to be introduced the 455s will need a major overhaul to continue in service for however many more years.

Nobody has said that the current situation is the long term one, just that it will continue after December.

It certainly isn't saying that the 455s will be here for years

 

[Goldfish62]

Nobody has said that the current situation is the long term one, just that it will continue after December.

It certainly isn't saying that the 455s will be here for years

Indeed, but we are no further forward than this time last year and I'm afraid in prevailing circumstances I just assume "deferred" actually means "cancelled".

Personally, I doubt if we'll ever see the proposed December timetable. Any changes will be tweaks to the current timetable.

As for the 701s, I can see them being rejected, sent back to Alstom for reconfiguration and "re-ordered" as a Networker replacement programme. Meanwhile SWR will soldier on as the oldest fleet in the country with the 455s overhauled and the 458 rebuild programme cancelled. The punters on the Portsmouth Direct will just have to live with their 450s.

PS The above might seem far-fetched, but we live in "interesting" times.