Greater Anglia Bombardier Aventras (Class 720): Technical discussion and introduction

[3973EXL]

720511

Realtime Trains | 5Q16 1009 Ilford E.M.U.D. to Worksop Down Yard | 13/06/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q16 1009 departure from Ilford E.M.U.D. to Worksop Down Yard on 13/06/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[robert west]

720511

Realtime Trains | 5Q16 1009 Ilford E.M.U.D. to Worksop Down Yard | 13/06/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q16 1009 departure from Ilford E.M.U.D. to Worksop Down Yard on 13/06/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Does anyone know why this one is going back to worksop and if any others are due to move
many thanks

 

[NSEWonderer]

Does anyone know why this one is going back to worksop and if any others are due to move
many thanks

Seating reconfiguration modifications

 

[Russel]

Seating reconfiguration modifications

What kind of modifications?

 

[robert west]

What kind of modifications?

gussing getting rid of the 3+2 areas and making it all 2+2 so wider gangways and easier to walk through

 

[800001]

gussing getting rid of the 3+2 areas and making it all 2+2 so wider gangways and easier to walk through

Not what I’ve heard, I’ve heard it’s to do with seats around the vestibules.
Some 720/1 have been delivered different and it is being done to the rest of fleet.
3+2 is staying.

 

[185]

Seems to be no mention across the site of the prang at Southminster where 720106 went into the buffers at lunchtime on Wednesday. Thursday (2J30, 1326 arrival).

May be driver error, but interested to see if there was a unit fault.


edited, it was yesterday

 

[Railperf]

Seems to be no mention across the site of the prang at Southminster where 720106 went into the buffers at lunchtime on Wednesday. (2J30, 1326 arrival).

May be driver error, but interested to see if there was a unit fault.

GA reported an operational incident via their app. Wondered what that might be. Sounds like you answered it

 

[NSEWonderer]

Seems to be no mention across the site of the prang at Southminster where 720106 went into the buffers at lunchtime on Wednesday. (2J30, 1326 arrival).

May be driver error, but interested to see if there was a unit fault.

RTT has that as 720103 which formed 2J25 back to Wickford and which left Southminster ontime.

 

[Railperf]

BBC news story ..hit buffers at a very low speed

Lines at Southminster station blocked after train hits buffers

An eye witness tells BBC Essex that a train struck the buffers earlier this afternoon.

www.google.com

 

[Gulf1159]

RTT has that as 720103 which formed 2J25 back to Wickford and which left Southminster ontime.

It was on Thursday 13 June

 

[NSEWonderer]

It was on Thursday 13 June

Ah that makes sense

 

[Russel]

gussing getting rid of the 3+2 areas and making it all 2+2 so wider gangways and easier to walk through

Now that would be nice!

Not what I’ve heard, I’ve heard it’s to do with seats around the vestibules.
Some 720/1 have been delivered different and it is being done to the rest of fleet.
3+2 is staying.

Knew it would be too good to be true!

 

[720144]

142 currently doing the usual test runs from ilford to Southend vic & 511 has gone to Worksop for some seats around the vestibules. 106 ran into the southminster buffers due to a fault w the brakes

 

[RUK]

At least it doesn’t look as dramatic as the last time an Aventra hit a buffer stop, when 710 124 hit the buffers at Enfield Town!

 

[dk1]

Fit some out with 2+2 seating and tables and they would probably be fine as cover for 745s!

Better still just put extra luggage space in too and designate them to Stansted Express diagrams thus eliminating 745s from the West keeping them on GEML nearer to to their home depot. There was around 20 surplus 720s to requirements so that would be ideal for the airport fleet.

 

[Russel]

Better still just put extra luggage space in too and designate them to Stansted Express diagrams thus eliminating 745s from the West keeping them on GEML nearer to to their home depot. There was around 20 surplus 720s to requirements so that would be ideal for the airport fleet.

Exactly this!

Far too sensible.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Better still just put extra luggage space in too and designate them to Stansted Express diagrams thus eliminating 745s from the West keeping them on GEML nearer to to their home depot. There was around 20 surplus 720s to requirements so that would be ideal for the airport fleet.

Might actually happen after the election tbh as there is probably minimal people left now in the dft and the bid team to hold the line and avoid admitting they got the quantities wrong on the orders, it always amazes me how industries/governments cause themselves a problem for many years to save a few pounds on capex ( although in this case it's leasing costs) by very ambitious assumptions.

 

[GEC465]

106 ran into the southminster buffers due to a fault w the brakes

Is there a source for this?

 

[1D54]

Taken from BBC News.

 

[800001]

Taken from BBC News.

I think they meant the nature of the fault that caused the buffer collision.

 

[robert west]

Taken from BBC News.

according to real time trains 720142 is in service and will be on the 1720 liverpool street to braintree tonight

 

[306024]

Might actually happen after the election tbh as there is probably minimal people left now in the dft and the bid team to hold the line and avoid admitting they got the quantities wrong on the orders, it always amazes me how industries/governments cause themselves a problem for many years to save a few pounds on capex ( although in this case it's leasing costs) by very ambitious assumptions.

More precisely they got their timetabling assumptions wrong in ordering the fleet they did. Running the Norwich service in 100 minute timings with 20 minute turnrounds would have only needed 8 diagrams. Unfortunately they failed to consider there were other trains on the same track. But yes I’d be slightly more optimistic that ultimately the right solution may be arrived at, with 745/1s being moved to the GEML, but it’s a circuitous route to get there.

 

[720144]

according to real time trains 720142 is in service and will be on the 1720 liverpool street to braintree tonight

At last made its debut on Southend runs yesterday & today starts on an early cambridge peak then sits in orient way until about 6ish then forms peak hour returns to Braintree & back to Southend for 2 returns coupled up with 548. That means that leaves us with only 502 503 504 505 510 516 534 104 137 139 140 141 143 & 144

 

[St. Paddy]

720505 returned from Worksop to Derby yesterday, I believe it was the last one left at Worksop

 

[Tram203]

At last made its debut on Southend runs yesterday & today starts on an early cambridge peak then sits in orient way until about 6ish then forms peak hour returns to Braintree & back to Southend for 2 returns coupled up with 548. That means that leaves us with only 502 503 504 505 510 516 520 534 104 137 139 140 141 143 & 144

720520 has been in service since at least 9th Feb 2023 (the one and only time I've had it).

 

[720144]

720520 has been in service since at least 9th Feb 2023 (the one and only time I've had it).

Nice that only leaves us with 13/14 units to go then ga can start leasing out some to c2c as-if that will ever happen as the 357s aren’t going anywhere for ages tho they will be getting refurbished at ilford soon so there might need to be a few peak hour slots to fill in for the few 357s getting refurbished if possible in the next 2 years

 

[dk1]

Nice that only leaves us with 13/14 units to go then ga can start leasing out some to c2c as-if that will ever happen as the 357s aren’t going anywhere for ages tho they will be getting refurbished at ilford soon so there might need to be a few peak hour slots to fill in for the few 357s getting refurbished if possible in the next 2 years

357s have to last until at least 2028-2030.

 

[greaterangrier]

DOO camera faults have suddenly become increasingly common - I'm seeing around 1 per day. Has this been noticed by anyone else? It's causing a couple of service gaps at smaller stations.

 

[dk1]

DOO camera faults have suddenly become increasingly common - I'm seeing around 1 per day. Has this been noticed by anyone else? It's causing a couple of service gaps at smaller stations.

So lucky on the East with 745/755s as almost everything has a guard so camera faults cause us no problem or delay.