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

[D365]

I find it surpriseing that 701 units are still being sent away "off patch" when they are supposedly currently entering service.

Most units aren’t yet fit for passenger service.

 

[DelW]

I find it surpriseing that 701 units are still being sent away "off patch" when they are supposedly currently entering service. My probably synical thinking is that the Long Marston storeage rates are cheaper that those charged by Arrival Traincare Eastleigh, but then again it must cost "big bucks" to move these units around. ROG, GBRf and the other operators charge the going rate, they don't do it out of the goodness of their hearts, AND there is also the minor point of Tack Access Charges - I would not like to pay them !

We're all paying (a share of) all those charges - remember it's taxpayers who are paying all the bills, not SWR. They just pocket their management fee, for the next few months anyway. Heads they win, tails we lose, in this ongoing charade.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

I find it surpriseing that 701 units are still being sent away "off patch" when they are supposedly currently entering service.

Most units aren’t yet fit for passenger service.

It's less that (although they do need to go through some rectification programme) and more so there's no space on site with all the 455s and such

 

[DMckduck]

The five car 701s will be ’deprioritised’.

The 5 cars should still be quite high on the list, the bay at Kingston only fits 8 car and is there not other places where a 10 car 701 also won't fit?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The 5 cars should still be quite high on the list, the bay at Kingston only fits 8 car and is there not other places where a 10 car 701 also won't fit?

I hardly think what can and can’t use the Kingston bay is among the most pressing of issues when it comes to the 701 rollout.

 

[Class15]

I hardly think what can and can’t use the Kingston bay is among the most pressing of issues when it comes to the 701 rollout.

There are those weird services on Sunday afternoon that go via Hounslow, reverse at Twickenham and terminate at Kingston, correct?

 

[Peter Sarf]

The five car 701s will be ’deprioritised’.

The 5 cars should still be quite high on the list, the bay at Kingston only fits 8 car and is there not other places where a 10 car 701 also won't fit?

If there are too many 701/5s (post Covid) then will there be sufficient 450s or 458/4s to run the odd service that dictates 8 or less cars ?. Plus I would suspect that not all thirty 701/5s would become surplus so perhaps ten would remain - or perhaps the remaining 458/5s will get a reprieve.

But then how definite is it that the 701/5s are "deprioritised" and/or does that just mean their entry into traffic will be last ?.

And if only a delay to introduction then in the meantime the 458/5s can possibly soldier on.

But that is enough speculation on the back of something that perhaps requires more proof ?.

 

[Kite159]

There are those weird services on Sunday afternoon that go via Hounslow, reverse at Twickenham and terminate at Kingston, correct?

Although those in theory could be changed, and terminate at Strawberry Hill if need be

 

[swtrains]

2H76 replaced by a single 458.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Y18722/2024-12-19/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[norbitonflyer]

Only four out this morning, but a landmark as it is 701037's 100th (non-consecutive) day in passenger service

 

[SWT_USER]

The 5 cars should still be quite high on the list, the bay at Kingston only fits 8 car and is there not other places where a 10 car 701 also won't fit?

Disagree here, none of the 5 cars should be introduced until all of the 10 car units are in service. Given how much capacity SWR have cut over the past couple of years I wouldn't want to give them short trains - they will inevitably start running them as single units.

The 450 and 455 will realistically be around for years anyway to deal with niche issues like the Kingston bay.

 

[Goldfish62]

Disagree here, none of the 5 cars should be introduced until all of the 10 car units are in service. Given how much capacity SWR have cut over the past couple of years I wouldn't want to give them short trains - they will inevitably start running them as single units.

The 450 and 455 will realistically be around for years anyway to deal with niche issues like the Kingston bay.

455s definitely won't be. They're all going! Should have gone years ago if things had gone according to plan.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

455s definitely won't be. They're all going! Should have gone years ago if things had gone according to plan.

But it’s still going to take yonks yet, that’s the thing.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

But it’s still going to take yonks yet, that’s the thing.

End of next year most of them will be gone, Wimbledon will run out of spares before the end of 2025 so units will need to be cannibalised to serve those still in service

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

End of next year most of them will be gone, Wimbledon will run out of spares before the end of 2025 so units will need to be cannibalised to serve those still in service

Oh I see, good.

 

[Class15]

End of next year most of them will be gone, Wimbledon will run out of spares before the end of 2025 so units will need to be cannibalised to serve those still in service

Most maybe, however I can’t see them all being gone by the end of next year.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I feel as though the situation is too unpredictable. We know that quite literally anything can happen with this roll out.

 

[Bigfoot]

There are those weird services on Sunday afternoon that go via Hounslow, reverse at Twickenham and terminate at Kingston, correct?

It's possible to turn round on the down main in a 10, so not really an issue. Unless it is booked to sit in the down bag for a significant length of time.
Currently the super Kingston on a Sunday is only in the bay for under 15 mins with nothing on the down main in that time.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

If you haven’t tried it already, try putting your feet on the bar that holds up the seat in front (inner). Acts as quite a good footrest, unintentionally of course.

 

[Meerkat]

End of next year most of them will be gone, Wimbledon will run out of spares before the end of 2025 so units will need to be cannibalised to serve those still in service

Presumably cannibalisation really means buying the spares off the lessor in effect?

 

[gmaguire]

End of next year most of them will be gone, Wimbledon will run out of spares before the end of 2025 so units will need to be cannibalised to serve those still in service

How do we know that they’ll run out of spares?

 

[SWT_USER]

455s definitely won't be. They're all going! Should have gone years ago if things had gone according to plan.

End of next year most of them will be gone, Wimbledon will run out of spares before the end of 2025 so units will need to be cannibalised to serve those still in service

Yes, and the 701's were going to be in service in 2019. I'll believe it when I see it because the introduction so far gives me no confidence at all that things will improve quickly.

 

[winks]

Sorry but what’s the change in contract implemented on new guards which means they have to wait 2 years to receive full pay? Weren’t these proposals (RDG/previous Tory govt) ditched.

Just remembered the heads of agreement document! I can’t imagine a tapered salary putting off new entrants, the overall package is decent and full salary well over £40k

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Should get to try a couple of these tonight late evening. I’ll report back my thoughts

 

[LUYMun]

Class 701 Diagrams in the new timetable as of tomorrow. Weekend diagrams obviously very much subject to change with engineering work.

I've compiled these diagrams into a fairly accurate Excel spreadsheet which I've been updating since the start of 701 operations in January 2024.

 

[43096]

Had my first reasonable length run on one of these a couple of days ago, from Waterloo to Staines.

Points I'd make...
[+] Open walk through layout between vehicles
[+] Small tables at the bays of four
[+] Door response time. Critical on suburban duties and it is good.
[-] PIS was strangely jerky when scrolling
[-] No seat back tables
[-] Seats... Although they have more padding than the previous generation ironing boards, they are still really uncomfortable (far worse than the 450/455/458 seats)
[-] No gap between seats. It just means the person in the aisle seat sits out into the gangway. See the 458/5s for how to do this properly.
[-] Ride quality. The same harsh, jerky ride as the 345s. Way worse than the 450s.

Overall, disappointing. But then that is what we've come to expect from new trains.

 

[Monty]

Latest update from the Union regard 701s, DCO is being kicked into the long grass for the foreseeable. The new proposed method of operation will be driver open/guard close.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Latest update from the Union regard 701s, DCO is being kicked into the long grass for the foreseeable. The new proposed method of operation will be driver open/guard close.

Utter mismanagement by SWR and now saddles the taxpayer with high operating costs for decades.

 

[Carlisle]

Indeed, the South Western’s made 3 major attempts over the past 33 years to introduce DCO & still haven’t achieved anything other than the Waterloo & City line in 1993.

 

[Towers]

Utter mismanagement by SWR and now saddles the taxpayer with high operating costs for decades.

How does the guard closing the doors increase the operating costs? They’d have been on board anyway.