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

[Nimbus020]

Hopefully driver training re-started on Tuesday and there should now be signs of progress (i.e. more diagrams introduced) over the coming weeks - fingers crossed.........

 

[OneTrackMinded]

Hopefully driver training re-started on Tuesday and there should now be signs of progress (i.e. more diagrams introduced) over the coming weeks - fingers crossed.........

I haven't heard anything to say it didn't so hopefully it's going well. It'll definitely be interesting to see how quickly new diagrams are introduced so we can gauge the improvement this shorter training course is making (4 day reduction to 6 days)

 

[swr444]

I guess the first thing is to run the diagrams they have currently reliably so there aren’t daily cancellations…

Hopefully driver training re-started on Tuesday and there should now be signs of progress (i.e. more diagrams introduced) over the coming weeks - fingers crossed.........

 

[OneTrackMinded]

I guess the first thing is to run the diagrams they have currently reliably so there aren’t daily cancellations…

That's true. Although I assume that'll just come with it over time, e.g. a larger pool of drivers means more availability and flexibility across the board

 

[WWTownEnth]

Do we know for sure how many units are available to be driven by all these soon to be trained drivers? And how many more will become available to be driven over the rest of 2025. Could we, for example, see 30 x 10 car units in traffic by 31 Dec?

That's true. Although I assume that'll just come with it over time, e.g. a larger pool of drivers means more availability and flexibility across the board

 

[OneTrackMinded]

Do we know for sure how many units are available to be driven by all these soon to be trained drivers? And how many more will become available to be driven over the rest of 2025. Could we, for example, see 30 x 10 car units in traffic by 31 Dec?

There are 17 units ready for passenger service at the moment (according to the recent RAIL article), 6 of which are already being used, so 11 more. During that time I'm sure more units will become available too so there isn't an immediate issue there.
As someone said a few posts ago, the new internal goal is for 37 units in service by Christmas (31 new units). Whether or not they mean new diagrams or just 37 units in regular service alternating is not clear but I assume it's the former (hopefully).

 

[Lockwood]

Altogether now... "Christmas which year?"

 

[Bigfoot]

Altogether now... "Christmas which year?"

Unless there are unit issues that prevent the roll out there won't be difficulties in getting crew trained. If anything most seem to see it as a positive with the method of work agreed.

 

[Nimbus020]

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Unless there are unit issues that prevent the roll out there won't be difficulties in getting crew trained. If anything most seem to see it as a positive with the method of work agreed.

Agreed - it does feel like the 'stars have (finally) aligned' and (hopefully) good progress should be made now - but fingers crossed as always.........

 

[OneTrackMinded]

SWR has issued a press release providing a statement and apologising for the delay to the Arterio rollout

Statement on Arterio fleet rollout

www.southwesternrailway.com

 

[class701]

Still no news about the 30 five-car units which don't work apparently! Why are they not being sent back to Derby for work? Is it simply a SWR ops issue again?

 

[OneTrackMinded]

Still no news about the 30 five-car units which don't work apparently! Why are they not being sent back to Derby for work? Is it simply a SWR ops issue again?

They've been on test a bit more recently, not sure if that means anything

 

[800001]

Still no news about the 30 five-car units which don't work apparently! Why are they not being sent back to Derby for work? Is it simply a SWR ops issue again?

In what way do they not work?

 

[class701]

There is a coupling problem and a water ingress issue allegedly discussed earlier.

 

[800001]

There is a coupling problem and a water ingress issue allegedly discussed earlier.

Surely water ingress would affect the 10 car as well? How can that affect just the 5 cars?

 

[43096]

Surely water ingress would affect the 10 car as well? How can that affect just the 5 cars?

Depends where water ingresses?

 

[Wyrleybart]

There is a coupling problem and a water ingress issue allegedly discussed earlier.

I simply cannot see water ingress being an issue, unless it is build quality. Surely the cab cars and intermediate cars of the 5 car units were identical to the 10 car units - maybe even being built on the same production line.

I am guessing the 5 car and 10 car units are both capable of multiple working with each other, notwithstanding length issues in passenger service.

 

[800001]

Depends where water ingresses?

Surely a 5 car is just the same as a 10 car, minus some coaches!

 

[WWTownEnth]

I assume the 5 cars won’t be needed until well into 2026, maybe even early 2027. Whatever is wrong with them can be fixed in that time. I mean how long could it possibly take?

 

[43096]

Surely a 5 car is just the same as a 10 car, minus some coaches!

Water in/around unit end couplers might make more of a difference though.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I assume the 5 cars won’t be needed until well into 2026, maybe even early 2027. Whatever is wrong with them can be fixed in that time. I mean how long could it possibly take?

I can only see coupling being an issue for the 5car 701s. This is because normally 10car 701s will never couple to another 701 but the 5car 701s will presumably do a lot of joining and splitting.

 

[SWT_USER]

I assume the 5 cars won’t be needed until well into 2026, maybe even early 2027. Whatever is wrong with them can be fixed in that time. I mean how long could it possibly take?

You started this thread in 2017, look at everything that has happened since! Some obscure issue will be found to delay things by another 5 years. Summer 2030 will still have 455's in daily service with the promise of new trains soon

 

[absolutelymilk]

You started this thread in 2017, look at everything that has happened since! Some obscure issue will be found to delay things by another 5 years. Summer 2030 will still have 455's in daily service with the promise of new trains soon

I think there might have been some sarcasm in WWTownEnth's post...

 

[D365]

As I have pointed out before, the five car units [being 1/4 the quantity of the 10 car fleet in terms of carriage numbers] are not as much of a priority.

 

[Peter Sarf]

You started this thread in 2017, look at everything that has happened since! Some obscure issue will be found to delay things by another 5 years. Summer 2030 will still have 455's in daily service with the promise of new trains soon

Crickey - almost eight years ago.
Should we start preparing for the eighth birthday of the thread on 26/05/2025 ?.
Perhaps wait for a nice round ten years on 26/05/2027 as I doubt the thread will be locked by then ?.

 

[DelW]

As someone said a few posts ago, the new internal goal is for 37 units in service by Christmas (31 new units). Whether or not they mean new diagrams or just 37 units in regular service alternating is not clear but I assume it's the former (hopefully).

SWR has been puffing its "goals" for introducing these trains for the last six years. It's comprehensively failed to meet even one of them, it just abandons every promise until it re-announces them a few months later. Why should anyone believe this time is any different?

As for the press statement, this seems weird:

SWR remains committed to returning to full DODC operations at the earliest viable opportunity.

when SWR will be dumped (justifiably and completely unlamented) in a few weeks time.

 

[Stephen42]

There are 17 units ready for passenger service at the moment (according to the recent RAIL article), 6 of which are already being used, so 11 more. During that time I'm sure more units will become available too so there isn't an immediate issue there.
As someone said a few posts ago, the new internal goal is for 37 units in service by Christmas (31 new units). Whether or not they mean new diagrams or just 37 units in regular service alternating is not clear but I assume it's the former (hopefully).

8 units are in active passenger service (used at least once in last two weeks). 6 was the number of daily diagrams for the 701s before the recent removals.

The goal is likely diagrams, DfT will care more about what stock can go off lease rather than how many 701s are used. Another 31 diagrams would remove nearly all 455s and all if 450s or 458/4s can cover the small gap. The Surbiton peak diagram might no longer be needed once the trains around it run as 10-car to make a net 32.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

There are 17 units ready for passenger service at the moment (according to the recent RAIL article), 6 of which are already being used, so 11 more.

Isn't it seven units being used?

I've had seven for haulage, NOT including 701 028 which only briefly escaped into service a long time ago.

The ones I've had are:

701 017
701 031
701 034
701 036
701 037
701 039
701 043

Unless one of those has been pulled from service?

 

[OneTrackMinded]

Isn't it seven units being used?

Yes you're correct, I used the amount of diagrams rather than all the units being rotated around, apologies

6 was the number of daily diagrams for the 701s before the recent removals.

Have 701s been removed from some diagrams?

The goal is likely diagrams, DfT will care more about what stock can go off lease rather than how many 701s are used. Another 31 diagrams would remove nearly all 455s and all if 450s or 458/4s can cover the small gap. The Surbiton peak diagram might no longer be needed once the trains around it run as 10-car to make a net 32.

If SWR want to introduced 31 new diagrams by Christmas, they'll need to add 3-4 each month (starting from May). Previously it was 1-2, so with the new shorter course this seems reasonable.

 

[mansonlo49]

Isn't it seven units being used?

I've had seven for haulage, NOT including 701 028 which only briefly escaped into service a long time ago.

The ones I've had are:

701 017
701 031
701 034
701 036
701 037
701 039
701 043

Unless one of those has been pulled from service?

think 046 was out about