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

[mansonlo49]

I genuinely would love to know where that was then, as I say I went in every available open space.
And all other buildings that were closed, where possible looked through windows and never saw it.

That's got me stumped.

I assume is a old photo and that guy said this and try to fake people plus he's been posting hate stuff on the 701s

 

[800001]

I assume is a old photo and that guy said this and try to fake people plus he's been posting hate stuff on the 701s

Most likely then.

 

[mansonlo49]

Most likely then.

I recognise his username, so when he posted this it got me suspicious

 

[NSEWonderer]

I think you both are correct, most likely someone fetching for clicks. The more I look into the twitter the more suspicious I become. I can't find any other media, youtube video etc showing a 701 being worked on.

 

[Kite159]

Unless the photo was taken on the preview day on the Thursday when the building was open but was closed when the site opened to the public on the Friday.

I seem to recall there being one workshop which had a 701 coach alongside a 730 coach in on the Thursday but not a lot else so it might have been in there?

 

[WarrenTManager]

A dictionary is your friend here.

It means there is alien technology I don’t ever have to deal with and am not completely au fait with it so paraphernalia covers it all. Pantograph, auxiliary compressor, transformer were things that got taken off 707001/2 so likely something similar.

 

[mansonlo49]

Unless the photo was taken on the preview day on the Thursday when the building was open but was closed when the site opened to the public on the Friday.

I seem to recall there being one workshop which had a 701 coach alongside a 730 coach in on the Thursday but not a lot else so it might have been in there?

So there's a single coach of 701 and 730? Do you have photo thanks

 

[800001]

So there's a single coach of 701 and 730? Do you have photo thanks

Attached are some photos showing a cab off a 730 and a 730 carriage, these were in the Aventra training room at Derby.

 

[Covshire1]

I think that this is the spare driving car vehicle being discussed. It is facing the other way though. You could see the cab at the other end of the building through the thick plastic screen.

 

[800001]

I think that this is the spare driving car vehicle being discussed. It is facing the other way though. You could see the cab at the other end of the building through the thick plastic screen.

Something else I didn't see, if that was taken at the gathering.

 

[Covshire1]

Something else I didn't see, if that was taken at the gathering.

Yes. It was in one of the trade given away buildings. I took it from behind the Northern trains careers stand if you can remember seeing them!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Aug 2025 ==

Some bits of what I believe is 730201 which were hidden away also. Opportunistic shot when a door was unlocked.

 

[800001]

Yes. It was in one of the trade given away buildings. I took it from behind the Northern trains careers stand if you can remember seeing them!

Ah yes! Saw the northern stand swerved it and went down the rest of stalls! Damn!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Aug 2025 ==

Yes. It was in one of the trade given away buildings. I took it from behind the Northern trains careers stand if you can remember seeing them!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Aug 2025 ==

Some bits of what I believe is 730201 which were hidden away also. Opportunistic shot when a door was unlocked.

You had a lucky find with those 2!

I wonder if 730201 is numbered as such, as last time seen it was 730101.

And that has to be 701502, as 501 is still at Dalby, and 501/502 were both test units.

 

[165009]

All I saw was 701001, 701003 and 701524 which were both outside.

Was it 003 or 524 by the turntable, next to a Voyager?

 

[NSEWonderer]

Ah so it is then the elusive 701502?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Aug 2025 ==

Was it 003 or 524 by the turntable, next to a Voyager?

701003 is seen in a video here, might be easier for you to locate off memory:

 

[800001]

Was it 003 or 524 by the turntable, next to a Voyager?

Both, with 524 the furthest away, I only saw it with head pressed against window when on the 37 train.

 

[165009]

Both, with 524 the furthest away, I only saw it with head pressed against window when on the 37 train.

Thanks, just 003 for me then

 

[mansonlo49]

Attached are some photos showing a cab off a 730 and a 730 carriage, these were in the Aventra training room at Derby.

training room? So it's for special purposes

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Aug 2025 ==

I think that this is the spare driving car vehicle being discussed. It is facing the other way though. You could see the cab at the other end of the building through the thick plastic screen.

Ima actually wondering what's all this spare parts for??

 

[800001]

training room? So it's for special purposes

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Aug 2025 ==


Ima actually wondering what's all this spare parts for??

Training shed then. A caged off area of part of a building.

 

[mansonlo49]

Training shed then. A caged off area of part of a building.

Thanks juat saw, mentioned as aventra training room

 

[D7672]

Car of 701502 inside,701524 between the sheds of the teat track,also 730203 was there

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Without planning ended up on two 701's today on 30m+ journeys on different routes for the first time. Yes they are much improved on a 455 but not sure the seats being up tight to bodyside is such a good thing as you find yourself spilling into the adjacent seat and no armrests. Certainly the padding on the seats is vast improvement over a 700/387 which is my normal conveyance. Good ride characteristics as well.

Most transformal point though is the complete lack of the ceremony of the doors pretty well instantaneous release at each stn which is fantastic. Mind you its now offset by waiting time at many stations given the superior performance so I would have thought there is an opportunity to squeeze up the schedules a few mins but suspect they wont given the lethargic 450's could end up on the diagrams occasionally. Guards were undertaking the door duties at the doors and interreacting with passengers even checking tickets on one of the trains.

Anyhow hope they are fully exploiting the modestly reduce service across August to get more training completed and further diagrams switched over.

 

[800001]

Car of 701502 inside,701524 between the sheds of the teat track,also 730203 was there

Where was 730203?

730202 was there Saturday and Sunday, but I never saw 203.

 

[Bikeman78]

Without planning ended up on two 701's today on 30m+ journeys on different routes for the first time. Yes they are much improved on a 455 but not sure the seats being up tight to bodyside is such a good thing as you find yourself spilling into the adjacent seat and no armrests. Certainly the padding on the seats is vast improvement over a 700/387 which is my normal conveyance. Good ride characteristics as well.

Most transformal point though is the complete lack of the ceremony of the doors pretty well instantaneous release at each stn which is fantastic. Mind you its now offset by waiting time at many stations given the superior performance so I would have thought there is an opportunity to squeeze up the schedules a few mins but suspect they wont given the lethargic 450's could end up on the diagrams occasionally. Guards were undertaking the door duties at the doors and interreacting with passengers even checking tickets on one of the trains.

Anyhow hope they are fully exploiting the modestly reduce service across August to get more training completed and further diagrams switched over.

Agreed on all points. It ought to be possible to tighten up the schedules. Even 455s can beat them. E.g depart Waterloo one late on a Reading train, right time from Clapham, arrived Staines three minutes before booked departure. I've mentioned the Guildford new line before. The 701s will be waiting time everywhere on the current schedules.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Its not necessarily a bad thing to not tighten up the schedule as it is. GA if I remember correctly still has a timing somewhat similar to that of the older 321s on their routes. Allows for recovery time, plus as someone has mentioned the Desiros and even 458s with an isolated motor etc would struggle hard if the timings were tightened to 701 timing.

 

[Bikeman78]

Its not necessarily a bad thing to not tighten up the schedule as it is. GA if I remember correctly still has a timing somewhat similar to that of the older 321s on their routes. Allows for recovery time, plus as someone has mentioned the Desiros and even 458s with an isolated motor etc would struggle hard if the timings were tightened to 701 timing.

Once all the 701s are delivered, there won't be much need for 450s or 458s to run any metro services. There might be the odd last minute substitution to avoid a cancellation. 450s are totally inappropriate for metro use and I don't think that the timetable should be based on them.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Once all the 701s are delivered, there won't be much need for 450s or 458s to run any metro services. There might be the odd last minute substitution to avoid a cancellation. 450s are totally inappropriate for metro use and I don't think that the timetable should be based on them.

Well no one knows exactly the plans thst we be bestowed upon the railway by SWR but one thing that shouldn't be rushed into will be tightening the timetable unless its truly certainly needed which definitely isnt the case the case for a while even with 701 dwelling times. Some drivers themselves will adjust their driving of they feel dwelling is too long too which being truly honest the most I've seen is a 701 enter Waterloo 3 early, having picked up most of the time savings between Clapham Junction and Waterloo which is quite easy to do with even a desiro out of peak.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Tigthening up the timetable may seem a no brainer once all suburban services have gone over to 701, but sometimes this can prove pointless at certain junction/points of conflict, whereby an earlier arrival at either, causes unwelcome changes to connection opportunities, or the advantage (to the service in question) is lost because it has to await (for longer) a clear path through a junction etc.
The schedules as are, may (I stress may) perhaps allow for the need for a separate leaf fall timetable (eg: Up Readings/Windsor's etc etc, start earlier from October to December) to be dispensed with and run a standard pattern TT all year?
The point about drivers adjusting their point to point running times to even out any excess dwell time at specific locations is perhaps a natural thought process, but again, at certain bottleneck points on the network, it is /can be imperative that services run strictly to the times in the WTT, in order to prevent delays to other services at junctions and points of potential conflict. Hence why any additional padding out time, is designated between specific locations. But all of this will no doubt be taken in to account for any future timetable re-write.

 

[Snow1964]

Well no one knows exactly the plans thst we be bestowed upon the railway by SWR but one thing that shouldn't be rushed into will be tightening the timetable unless its truly certainly needed which definitely isnt the case the case for a while even with 701 dwelling times. Some drivers themselves will adjust their driving of they feel dwelling is too long too which being truly honest the most I've seen is a 701 enter Waterloo 3 early, having picked up most of the time savings between Clapham Junction and Waterloo which is quite easy to do with even a desiro out of peak.

When SWR was launched 8 years ago (August 2017) there were going to be two timetable changes. December 2018 described by SWR as

The December 2018 timetable will mean customers can expect more services, quicker journeys, and earlier and later trains. With up to 400 additional Sunday trains across the network

The new 750 vehicles for suburban services (now class 701) were expected from Autumn 2019, with all in service by December 2020.
As we now know things slipped (many years) but there is no reason why the December 2026 timetable is not realistic to include the 2018 quicker journeys AND speeding up of metro (inner suburban) journeys

Major improvements for passengers on the way as South Western Railway begins operations

www.southwesternrailway.com

 

[Big Jumby 74]

December 2026 timetable is not realistic to include the 2018 quicker journeys AND speeding up of metro (inner suburban) journeys

Have a feeling (don't have any proof this far down the line) that there were some aspects of that planned 2018 timetable that were found to be over optimistic, as in would not work realistically. What aspects/where within the network, location(s)/routes(s), I couldn't say, but any new timetable would have to be a fairly comprehensive piece of work. Like it or not, the suburban part of the timetable can not be re written completely in isolation without some impact on the Main Fast lines, largely, but not exclusively, Guildford/Woking inwards towards Waterloo.
Having said that, it would be interesting to understand if better overall connections could be worked up at Weybridge. The nature of that location and running point to point times, has for many years meant that a proportion of the connection allowances there are less than is ideal, although still providing some opportunity for connecting if services are on time.

 

[Bald Rick]

I guess some minor changes to the timetable are likely; but for those that use the service would you prefer:

1) a slightly quicker end to end journey time (noting that the average suburban passenger journey is rather less than the end to end journey)
2) Greater Anglia levels of performance and reliability for all users?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Aug 2025 ==

er 2020.
As we now know things slipped (many years) but there is no reason why the December 2026 timetable is not realistic to include the 2018 quicker journeys AND speeding up of metro (inner suburban) journeys

The changes won’t be December 2026.