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

[nctd2306]

701017 is back in service today. They seem to be short of 701s though. 5860 did 0800 Shepperton to Waterloo then off to Wimbledon Park. 701039 did the 0850 Reading off 2J92 from Surbiton. It departed from platform 5 at Waterloo. Some rare crossing moves there!

Although 701058 appears to be in service for the first time, as was predicted upthread.

 

[wickham]

701028 is showing live on RTT today (11.08.25) 5Txx Clapham Yard to Waterloo then Waterloo to Waterloo via Hampton Court: Presumably this is training as it is ECS, but is it usual for SWR to show unit numbers on RTT for these trains? As it seems to be live in the system, perhaps it will be entering service soon ?

 

[swr444]

701028 is showing live on RTT today (11.08.25) 5Txx Clapham Yard to Waterloo then Waterloo to Waterloo via Hampton Court: Presumably this is training as it is ECS, but is it usual for SWR to show unit numbers on RTT for these trains? As it seems to be live in the system, perhaps it will be entering service soon ?

they sometimes show up on genius / RTT and sometimes don't. It seems to be the main unit being used for tests

 

[Tirov]

Todays 16 701 Waterloo visitors as at 1pm

11/8 012 013 017 018 025 028 034 037 039 041 042 043 044 046 051 058

 

[wickham]

5Q77 1234 Long Marston to Eastleigh Depot has run (11/08) today hauled by 69009 - presumably a 701 ??

 

[norbitonflyer]

701028 As it seems to be live in the system, perhaps it will be entering service soon ?

Re-entering, surely?

 

[Covshire1]

5Q77 1234 Long Marston to Eastleigh Depot has run (11/08) today hauled by 69009 - presumably a 701 ??

701060...

 

[mansonlo49]

701060...

This been moving to LM a few times if I remember correctly

 

[swtrains]

Today's testing (701028):

5T90 - Clapham Yard - Waterloo - normal.
5T91 - Waterloo - Waterloo - goes to Hampton Court and heads back to Waterloo.
5T93 - Waterloo - Waterloo - goes to Chessington South and heads back to Waterloo.
5T95 - Waterloo - Clapham Yard - goes to Chessington South, then heads back to the Yard, finishing at around 15:30.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q84898/2025-08-11/detailed

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q84897/2025-08-11/detailed

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q84895/2025-08-11/detailed

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q84894/2025-08-11/detailed

 

[wickham]

Re-entering, surely?

Oh yes ! This is the unit that entered passenger service for one day (or so) 06.02.24 (gosh ! as long ago as that). One wonders if that was an error.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Aug 2025 ==

This been moving to LM a few times if I remember correctly

Yes, it only went from Eastleigh to Long Marston od 09.05.25 - perhaps it should not have gone ? SWR obviuosly need more units on home ground now to keep up with 701 introduction.

 

[mansonlo49]

Oh yes ! This is the unit that entered passenger service for one day (or so) 06.02.24 (gosh ! as long ago as that). One wonders if that was an error.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Aug 2025 ==


Yes, it only went from Eastleigh to Long Marston od 09.05.25 - perhaps it should not have gone ? SWR obviuosly need more units on home ground now to keep up with 701 introduction.

yes，they shouldn't take them to storage at this moment anymore, even the 701/5s

 

[bb21]

Nice to see a tipping point has/is being reached on the 701 rollout.

Just to confirm this tipping point was reached today, with 2 extra 701s replacing 4 455s, requiring 17 701 diagrams, and 33 455 diagrams (16.5 pairs) at the highest point.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Just to confirm this tipping point was reached today, with 2 extra 701s replacing 4 455s, requiring 17 701 diagrams, and 33 455 diagrams (16.5 pairs) at the highest point.

A major milestone!

 

[Goldfish62]

Just to confirm this tipping point was reached today, with 2 extra 701s replacing 4 455s, requiring 17 701 diagrams, and 33 455 diagrams (16.5 pairs) at the highest point.

Thanks!

 

[WWTownEnth]

I counted the following at Clapham Yard yesterday at 11 am:

002
015
021
035
053
055

528
52X

 

[mansonlo49]

Just to confirm this tipping point was reached today, with 2 extra 701s replacing 4 455s, requiring 17 701 diagrams, and 33 455 diagrams (16.5 pairs) at the highest point.

which diagram was new replaced please

 

[swr444]

which diagram was new replaced please

It was mentioned on page 465 or 466 I believe

 

[LambicHedgehog]

Realtime Trains | 5Q76 1618 Bicester Mod Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 12/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q76 1618 departure from Bicester Mod Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 12/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Looks like another 701 may be heading down from Bicester today. Could this be 701054? Believe it's now the only 10 car unit stored there, along with a number of 701/5s.

 

[brad465]

Reading the SWR fleet withdrawals' thread posts about Weybridge allocations, is this route one that 701/5s are earmarked for? Can 10-car formations fit on this route, even with SDO?

EDIT: Just seen there are 701s on the route today.

 

[bb21]

Reading the SWR fleet withdrawals' thread posts about Weybridge allocations, is this route one that 701/5s are earmarked for? Can 10-car formations fit on this route, even with SDO?

EDIT: Just seen there are 701s on the route today.

Anything can run with SDO. Length isn't an issue in that case.

8-car 455s cannot call pl 3 at Virginia Water as they don't have SDO, so can only run singly.

 

[SWT_USER]

It would be good to get the remaining 4 coach 455 diagram off Weybridge services. I am surprised it wasn't possible to rejig diagrams to remove this given the increasing 701 availability

 

[TEW]

Anything can run with SDO. Length isn't an issue in that case.

8-car 455s cannot call pl 3 at Virginia Water as they don't have SDO, so can only run singly.

Not quite. The Sunday morning Guildford to Wimbledon services cannot use 10 coach units. That's only planned LTP move that cannot use 701/0s, but there is STP stuff too.

 

[bb21]

Not quite. The Sunday morning Guildford to Wimbledon services cannot use 10 coach units. That's only planned LTP move that cannot use 701/0s, but there is STP stuff too.

You've just made me dig out the timetable. I honestly didn't even know they existed in the LTP. Anyways I only care about passenger facing bits so restrictions on shunt moves don't count.

 

[London Trains]

Not quite. The Sunday morning Guildford to Wimbledon services cannot use 10 coach units. That's only planned LTP move that cannot use 701/0s, but there is STP stuff too.

In terms of passenger services there are the Sunday afternoon Waterloo to Kingston via Hounslow services, unless they move these onto Platform 2 at Kingston.

 

[bb21]

In terms of passenger services there are the Sunday afternoon Waterloo to Kingston via Hounslow services, unless they move these onto Platform 2 at Kingston.

Correct. 10-cars overhang the points in the bay however they can be turned in pl 2 if a 10-car is put on it and there wouldn't be any impact on other services in the current timetable.

 

[alanc]

Realtime Trains | 5Q76 1618 Bicester Mod Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 12/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q76 1618 departure from Bicester Mod Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 12/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Looks like another 701 may be heading down from Bicester today. Could this be 701054? Believe it's now the only 10 car unit stored there, along with a number of 701/5s.

move was cancelled

 

[mansonlo49]

Realtime Trains | 5Q76 1618 Bicester Mod Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 12/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q76 1618 departure from Bicester Mod Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 12/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Looks like another 701 may be heading down from Bicester today. Could this be 701054? Believe it's now the only 10 car unit stored there, along with a number of 701/5s.

think 701027 also there？instead there’s another move long marston to Eastleigh consecutively, since yesterday

 

[Peter Sarf]

think 701027 also there？instead there’s another move long marston to Eastleigh consecutively, since yesterday

That 5Q86 today (12/08/2025) from Biscester Long Marston to Eastleigh is not 701s. It was two sets of exTPE Mk5s with 68s attached. Was TP02 and TP04 (or TP05).

Also 69009 ran to Bicester on the light engine movement 0V76 that presumably supplies the loco for 5Q76. Not the first time that 5Q76 has been cancelled at the last minute (or hours later). It only ran for the first time in many weeks of STPs last week .

My records indicate 701027 and 701054 are the only 701/0s left at Bicester.

EDIT 00:38 next day. corrected 5Q86 is from Long Marston not Bicester (spelt incorrectly).

 

[mansonlo49]

That 5Q86 today (12/08/2025) from Biscester to Eastleigh is not 701s. It was two sets of exTPE Mk5s with 68s attached. Was TP02 and TP04 (or TP05).

Also 69009 ran to Bicester on the light engine movement 0V76 that presumably supplies the loco for 5Q76. Not the first time that 5Q76 has been cancelled at the last minute (or hours later). It only ran for the first time in many weeks of STPs last week .

My records indicate 701027 and 701054 are the only 701/0s left at Bicrester.

so these two 701/0 left at Bicester？btw 5q86？

 

[bb21]

I believe 057 is now ready to go into service.