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

[staines west]

Is it known specifically what routes they want to put the 701/5s on (coupled or single)? I’d assume a single unit on ascot-aldershot since that’s currently run by 4 car 450s but i dont know where else they plan to once they start to role out whenever that ends up being

 

[Bigfoot]

Is it known specifically what routes they want to put the 701/5s on (coupled or single)? I’d assume a single unit on ascot-aldershot since that’s currently run by 4 car 450s but i dont know where else they plan to once they start to role out whenever that ends up being

Coupled the units were designed to have matching door positions to a fixed 10 car so in theory 2x5 could appear anywhere a 10 is used.

There have been various changes to stop car marks in the Aldershot area, we can read into that however we please as there was no associated reasoning given to crews. Maybe they will appear in the area singularly. Time will tell.

 

[WWTownEnth]

Any news on the two new 701 diagrams apparently set to start next Tuesday?

 

[swr444]

This is what I could find, there are some other things going on due to the Barnes Bridge closure so I haven't included any of the 2S workings that are 701 next week as they may not be official changes.

2D05 WAT-GLD
2G16 GLD-WAT
2M15 WAT-CSS
2M22 CSS-WAT
2F21 WAT-WOK
2F30 WOK-WAT
5F30 WAT-WAT South Siding
5G37 SOUTH SIDING-WAT
2G37 WAT-GLD
2G48 GLD-WAT
2M47 WAT-CSS
2M54 CSS-WAT
2M53 WAT-CSS
2M60 CSS-WAT
2M59 WAT-CSS
2M66 CSS-WAT
2F65 WAT-WOK
2F74 WOK-WAT
2J75 WAT-HMC


2O07 WAT-WAT
2K11 WAT-WAT
2O19 WAT-WAT
2K23 WAT-WAT
2O31 WAT-WAT
2K35 WAT-WAT
2O43 WAT-WAT
2K47 WAT-WAT
2O55 WAT-WAT
2K59 WAT-WAT

2O09 WAT-WAT
2K13 WAT-WAT
2O21 WAT-WAT
2K25 WAT-WAT
2O33 WAT-WAT
2K37 WAT-WAT
2O45 WAT-WAT
2K49 WAT-WAT
2O57 WAT-WAT
2K61 WAT-WAT
2O69 WAT-WAT
2K73 WAT-WAT

Formed by the 701 on 2H98:
2O61 WAT-WAT
2K65 WAT-WAT
5Y95 WAT-WIM PARK

Formed by the 701 on 2C64:
2C67 WAT-BCE

 

[norbitonflyer]

Looking on RTT to see how widely used the 701s are now
(Off peak, from 1000 until the pattern repeats - all 8 or ten car)
Reading .............2x450, 1x458, 2x701 (40% 701)
Windsor ............ 4x458 1x701, (20% 701)
Kingston rounder 1x450, 4x455, 1x701 (16% 701, 67% 455)
Shepperton ....... 1x455, 1x458, 2x701 (50% 701, 25% 455),
Hampton Ct (and Dorking) 4x455, 3x701 (42% 701, 58% 455)

Total (on these six routes)
3x 450, 9x 455, 6x 458, 9x 701 (33% 701, 33% 455)

However, 18 701s have been out and about altogether.

 

[43096]

Looking on RTT to see how widely used the 701s are now
(Off peak, from 1000 until the pattern repeats - all 8 or ten car)
Reading .............2x450, 1x458, 2x701 (40% 701)
Windsor ............ 4x458 1x701, (20% 701)
Kingston rounder 1x450, 4x455, 1x701 (16% 701, 67% 455)
Shepperton ....... 1x455, 1x458, 2x701 (50% 701, 25% 455),
Hampton Ct (and Dorking) 4x455, 3x701 (42% 701, 58% 455)

Total (on these six routes)
3x 450, 9x 455, 6x 458, 9x 701 (33% 701, 33% 455)

However, 18 701s have been out and about altogether.

The Reading numbers are flawed because it is being run under SWR's "summer timetable" (as they disingenuously call it) which sees some services cut - the off-peak circuits is normally seven.

 

[swr444]

Reading has another 458/4 pair next week which replaces a 450 pair. Again this could be temp whilst the Barnes bridge closure happens. The 0526 701 to Reading also seems to be a 458/4 until Friday.

 

[Goldfish62]

Looking on RTT to see how widely used the 701s are now
(Off peak, from 1000 until the pattern repeats - all 8 or ten car)
Reading .............2x450, 1x458, 2x701 (40% 701)
Windsor ............ 4x458 1x701, (20% 701)
Kingston rounder 1x450, 4x455, 1x701 (16% 701, 67% 455)
Shepperton ....... 1x455, 1x458, 2x701 (50% 701, 25% 455),
Hampton Ct (and Dorking) 4x455, 3x701 (42% 701, 58% 455)

Total (on these six routes)
3x 450, 9x 455, 6x 458, 9x 701 (33% 701, 33% 455)

However, 18 701s have been out and about altogether.

Reading requires 7 trains not 5 to complete a cycle. 3.5 hours per round trip, 2 trains per hour.

 

[ejx2]

This is what I could find, there are some other things going on due to the Barnes Bridge closure so I haven't included any of the 2S workings that are 701 next week as they may not be official changes.

2D05 WAT-GLD
2G16 GLD-WAT
2M15 WAT-CSS
2M22 CSS-WAT
2F21 WAT-WOK
2F30 WOK-WAT
5F30 WAT-WAT South Siding
5G37 SOUTH SIDING-WAT
2G37 WAT-GLD
2G48 GLD-WAT
2M47 WAT-CSS
2M54 CSS-WAT
2M53 WAT-CSS
2M60 CSS-WAT
2M59 WAT-CSS
2M66 CSS-WAT
2F65 WAT-WOK
2F74 WOK-WAT
2J75 WAT-HMC


2O07 WAT-WAT
2K11 WAT-WAT
2O19 WAT-WAT
2K23 WAT-WAT
2O31 WAT-WAT
2K35 WAT-WAT
2O43 WAT-WAT
2K47 WAT-WAT
2O55 WAT-WAT
2K59 WAT-WAT

2O09 WAT-WAT
2K13 WAT-WAT
2O21 WAT-WAT
2K25 WAT-WAT
2O33 WAT-WAT
2K37 WAT-WAT
2O45 WAT-WAT
2K49 WAT-WAT
2O57 WAT-WAT
2K61 WAT-WAT
2O69 WAT-WAT
2K73 WAT-WAT

Formed by the 701 on 2H98:
2O61 WAT-WAT
2K65 WAT-WAT
5Y95 WAT-WIM PARK

Formed by the 701 on 2C64:
2C67 WAT-BCE

So with this addition of the Guildford via Cobham service and the Woking Stopping service, are there any routes from Waterloo that will get 701s that haven't had at least one allocated to it?
(Of course still more to be rolled out on all of the lines)

 

[norbitonflyer]

B

Reading requires 7 trains not 5 to complete a cycle. 3.5 hours per round trip, 2 trains per hour.

But today there were only five, as the thinned out timetable has some 60 minute gaps (no departure from Reading at 1239 or 1339)

 

[swr444]

So with this addition of the Guildford via Cobham service and the Woking Stopping service, are there any routes from Waterloo that will get 701s that haven't had at least one allocated to it?
(Of course still more to be rolled out on all of the lines)

Just the 1N services to aldershot via Ascot I believe

 

[ejx2]

Just the 1N services to aldershot via Ascot I believe

Oh wow that's quite exciting to hear. Hopefully they'll get a service soon.

 

[Goldfish62]

B

But today there were only five, as the thinned out timetable has some 60 minute gaps (no departure from Reading at 1239 or 1339)

Ah yes, of course. I think normally you would find an extra pair of 450s and 458/4s in the mix.

 

[mansonlo49]

Besides, 701508 went to Derby today, seems for modifications 5Q50

 

[swr444]

the Diagram starting with 2O01 and then 0624 1D05 WAT-DKG is a 2x455 next week. Strange that it's been swapped away from a 701

 

[TEW]

Next week was always going to be a bit up in the air with the Barnes Bridge engineering work on top of the reduced timetable. It is up to 19 diagrams though. It will probably be more useful to look at what they actually consist of the following week though once things have settled back down.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Pretty much good news to see a woking 701 in an eventual Diagram as that means there's been some movement with Woking drivers signed off on 701s

 

[Goldfish62]

What's going to happen to Staines carriage sidings as the roll-out continues? I think there's only one road that can accommodate 10 coaches and currently there are several trains that finish and start there.

 

[swr444]

What's going to happen to Staines carriage sidings as the roll-out continues? I think there's only one road that can accommodate 10 coaches and currently there are several trains that finish and start there.

I believe that’s one of the reasons why feltham depot was built. Unsure what will happen with it however

 

[SWT_USER]

What's going to happen to Staines carriage sidings as the roll-out continues? I think there's only one road that can accommodate 10 coaches and currently there are several trains that finish and start there.

I thought Staines was 2x 8 coach and 2x 10 coach?

I guess there will still be some booked 450 work. Either way hopefully the solution doesn't involve cutting back the late night Staines terminators to Feltham.

 

[swr444]

I thought Staines was 2x 8 coach and 2x 10 coach?

I guess there will still be some booked 450 work. Either way hopefully the solution doesn't involve cutting back the late night Staines terminators to Feltham.

What 450 booked work? Diversionary route retention for Basingstoke will be kept up by running an empty 450. These runs actually are already in use as either 5Sxx or 5Cxx from Waterloo to Woking via Richmond or Hounslow. There is no need for 450s to work the Windsor lines once all 701s are in service.

 

[Goldfish62]

I thought Staines was 2x 8 coach and 2x 10 coach?

Maybe you're right.

Perhaps there'll be suitable diagrams enabling 2 x 701/5 to be stabled there.

Regarding 701/5s, maybe one way of utilising them will be on diagrams where currently 1 x 455 (or 450) is insufficient, but 2 x 455 has excess capacity. I believe that's happened on GA where in some cases 1 x 720 has replaced 2 x 321 / 317 / 379.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

What's going to happen to Staines carriage sidings as the roll-out continues? I think there's only one road that can accommodate 10 coaches and currently there are several trains that finish and start there

Staines sidings had 2 x 10 cars roads (# 1 & 2) since the original SWT era 10 car plan, and I have heard that one of # 3 or 4 siding will be removed, to give some wiggle room to convert the remaining one of those two to 10 car as well, but have no idea if that is actually still part of the plan? Space is very tight there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Aug 2025 ==

Perhaps there'll be suitable diagrams enabling 2 x 701/5 to be stabled there.

That of course is the other far easier option, 10 car in each of both 1 & 2 roads and two 5 cars, one each in 3 & 4 roads, and no additional work required to the sidings.

 

[Bumpkin]

I thought Staines was 2x 8 coach and 2x 10 coach?

I guess there will still be some booked 450 work. Either way hopefully the solution doesn't involve cutting back the late night Staines terminators to Feltham.

Staines sidings was rebuilt as 3x 10 coach roads back in 2023. Siding 4 was removed from use.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Staines sidings was rebuilt as 3x 10 coach roads back in 2023.

Ah, so that was done then. Not kept up to date, lol! Thanks.

 

[The_Train]

Besides, 701508 went to Derby today, seems for modifications

Where was this from?

 

[mansonlo49]

Where was this from?

Facebook group

 

[Goldfish62]

Staines sidings was rebuilt as 3x 10 coach roads back in 2023. Siding 4 was removed from use.

The number of times I've gone past there since and never noticed!

 

[The_Train]

Facebook group

Sorry, I meant where was the unit taken from

 

[5562]

The move was from Eastleigh.