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

[Goldfish62]

One thing these "new" trains could do with pretty soon, is new bins.

Very noticeable at the weekend and in the evening that they become unusable due rubbish piling up on them.

Obviously they were tendered during a time when every extra person counted on board these units, but those days may never return. Better rubbish provision should be a necessity.

Maybe they should be emptied more frequently. That would do the trick.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Oct 2025 ==

2C16 was 8 455 in place of the usual 701, seemingly indicating struggles with availability and lack of further 701s ready for passenger service.

We should find out in the next couple of days from our friendly insiders on here if there are any further new diagrams from next week. If there aren't then since the start of September it will have been have been running at an average of one new diagram every two weeks, rather than the previous one per week.

 

[WWTownEnth]

Maybe they should be emptied more frequently. That would do the trick.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Oct 2025 ==

2C16 was 8 455 in place of the usual 701, seemingly indicating struggles with availability and lack of further 701s ready for passenger service.

We should find out in the next couple of days from our friendly insiders on here if there are any further new diagrams from next week. If there aren't then since the start of September it will have been have been running at an average of one new diagram every two weeks, rather than the previous one per week.

Fingers crossed for some good news.

i gather the short term plans (STPs) for the following week are usually viewable by late afternoon on Wednesdays.

 

[Meglos]

One thing these "new" trains could do with pretty soon, is new bins.

Very noticeable at the weekend and in the evening that they become unusable due rubbish piling up on them.

Obviously they were tendered during a time when every extra person counted on board these units, but those days may never return. Better rubbish provision should be a necessity.

SWR have mobile OCS Cleaning crews based at Wimbledon, and they out on the branches most afternoons. I noticed this happened immediately after SWR was 're-privatised'. I only travel in the afternoons on weekdays, but I can say that about 60% of the trains I travel on between Chessington and Wimbledon have cleaners onboard. It's not just on one particular service, as I catch one of 5 services each day, and generally whichever one I'm travelling on, has a cleaning crew. They also work the early evening services as well, but are not so common.

 

[Goldfish62]

SWR have mobile OCS Cleaning crews based at Wimbledon, and they out on the branches most afternoons. I noticed this happened immediately after SWR was 're-privatised'. I only travel in the afternoons on weekdays, but I can say that about 60% of the trains I travel on between Chessington and Wimbledon have cleaners onboard. It's not just on one particular service, as I catch one of 5 services each day, and generally whichever one I'm travelling on, has a cleaning crew. They also work the early evening services as well, but are not so common.

Certainly most trains are cleaned upon arrival at Reading. There's usually two cleaners working there.

 

[mansonlo49]

47739 doing the drag later today to Wimbledon, if it doesn’t get cancel

 

[brooklynbound]

Interestingly I was on a weekend Shepperton 701 and a cleaner was walking the train taking litter from people. Never seen that on SWR before.

 

[markle]

Without wanting to be a doomonger, how are the 701s faring in the vandalism stakes since there's a sizeable amount in service now.

I saw one a while back with a crudely graffiti'd St George's Cross on the side of the driver's cab. I haven't seen it since so assume it's probably been cleaned.

Other than that they've been spotless inside and out.

 

[Covshire1]

47739 doing the drag later today to Wimbledon, if it doesn’t get cancel

701059 is the lucky unit...

 

[Peter Sarf]

47739 doing the drag later today to Wimbledon, if it doesn’t get cancel

Youv'e inxed it !.
Has not left yet - over 80 minutes late, so far.....
Light engine turned up at Long Marston but that does not guarantee anything in my experience.
5Q79 is the current headcode.

 

[mansonlo49]

Youv'e inxed it !.
Has not left yet - over 80 minutes late, so far.....
Light engine turned up at Long Marston but that does not guarantee anything in my experience.
5Q79 is the current headcode.

Thanks for the update, hope it gets moving soon

 

[Peter Sarf]

T

Thanks for the update, hope it gets moving soon

Achtung....
5Q79 has set forth 118m late currently. Consist 47739 + 701059 according to above posts.
Note/warning could recover 2 hours at after Acton.

 

[norbitonflyer]

We're going backwards. Only nineteen in service today.

[EDIT 6pm]
Twenty - 701053 put in a late appearance on the evening Kingston roundabout diagram starting with the 1800 from Waterloo - 2O53. Its first appearance for over a week.

Nevertheless twenty is the lowest weekday turnout for three weeks.

 

[The_Train]

We're going backwards. Only nineteen in service today.

They'll be phoning Newport soon and asking them to stick some 455s back together

 

[mansonlo49]

Achtung....
5Q79 has set forth 118m late currently. Consist 47739 + 701059 according to above posts.
Note/warning could recover 2 hours at Acton.

It made up some time and now heading to Clapham junction

 

[WWTownEnth]

Any news on next week’s diagrams yet?

 

[swr444]

Any news on next week’s diagrams yet?

It might be another week with no new diagrams from what I can see.

 

[WWTownEnth]

It might be another week with no new diagrams from what I can see.

That’s very disappointing indeed.

 

[Siemens Staines]

Twenty - 701053 put in a late appearance on the evening Kingston roundabout diagram starting with the 1800 from Waterloo - 2O53. Its first appearance for over a week.

It didn't make it as far as Kingston though, 2O53 terminated at Twickenham. 1927 loop was cancelled and 2100 another pair of 455s (one of which was 5849 making a return to service after several weeks out of use).

 

[Peter Sarf]

It might be another week with no new diagrams from what I can see.

I did see 701024 out on test today (with signs inside the doorways). It arrived at Wimbledon on 08/07/2025 so almost three weeks ago. So maybe that will be ready for service soon.
BUT
I wonder if it is drivers holding progress up ?.
It could be a lack of drivers or it could be that a whole tranche of extra diagrams will switch over when SWR believe they have enough trained drivers to comfortably cover a service group.

 

[swr444]

I did see 701024 out on test today (with signs inside the doorways). It arrived at Wimbledon on 08/07/2025 so almost three weeks ago. So maybe that will be ready for service soon.
BUT
I wonder if it is drivers holding progress up ?.
It could be a lack of drivers or it could be that a whole tranche of extra diagrams will switch over when SWR believe they have enough trained drivers to comfortably cover a service group.

It seems to be a unit availability issue more than a driver issue

 

[norbitonflyer]

It didn't make it as far as Kingston though, 2O53 terminated at Twickenham. 1927 loop was cancelled and 2100 another pair of 455s (one of which was 5849 making a return to service after several weeks out of use).

Could it be that whatever kept it off the road for ten days hasn't been fixed properly?

 

[Siemens Staines]

Could it be that whatever kept it off the road for ten days hasn't been fixed properly?

I do not know, but it has been sent out again this morning to work 2J92 0752 Surbiton - Waterloo, so better luck today?

Two all day Kingston loop diagrams are shown not to be 701s on journeycheck this morning;

05:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 06:49
06:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 08:21
08:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 09:51
09:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 11:16
11:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 12:49
12:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 14:16
14:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 15:49
15:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 17:16
17:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 18:51
18:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 20:19
20:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 21:50
21:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 23:16
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:02/10/2025 04:50

06:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 07:51
07:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 09:18
09:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 10:49
10:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 12:16
12:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 13:49
13:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 15:16
15:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 16:49
16:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 18:19
18:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 19:51
19:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 21:16
21:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 22:49
22:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 00:16
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:02/10/2025 04:42

 

[Stephen42]

I did see 701024 out on test today (with signs inside the doorways). It arrived at Wimbledon on 08/07/2025 so almost three weeks ago. So maybe that will be ready for service soon.
BUT
I wonder if it is drivers holding progress up ?.
It could be a lack of drivers or it could be that a whole tranche of extra diagrams will switch over when SWR believe they have enough trained drivers to comfortably cover a service group.

At the moment there are 22 diagrams and 23 701s that have run in passenger service. That is a high level of availability for a relatively small fleet, two failures close together will lead to 455s substituted or a diagram being cancelled entirely due to lack of trains. Even if a new one enters service this week, 23 from 24 will have the same challenges so waiting a bit longer till more units are available makes sense.

Separately, it's possible that small increments to driver training can unlock several extra diagrams at once. It will be increasingly hard to alter 455 diagrams so may need to move over a pair or sequence rather than a single one in near future (there are still some Wimbledon Park to Wimbledon Park diagrams that can go over solo currently). New stabling locations like Guildford (plus its sidings) and Woking will require a certain level of coverage from those depots, often once enough cover is in place for 1 diagram it's not much harder to cover 2.

Previously when unit availability appeared to be ahead of driver availability several nearly ready for service 701s ended up at Farnham. They got driven back to London a couple of days before entering service. Don't think any are currently there. It looks like 47739 might be taking another 701 today to Eastleigh on 5Q77.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I do not know, but it has been sent out again this morning to work 2J92 0752 Surbiton - Waterloo, so better luck today?

Two all day Kingston loop diagrams are shown not to be 701s on journeycheck this morning;

05:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 06:49
06:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 08:21
..............................
21:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 23:16
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:02/10/2025 04:50

06:30 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 07:51
07:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 09:18
..................................
22:57 London Waterloo to London Waterloo due 00:16
Will be formed of 8 coaches instead of 10.
Last Updated:02/10/2025 04:42

Those are both 2x455

Journey check doesn't mention it, but the diagram starting with the 0627 is also 8 cars today; in this case 2x450,

 

[Nimbus020]

2M05 (W'loo - Chess S) & return 2M12 (Chess S - W'loo) cancelled today "due to an issue with the train crew (TG)" (RTT) - so maybe crew issues are having an impact as well as unit availability

 

[WrongRoad]

It seems to be a unit availability issue more than a driver issue

Yes I’ve heard they are having some reliability problems crop up

 

[Snow1964]

There's a path tomorrow 5X95 Wimbledon-Bournemouth

Don't know if is a 701 or something else moving, are 455s still going to Bournemouth depot occasionally for work, or have larger repairs stopped.

Realtime Trains | 5X95 1217 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D | 03/10/2025

Real-time train running information for 5X95 1217 departure from Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D on 03/10/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Siemens Staines]

There's a path tomorrow 5X95 Wimbledon-Bournemouth

Don't know if is a 701 or something else moving, are 455s still going to Bournemouth depot occasionally for work, or have larger repairs stopped.

Realtime Trains | 5X95 1217 Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D | 03/10/2025

Real-time train running information for 5X95 1217 departure from Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs to Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D on 03/10/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

5X headcodes are usually for 458s going to Bournemouth. 458415 returned from Bournemouth last week and now has shiny bogies, so I guess it received a C4. This may be for the next one to receive a C4, or it could be for one of the two long term demics (458401 & 458418) to receive repairs?

 

[Peter Sarf]

At the moment there are 22 diagrams and 23 701s that have run in passenger service. That is a high level of availability for a relatively small fleet, two failures close together will lead to 455s substituted or a diagram being cancelled entirely due to lack of trains. Even if a new one enters service this week, 23 from 24 will have the same challenges so waiting a bit longer till more units are available makes sense.

Separately, it's possible that small increments to driver training can unlock several extra diagrams at once. It will be increasingly hard to alter 455 diagrams so may need to move over a pair or sequence rather than a single one in near future (there are still some Wimbledon Park to Wimbledon Park diagrams that can go over solo currently). New stabling locations like Guildford (plus its sidings) and Woking will require a certain level of coverage from those depots, often once enough cover is in place for 1 diagram it's not much harder to cover 2.

Previously when unit availability appeared to be ahead of driver availability several nearly ready for service 701s ended up at Farnham. They got driven back to London a couple of days before entering service. Don't think any are currently there. It looks like 47739 might be taking another 701 today to Eastleigh on 5Q77.

Well availabilility of 701s has been relied upon to be quite high. So a pause is prudent.

But also I think you are right about the need to keep crewing simple by handing over to whole groups to 701s.

5Q77 (Long Marston to Eastleigh) today could be Ex TPE Mk5s ?.
Eastleigh is currently rather empty 701 wise though.

 

[Pippy1505]

Well availabilility of 701s has been relied upon to be quite high. So a pause is prudent.

But also I think you are right about the need to keep crewing simple by handing over to whole groups to 701s.

5Q77 (Long Marston to Eastleigh) today could be Ex TPE Mk5s ?.
Eastleigh is currently rather empty 701 wise though.

47739 failed at Harrow on 0V77