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

[Snow1964]

Alstom has signed a £66m support contract covering the 750 class 701 vehicles for 4.5 years. Seems to cover 5 engineers and supply of spare parts.

05 November 2025 – Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has signed a four-and-a-half-year Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement (TSSSA) with South Western Railway (SWR) to support the operation and performance of their new Class 701 Arterio trains.

Valued at £66 million (€76 million), the contract will provide round-the-clock technical support for 750 Aventra vehicles – comprising 60 ten-car and 30 five-car units – operating across suburban routes from London Waterloo. Alstom provision will be delivered by a team of almost 40 from both SWR’s Wimbledon Traincare Depot and Network Rail’s Basingstoke Rail Operations Centre (ROC).

Alstom signs £66 million services contract to support SWR with Arterio fleet

Four-and-a-half-year contract will see the Derby-built passenger trains continue to receive technical support and spares from AlstomBuilds on a successful seven-year partnership between Alstom and SWR

www.alstom.com

 

[Goldfish62]

Hi Goldfish62 - 'interesting' was probably the wrong choice of word! - just wanted to point out that 2 701 diagrams appear to be worked by 455s this morning

Ah right - no worries! Thought I'd missed something!

As has been discussed earlier, SWR are currently trying to cover 26 diagrams with 27 units, which would be a heroic availability of over 96% even for a well-established, very reliable fleet!

 

[TEW]

Next week's new diagram;
5C03 0510 Feltham Depot to Staines
2C03 0526 Staines to Reading
2C14 0639 Reading to London Waterloo
2C17 0820 London Waterloo to Reading
2C28 1009 Reading to London Waterloo
2C31 1150 London Waterloo to Reading
2C42 1339 Reading to London Waterloo
2C45 1520 London Waterloo to Reading
2C56 1709 Reading to London Waterloo
2C59 1850 London Waterloo to Reading
2C70 2039 Reading to London Waterloo
5Y35 2217 London Waterloo to Clapham Yard

 

[adc82140]

Interesting this is replacing a 2x450 diagram, rather than 455s.

 

[Peter Sarf]

The Marchwood 701 move to Eastleigh for this week is now published for Thursday. Expect same loco as the Wimbledon drag and it then goes back up to Leicester after the Marchwood drag.

Realtime Trains | 5Q88 0957 Marchwood Mod Gbrf to Eastleigh Trsmd | 06/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q88 0957 departure from Marchwood Mod Gbrf to Eastleigh Trsmd on 06/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

701040 is moving to Farnham at the moment. Has been on SWRs patch for a while, but haven't seen it allocated to anything in the last month.

Thanks for that. So the rate of arrivals is still up at two per week.

701040 arrived at Wimbledon from Bicester on 05/08/2025 - three months ago. Farnham was home for three 701s many months back - iirc ?. So I wonder if 701040 must be fairly ready for service ?.

@mansonlo49 - I suppose Farnham can be viewed as a more convenient storage location for 701s. Wimbledon must be fairly full (see below) !. Farnham is a place EMUs are stabled. It might end up being a standard place for 701s to stable as it is within range of the relevant services.

Note - Wimbledon is expecting another 701 from Long Marston today.

Realtime Trains | 5Q70 1435 Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 05/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q70 1435 departure from Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 05/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Flange Squeal]

Thanks for that. So the rate of arrivals is still up at two per week.

701040 arrived at Wimbledon from Bicester on 05/08/2025 - three months ago. Farnham was home for three 701s many months back - iirc ?. So I wonder if 701040 must be fairly ready for service ?.

@mansonlo49 - I suppose Farnham can be viewed as a more convenient storage location for 701s. Wimbledon must be fairly full (see below) !. Farnham is a place EMUs are stabled. It might end up being a standard place for 701s to stable as it is within range of the relevant services.

Note - Wimbledon is expecting another 701 from Long Marston today.

Realtime Trains | 5Q70 1435 Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 05/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q70 1435 departure from Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 05/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Farnham has long been used as a stabling location for not-yet-in-service 701s, ranging in number from 1-6 at various times. 060 was last to leave there to enter service, leaving 004 and 059 still there.

 

[Pippy1505]

Thanks for that. So the rate of arrivals is still up at two per week.

701040 arrived at Wimbledon from Bicester on 05/08/2025 - three months ago. Farnham was home for three 701s many months back - iirc ?. So I wonder if 701040 must be fairly ready for service ?.

@mansonlo49 - I suppose Farnham can be viewed as a more convenient storage location for 701s. Wimbledon must be fairly full (see below) !. Farnham is a place EMUs are stabled. It might end up being a standard place for 701s to stable as it is within range of the relevant services.

Note - Wimbledon is expecting another 701 from Long Marston today.

Realtime Trains | 5Q70 1435 Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 05/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q70 1435 departure from Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 05/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

47727 hauling 701011

 

[MasterPhillips]

Next week's new diagram;

Good news as 2C14 is a very busy service. How often it will actually be a 701 on the other hand…

 

[DMckduck]

Good news as 2C12 is a very busy service. How often it will actually be a 701 on the other hand…

More importantly, if not 701 what will it be supplemented by, as anything less than an 8 car 450/458 would be regressing from the current allocation.

 

[Stephen42]

Thanks for that. So the rate of arrivals is still up at two per week.

701040 arrived at Wimbledon from Bicester on 05/08/2025 - three months ago. Farnham was home for three 701s many months back - iirc ?. So I wonder if 701040 must be fairly ready for service ?.

@mansonlo49 - I suppose Farnham can be viewed as a more convenient storage location for 701s. Wimbledon must be fairly full (see below) !. Farnham is a place EMUs are stabled. It might end up being a standard place for 701s to stable as it is within range of the relevant services.

Note - Wimbledon is expecting another 701 from Long Marston today.

Realtime Trains | 5Q70 1435 Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 05/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q70 1435 departure from Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 05/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I wouldn't be confident 701040 is that close to passenger service. There aren't enough passenger service 701s to reasonably cover the 701 diagrams. If there were 701s easily ready for passenger service it would be strange not to use them.

The other recent Farnham residents moved soon after arrival in Wimbledon and then moved back to London before doing test runs. 004 has been at Farnham for a while, 059 the other mentioned has spent nearly a month there moving a week after reaching the network from Long Marston. Time spent there varies a lot, 060 came back after days and 050 moved back last week after spending two weeks at Farnham.

Wimbledon looks to be getting two 701s today, one moved from Eastleigh this afternoon (SWR operated move)

Realtime Trains | 5Q96 1219 Eastleigh Trsmd to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 05/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q96 1219 departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 05/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[43096]

Good news as 2C12 is a very busy service. How often it will actually be a 701 on the other hand…

Presume you mean 2C14? 2C12 comes off an overnight berth at Reading.

 

[MasterPhillips]

More importantly, if not 701 what will it be supplemented by, as anything less than an 8 car 450/458 would be regressing from the current allocation.

Very good point. There seem to be a number of 4 vice 8 services recently. And yet, another 2 class 455s went for scrap today.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I wouldn't be confident 701040 is that close to passenger service. There aren't enough passenger service 701s to reasonably cover the 701 diagrams. If there were 701s easily ready for passenger service it would be strange not to use them.

The other recent Farnham residents moved soon after arrival in Wimbledon and then moved back to London before doing test runs. 004 has been at Farnham for a while, 059 the other mentioned has spent nearly a month there moving a week after reaching the network from Long Marston. Time spent there varies a lot, 060 came back after days and 050 moved back last week after spending two weeks at Farnham.

Wimbledon looks to be getting two 701s today, one moved from Eastleigh this afternoon (SWR operated move)

Realtime Trains | 5Q96 1219 Eastleigh Trsmd to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 05/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q96 1219 departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 05/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Ah so best to just see Farnham as conveniently close to Wimbledon and not read much more into it.

Thanks for the headsup on the arrival from Eastleigh.

 

[Goldfish62]

Good news as 2C12 is a very busy service. How often it will actually be a 701 on the other hand…

You mean 2C14? That's certainly a very busy one with standing from Egham / Staines inwards.

The Reading 701s don't tend to get substituted very often. Perhaps SWR are at last getting the message that the services are very busy. Based on that I'd expect something else to possibly take the hit instead.

I wonder if the displaced pair of 450s will displace a pair of 455s elsewhere.

One thing Reading could do with is 701s at weekends. Saturdays are especially busy, especially with the rugby season upon us. It was absolute carnage last Saturday with passengers being left behind left, right and centre because the 458/4s simply couldn't cope.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Good news as 2C12 is a very busy service. How often it will actually be a 701 on the other hand…

2C12 isn’t listed in that diagram.

 

[Goldfish62]

2C12 isn’t listed in that diagram.

I think they mean 2C14.

 

[DMckduck]

One thing Reading could do with is 701s at weekends. Saturdays are especially busy, especially with the rugby season upon us. It was absolute carnage last Saturday with passengers being left behind left, right and centre because the 458/4s simply couldn't cope.

Until those services are rammed, and Earley, Winnersh and Winnersh triangle don't see a service towards London for hours due to the guard being stuck in the back cab.

701s will frequent Reading on event weekends once the /5s enter service I reckon.

 

[mansonlo49]

@mansonlo49 - I suppose Farnham can be viewed as a more convenient storage location for 701s. Wimbledon must be fairly full (see below) !. Farnham is a place EMUs are stabled. It might end up being a standard place for 701s to stable as it is within range of the relevant services.

Thanks, I see how come units go down there often

 

[Kite159]

Until those services are rammed, and Earley, Winnersh and Winnersh triangle don't see a service towards London for hours due to the guard being stuck in the back cab.

701s will frequent Reading on event weekends once the /5s enter service I reckon.

And how many times are the trains completely rammed at the Reading end?

Other than when Wales plays England at Twickenham (or when the GWML has fallen over).

 

[Goldfish62]

And how many times are the trains completely rammed at the Reading end?

Ask all those were left behind at Bracknell and Martins Heron last Saturday (England v Australia, not Wales and GWR running fine).

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

Until those services are rammed, and Earley, Winnersh and Winnersh triangle don't see a service towards London for hours due to the guard being stuck in the back cab.

701s will frequent Reading on event weekends once the /5s enter service I reckon.

Fair comment - I understand what you mean.

 

[MasterPhillips]

You mean 2C14? That's certainly a very busy one with standing from Egham / Staines inwards.

The Reading 701s don't tend to get substituted very often. Perhaps SWR are at last getting the message that the services are very busy. Based on that I'd expect something else to possibly take the hit instead.

Yes, I meant 2C14 I often catch 2C12 so had that in my head at the time. That train usually has people standing by Egham and Staines too.

Totally agree about the Reading services being very busy, although I have no idea whether they are more deserving than any other line.

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

Regarding the rugby, it would be nice if there could be 4TPH evenly spread ahead of the game, rather than the current 3TPH with uneven gaps of 30 minutes, then 15 minutes.

 

[Goldfish62]

Yes, I meant 2C14 I often catch 2C12 so had that in my head at the time. That train usually has people standing by Egham and Staines too.

Totally agree about the Reading services being very busy, although I have no idea whether they are more deserving than any other line.

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

Regarding the rugby, it would be nice if there could be 4TPH evenly spread ahead of the game, rather than the current 3TPH with uneven gaps of 30 minutes, then 15 minutes.

They have been 4tph in the past but I guess these days staffing is a limiting factor.

Anyway best get back to the main topic!

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Ah so best to just see Farnham as conveniently close to Wimbledon and not read much more into it.

I would guess that having (new) units closer to hand, ie closer to Wim depot, when they are near to being passed ready for passenger service, is a no brainer, rather than dragging them from where ever off the SW network. Fortunate perhaps that there are a number of 450's working sub diagrams at present, as when I left the job, Farnham was almost at capacity each night, the newer sidings included....!

 

[bb21]

701048 is now cleared for passenger service, however it may not be straight away depending on how quickly some of the remaining works are completed on the unit.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Interesting this is replacing a 2x450 diagram, rather than 455s.

I wonder if the displaced pair of 450s will displace a pair of 455s elsewhere.

Do we know yet if this is the case?

 

[TEW]

Do we know yet if this is the case?

Yes. 15 455 diagrams next week down from 17 this week.

 

[adc82140]

I presume the other diagram loss is due to the return of the 458/5 pair from exam/repairs?

Edit- ignore that, forgot that 1x 10 car 701 diagram= 2x 4 car 455 diagrams.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Yes. 15 455 diagrams next week down from 17 this week.

Fabulous, thank you.

 

[MasterPhillips]

I wonder whether the decision to replace a 2x450 diagram, which then replaces a 2x455 diagram, rather than replace the 2x455 directly, is crew related, or whether SWR are actually looking at which services need to be 10 coaches.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Does anyone know which 701 came from Eastleigh to Wimbledon yesterday (Wednesday 05/11/2025) on

Realtime Trains | 5Q96 1219 Eastleigh Trsmd to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 05/11/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q96 1219 departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 05/11/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk