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

[Siemens Staines]

It would appear from the data passed to RTT that 701054 entered service this morning

Realtime Trains | 2H17 0912 London Waterloo to Shepperton | 03/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 2H17 0912 departure from London Waterloo to Shepperton on 03/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Meglos]

It would appear from the data passed to RTT that 701054 entered service this morning

Realtime Trains | 2H17 0912 London Waterloo to Shepperton | 03/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 2H17 0912 departure from London Waterloo to Shepperton on 03/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Nice! Just back on SWR territory after two weeks away.

So I went out to ride what I thought were the three newest in service units (701010 RAY-EAD, 701047 EAD-WAT-CLJ & 701052 CLJ-TWI) when I picked up your message whilst between Twickenham, and Teddington whilst returning home. So a quick diversion to Fulwell, and then 701054 FLW-KNG.
Four new unit haulages in just over 2 hours.

 

[Stephen42]

It would appear from the data passed to RTT that 701054 entered service this morning

Realtime Trains | 2H17 0912 London Waterloo to Shepperton | 03/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 2H17 0912 departure from London Waterloo to Shepperton on 03/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Good spot. Looking at the data the first allocation was yesterday afternoon covering for another 701 so wasn't originally shown.

Realtime Trains | 2K53 1827 London Waterloo to Clapham Junction | 02/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 2K53 1827 departure from London Waterloo to Clapham Junction on 02/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[WWTownEnth]

36 in passenger service now. Hopefully that should ensure all the 701 diagrams can be covered come Monday morning!

 

[Ian Hardy]

458530 is covering for one of the 11 701 diagrams for the combined Clapham Junction - Waterloo (via Kingston) and Clapham Junction - Weybridge (via Hounslow) services today.

https://www.journeycheck.com/swr/ is showing that which services are being short formations today.

Yesterday all 11 were 701 operated, with the 12th diagram being a pair of 450s as it is today.

458530 is currently on this service: 2O37 1410 Clapham Junction to London Waterloo
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:L76113/2026-01-03/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[Siemens Staines]

Good spot. Looking at the data the first allocation was yesterday afternoon covering for another 701 so wasn't originally shown.

Realtime Trains | 2K53 1827 London Waterloo to Clapham Junction | 02/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 2K53 1827 departure from London Waterloo to Clapham Junction on 02/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Thank you. I lost track of all of the 701 failures / swaps yesterday and in the evening I only checked those that were not shown to be working in the morning. But that only extended to those that worked before, not those that had never worked before!

 

[Pippy1505]

5Q70 1435 Long Marston - Wimbledon on Wednesday 07/01/2026

 

[norbitonflyer]

It would appear from the data passed to RTT that 701054 entered service this morning

Realtime Trains | 2H17 0912 London Waterloo to Shepperton | 03/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 2H17 0912 departure from London Waterloo to Shepperton on 03/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Seems I just missed it. It was on 2H41, I was on 2K41 (a 458/5) which was the following service. Had there been any trains between London bridge and Waterloo East I would probably have caught it, but i had to use the Jubilee Line instead, whch cost enough time to miss the earlier train.

 

[mansonlo49]

5Q70 1435 Long Marston - Wimbledon on Wednesday 07/01/2026

006，007，008，023，045，049
these still at long marston

 

[WWTownEnth]

Does anyone have a list of where all the 701/5s are stored?

 

[Peter Sarf]

Does anyone have a list of where all the 701/5s are stored?

I did one upthread, nothing has changed afaik since then.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Jan 2026 ==

Found it on the other 701 thread.

List of 701/5s' and locations.

701501 Old Dalby
701502 Derby Litchurch Lane
701503 Wimbledon / Clapham Junction
701504 Wimbledon / Clapham Junction
701505 Bicester

701506 Bicester
701507 Bicester
701508 Derby Litchurch Lane
701509 Long Marston
701510 Wimbledon mainly ?.

701511 Bicester
701512 Long Marston
701513 Bicester
701514 Bicester
701515 Bicester

701516 Bicester
701517 Long Marston
701518 Bicester
701519 Long Marston
701520 Long Marston

701521 Bicester
701522 Long Marston
701523 Bicester
701524 Derby Litchurch Lane
701525 Bicester

701526 Bicester
701527 Bicester
701528 Clapham Junction Regularly/Always
701529 Clapham Junction Regularly/Always
701530 Bicester

 

[WWTownEnth]

I did one upthread, nothing has changed afaik since then.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Jan 2026 ==

Found it on the other 701 thread.

Thank you!

 

[bnsf734]

Thanks to a message from a friend I was able to get 701054 in its first day of service yesterday, whilst on a visit to London. Very disappointing to se the graffitti on one driving vehicle on its first day in traffic. Hopefully this will soon be removed.

 

[WWTownEnth]

Looks like 701059 has failed this morning.

 

[SeaKing]

Looks like 701059 has failed this morning.

Seems to be working 2U18 ok.

 

[Goldfish62]

Seems to be working 2U18 ok.

Yes, currently at Whitton on time.

 

[WWTownEnth]

Seems to be working 2U18 ok.

IS08 was cancelled this morning but it seems the unit is back out and about now

Realtime Trains | 1S08 0527 Woking to London Waterloo | 05/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 1S08 0527 departure from Woking to London Waterloo on 05/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[w11_supremecy]

701047 has been taken out of service an hour ago as there was a problem with one of the cab doors - it was jammed and would not open properly at all. 2C45 was cancelled as a result of this.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Explains the 455 i was passing on its way to Reading.

 

[swtrains]

701054 failing this afternoon.

Realtime Trains | 2G29 1203 London Waterloo to Guildford | 06/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 2G29 1203 departure from London Waterloo to Guildford on 06/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Been a while since I've been on this thread. Over the past few weeks or so, it's been interesting to see how 701s seem to keep breaking down and don't seem to be able to handle Winter weather very well...
And the new PIS update is rubbish. Gotta love alstom eh.

 

[NSEWonderer]

701054 failing this afternoon.

Realtime Trains | 2G29 1203 London Waterloo to Guildford | 06/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 2G29 1203 departure from London Waterloo to Guildford on 06/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Been a while since I've been on this thread. Over the past few weeks or so, it's been interesting to see how 701s seem to keep breaking down and don't seem to be able to handle Winter weather very well...
And the new PIS update is rubbish. Gotta love alstom eh.

Most are nothing to do with the winter weather at all. More so what is expectedly going to occur with a fleet that has still to go thru the various bug fixes that would have been done had it been as utilised as it is and is becoming in passengers service.

Over the next few months I'd expect them to start to improve as issues come up and are dealt with.

 

[Goldfish62]

Most are nothing to do with the winter weather at all. More so what is expectedly going to occur with a fleet that has still to go thru the various bug fixes that would have been done had it been as utilised as it is and is becoming in passengers service.

Over the next few months I'd expect them to start to improve as issues come up and are dealt with.

Yes, some people seem to be convinced that the 701s can't operate in cold weather. Or more likely wishful thinking than that they'll all fail and their beloved 455s will be brought back from the scrapyard.

I'm sure that over the next few months Wimbledon will get used to the units' foibles and start working their usual magic on them.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Yes, some people seem to be convinced that the 701s can't operate in cold weather. Or more likely wishful thinking than that they'll all fail and their beloved 455s will be brought back from the scrapyard.

I'm sure that over the next few months Wimbledon will get used to the units' foibles and start working their usual magic on them.

Indeed haha

 

[Peter Sarf]

701054 failing this afternoon.

Realtime Trains | 2G29 1203 London Waterloo to Guildford | 06/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 2G29 1203 departure from London Waterloo to Guildford on 06/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Been a while since I've been on this thread. Over the past few weeks or so, it's been interesting to see how 701s seem to keep breaking down and don't seem to be able to handle Winter weather very well...
And the new PIS update is rubbish. Gotta love alstom eh.

Merely teething problems no doubt.
The 701s are, after all, rather like a 710 (two working in multiple) but minus the AC overhead kit. Then there are all the other similar Aventras - 345s, 720s & 730s. I doubt if storage has helped BUT all new fleets have to climb up the bathtub curve of reliability anyway.

I is a given that testing each unit does not replicate real world circumstances (pesky passengers and unfamiliar crew). Also Wimbledon has to learn how to look after them (their weaknesses) and nothing is as simple as in the good old days.

It does seem that each and every unit for the UK does not work straight out of the box (like a car would) but that problem is not exclusive to Alstom (or Bombardier before them). Any way any discussion on that is best kept for another thread.

 

[brooklynbound]

Got to agree that the PIS update is rubbish. The new version of Waterloo is laughable.

 

[Snow1964]

006，007，008，023，045，049
these still at long marston

The loco path from Leicester to Long Marston has been activated

Realtime Trains | 0V70 0851 Leicester L.I.P. to Long Marston Gbrf | 07/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 0V70 0851 departure from Leicester L.I.P. to Long Marston Gbrf on 07/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

And for reference the working to Wimbledon

Realtime Trains | 5Q70 1435 Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 07/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 5Q70 1435 departure from Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 07/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[WWTownEnth]

The loco path from Leicester to Long Marston has been activated

Realtime Trains | 0V70 0851 Leicester L.I.P. to Long Marston Gbrf | 07/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 0V70 0851 departure from Leicester L.I.P. to Long Marston Gbrf on 07/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

And for reference the working to Wimbledon

Realtime Trains | 5Q70 1435 Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs | 07/01/2026

Real-time train running information for 5Q70 1435 departure from Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sdgs on 07/01/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Do we know which unit is likely to emerge from the dark?

 

[Covshire1]

The activation is the dreaded exact 3 hours before departure so it doesn't look good. Hopefully I'm wrong and it does run..

 

[Snow1964]

The activation is the dreaded exact 3 hours before departure so it doesn't look good. Hopefully I'm wrong and it does run..

Appears to be running with 57303 per realtimestrains

Most likely one of the 5 remaining 10car units, although Long Marston also has a few 5car versions in store

 

[Goldfish62]

It does seem that each and every unit for the UK does not work straight out of the box (like a car would) but that problem is not exclusive to Alstom (or Bombardier before them). Any way any discussion on that is best kept for another thread.

It's far from exclusive to the UK either, eg TGV-M and ICE-L to name just two of a long list.