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

[SeaKing]

Which of the remaining 701/5 to be delivered have never entered SWR area?

 

[swr444]

It's not quite a sick list. Aside from 037 which wasn't traction related from the above, every other unit went into the depot on its diagram. 009 and 014 are both at Clapham. I suspect they are being used for training or testing of some sort.

012 appears to have failed at Farnham depot, entered service this afternoon from Wimbledon. The rest could be maintenance exams, none have been out of service for more than a week.

009 has definitely been out on training runs the past week or so

 

[Peter Sarf]

Which of the remaining 701/5 to be delivered have never entered SWR area?

There only five left to be delivered.
701501 arrived Derby LL September 2025 from Old Dalby.
710502 arrived Derby LL December 2024.
701508 was on SWR metals until it left around August 2025.
701510 arrived from Wimbledon not long before 30/07/2026.
701524 arrived Derby LL December 2024 slim chance that was from SWR.

I highly doubt 501 or 502 have ever been on SWR and that would explain why so many people have never seen them !.
I also doubt 524 has been on SWR but it is possible.
My records do not go far enough back to be sure on these three.

 

[mansonlo49]

There only five left to be delivered.
701501 arrived Derby LL September 2025 from Old Dalby.
710502 arrived Derby LL December 2024.
701508 was on SWR metals until it left around August 2025.
701510 arrived from Wimbledon not long before 30/07/2026.
701524 arrived Derby LL December 2024 slim chance that was from SWR.

I highly doubt 501 or 502 have ever been on SWR and that would explain why so many people have never seen them !.
I also doubt 524 has been on SWR but it is possible.
My records do not go far enough back to be sure on these three.

I think the above two Was just transferring in the Midlands and one was at velim long time ago unsure which was that

 

[bb21]

Are these trains on the sick list every day really encountering issues every morning or is there some other reason why they keep staying in the depots?

Not many sick units at the moment. There is still an exam backlog (albeit better than before) and 012 did not enter service yesterday morning due to a depot staffing issue at Farnham.

 

[Siemens Staines]

I make it 52 701s in passenger service this morning. The outstanding diagram is 2*450 (2C03).

 

[WWTownEnth]

007
009
013
014
030
034
038
051

are the EIGHT not allocated to diagrams this morning

 

[Big Jumby 74]

and 012 did not enter service yesterday morning due to a depot staffing issue at Farnham.

A very timely reminder of how the human factor can rebound on to train service provision at what are (701 wise) very complex/busy depots. Nice one, well pointed out.

 

[Bobcp]

701502 was still at litchurch lane on Friday afternoon...


View attachment 212737

701502 still outside this afternoon (06/10/26)
Noted that the pantograph fitted at the time of assembly in 2020, for its visitations to Old Dalby, has now been removed from the third coach.

 

[wickham]

There only five left to be delivered.
701501 arrived Derby LL September 2025 from Old Dalby.
710502 arrived Derby LL December 2024.
701508 was on SWR metals until it left around August 2025.
701510 arrived from Wimbledon not long before 30/07/2026.
701524 arrived Derby LL December 2024 slim chance that was from SWR.

I highly doubt 501 or 502 have ever been on SWR and that would explain why so many people have never seen them !.
I also doubt 524 has been on SWR but it is possible.
My records do not go far enough back to be sure on these three.

701501/502 are the only two never to have been to SWR teritory:
701508 initally arrived at Eastleigh 15.06.23
701510 initally arrived at Eastleigh 14.06.23
701524 initally arrived at Eastleigh 24.11.23

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Tuesday at 20:42 ==

A very timely reminder of how the human factor can rebound on to train service provision at what are (701 wise) very complex/busy depots. Nice one, well pointed out.

I saw 701012 go flying through Woking ECS from Farnham to WPS at about 1030 on Monday morning - it was going so fast I could not get the unit number (but did manage to see that it ended in a 2). I have not seen anything going so fast through Woking since the days of the REPs - it must have been close on 90 MPH !!
It seems amazing to me that a surburban unit has the capacity to go so fast.

 

[Meglos]

I saw 701012 go flying through Woking ECS from Farnham to WPS at about 1030 on Monday morning - it was going so fast I could not get the unit number (but did manage to see that it ended in a 2). I have not seen anything going so fast through Woking since the days of the REPs - it must have been close on 90 MPH !!
It seems amazing to me that a surburban unit has the capacity to go so fast.

The general Aventra platform is rated at up to 110MPH, with the Class 701's specifically limited to 100MPH. The lines through Woking station have a permitted line speed of 90MPH, with a short section past Woking having a 100MPH line speed.

 

[Peter Sarf]

701501/502 are the only two never to have been to SWR teritory:
701508 initally arrived at Eastleigh 15.06.23
701510 initally arrived at Eastleigh 14.06.23
701524 initally arrived at Eastleigh 24.11.23

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Tuesday at 20:42 ==


...................................

Thanks. 2023 is before I was paying attention and realised that I might as well get the 701s on SWR before they left again for (even more) storage.

It has all come a long way from those heady days of drag to and the from...

I am amazed that I never saw 701524 between 24/11/2023 and December 2024 !. I must have seen it a Clapham Junction or perhaps it was its very departure that woke me up to the need to erm not wait.

 

[Siemens Staines]

I make it 50 701s in passenger service this morning. The three outstanding diagrams are two 2*450 (2U07 & 1N92) and, for the first time in a little while, one 2*458/4 (2U09)

 

[swr444]

The general Aventra platform is rated at up to 110MPH, with the Class 701's specifically limited to 100MPH. The lines through Woking station have a permitted line speed of 90MPH, with a short section past Woking having a 100MPH line speed.

UMF through Woking is 100

 

[Siemens Staines]

I make it 48 701s in passenger service this morning. The five outstanding diagrams are three 2*450 (2F06, 2U07 & 1N92), one 2*458/4 (2C03) and one cancelled (2J92)

 

[WWTownEnth]

I make it 48 701s in passenger service this morning. The five outstanding diagrams are three 2*450 (2F06, 2U07 & 1N92), one 2*458/4 (2C03) and one cancelled (2J92)

80% utilisation rate. Just awful.

 

[Goldfish62]

80% utilisation rate. Just awful.

That's exactiy the rate that the 458/0s even at the peak of their reliability never bettered. Maximum of 24/30 units rostered daily.

 

[adc82140]

That's exactiy the rate that the 458/0s even at the peak of their reliability never bettered. Maximum of 24/30 units rostered daily.

For comparison, do you know what the availability rate is of the 450s?

 

[Roylang]

For comparison, do you know what the availability rate is of the 450s?

Be careful with terminology, utilisation and availability are two very different things.

Roy

 

[bb21]

For comparison, do you know what the availability rate is of the 450s?

Between 118 and 122 normally, with 120 required on weekdays. On really bad days it has dipped as low as 112-113 but that is extremely rare.

You can't really directly compare Desiros with Arterios, as the former work mostly in multiples, and can carry certain faults with them into service, whereas the latter cannot.

 

[Siemens Staines]

I make it 51 701s in passenger service this morning. The one outstanding diagram (of the 52 FO a.m) is 2*450 (2F06)

 

[WWTownEnth]

That's exactiy the rate that the 458/0s even at the peak of their reliability never bettered. Maximum of 24/30 units rostered daily.

Thanks but I had read up thread from a reliable source that the 701 plan was for 56/60. We are a long way from that.

 

[Farnborough]

The five outstanding diagrams are three 2*450 (2F06, 2U07 & 1N92)

1N92 seems to be a regular...

I know that the 701/0s have to be stabled somewhere, but I do wonder whether a 10-car between Farnham and Ascot (and vice-versa in the evening) is a good use of resources

Certainly, chatting with the guard on a couple of occasions, the problems with passengers being in the wrong part of the train at the shorter platforms is a big problem!

 

[Goldfish62]

1N92 seems to be a regular...

I know that the 701/0s have to be stabled somewhere, but I do wonder whether a 10-car between Farnham and Ascot (and vice-versa in the evening) is a good use of resources

Certainly, chatting with the guard on a couple of occasions, the problems with passengers being in the wrong part of the train at the shorter platforms is a big problem!

Bagshot and Frimley are both 4-coach platforms and Camberley is 10-coach so having an 8 coach train or 10 coach train makes no difference. At least some of these services used to be 10-458/5. Obviously you would never run any of these through services to/from Waterloo as 4 coaches.

People actually need to read and listen to announcements. 10 coaches are needed on these trains. Just because they're not busy between Ash Vale and Ascot doesn't mean that's the case between Ascot and Waterloo.

 

[D365]

Celebrating the application of a now obsolete branding is so ironic and a good representation of Britain's railways.

SWR still remains SWR - for now. Unless one of our South Western colleagues tells us otherwise.

 

[Nogoohwell]

80% utilisation rate. Just awful.

Its difficult to really compare these to 450’s. A 701 is 2x5 car trains, so a fault in one effectively takes out 2 units, if you were trying to compare it on a like for like basis.
A better comparison would be with a 390 of 10 coach 8xx.
On the plus side, these are a damn sight bettter than 810’s.

 

[Olivine]

Its difficult to really compare these to 450’s. A 701 is 2x5 car trains, so a fault in one effectively takes out 2 units, if you were trying to compare it on a like for like basis.

Can you explain this further - a 450 is often 2x4 car trains so why can’t they be compared?

 

[Peter Sarf]

Can you explain this further - a 450 is often 2x4 car trains so why can’t they be compared?

Because a fault on one 450 does not take out the other 450 it is coupled to. But for a 701/0 you effectivelly lose the whole train if there is a fault in one half of it.

 

[Nogoohwell]

I believe the issue people have with availability is that one missing unit cancels an entire diragram, whereas a missing 450 results in a short form. Why no comparison, 10 coach train has double components, or in this case 125% more components 450. Ie doors, brakes wheels etc. so more things to go wrong but when one part is out of stock, youve got in effect two units down. But also the problem affects exams and inspections as a 701 takes out 10 coaches against just 4 on a 450z. Hence why i believe we should only compare it to other 9/10 trains, like 345 or 390’s

 

[Peter Sarf]

I believe the issue people have with availability is that one missing unit cancels an entire diragram, whereas a missing 450 results in a short form. Why no comparison, 10 coach train has double components, or in this case 125% more components 450. Ie doors, brakes wheels etc. so more things to go wrong but when one part is out of stock, youve got in effect two units down. But also the problem affects exams and inspections as a 701 takes out 10 coaches against just 4 on a 450z. Hence why i believe we should only compare it to other 9/10 trains, like 345 or 390’s

I agree. The challenge there is that there are not perhaps enough alternative 10 car (approx) units to compare with.

So maybe we need to dream up a method to allow us to compare like with not like ?.