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

[Goldfish62]

Finally some good news in this thread lol

The ramping of testing started a while back, around when driver training started, which is why I can't really understand the current gloom and doom on this thread! Yes, it's all years late, but it's happening at last, which is surely positive. It is for me, anyway.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Sep 2024 ==

Not really - even if the connection was better timed than it is, Kingston is more easily reached by bus from Richmond

When I went to Twickenham in the AM peak from the Reading direction there were dozens of passengers alighting and leaving the station. I was catching a bus to Hounslow given that there's no longer a decent connection off Reading line trains onto Hounslow - from Weybridge - trains for a good part of the AM peak (for some reason two trains run immediately in front of trains from Reading in the AM peak and usually delay them, rather than connecting at Virginia Water as for the rest of the day). Clearly Reading line trains still need to stop at Twickenham unless SWR want to make an already poor level service even worse.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

Impressive to see the delay recovery on WQ21

That's the acceleration for you!

 

[swr444]

That's the acceleration for you!

that plus the long dwell between whitton and hounslow, and the trains aren't really stopping for more than 10 secs at each station, if they're stopping at all!

 

[swtrains]

Loads of 701s out on test today. Most of the ones that usually stay in Clapham Junction sidings are all missing

Whilst this may be the case, only 044 and 028 were running round the loop today, 017 did not run (as a Windsor test).

Does anyone know if 5Z24 and 5Z54 was a 701 test to Guildford?

 

[Stephen42]

Whilst this may be the case, only 044 and 028 were running round the loop today, 017 did not run (as a Windsor test).

Does anyone know if 5Z24 and 5Z54 was a 701 test to Guildford?

They look like very short notice alterations going on to form in service trains (possibly due to missing guards or stock displacement).

5Q are training/test paths which will often be 701s and fit around regular services on a smaller set of routes. 5T9 are test paths for platform train interface style testing with longer dwells at select stations. Those recently have started from Clapham and scheduled on Monday/Tuesdays. Next weeks 5T9 paths switch back to daytime covering Wimbledon fast platforms and all Earlsfield ones along with a few other places.

 

[norbitonflyer]

When I went to Twickenham in the AM peak from the Reading direction there were dozens of passengers alighting and leaving the station. I was catching a bus to Hounslow given that there's no longer a decent connection off Reading

. Clearly Reading line trains still need to stop at Twickenham unless SWR want to make an already poor level service even worse.

Quite so. Twickenham has a lot of entries and exits. But my comment was a response to one about connecting between Reading and Kingston Loop trains, which few people do. (Nor do they for Hounslow, from what you say)

 

[swr444]

Quite so. Twickenham has a lot of entries and exits. But my comment was a response to one about connecting between Reading and Kingston Loop trains, which few people do. (Nor do they for Hounslow, from what you say)

I was going to say, the up reading arrives a few minutes after the Kingston rounder leaves, so it’s probably quicker to connect via Clapham junction

 

[davews]

I have used Reading line to Kingston Loop interchange quite a lot on my various walks. As you say they don't time well and you have a 20 minute wait both ways. And if you then want to change to the Shepperton line at Teddington you have about one minute to get across the bridge.

 

[AAO]

Why do Shepperton get preferential treatment? The 707s were taken off the Windsor services and put on the Shepperton line long before they were due to be replaced. Who lives on the Shepperton line with all the influence?

It’s because performance is needed on that route with a tight timetable and short turnaround time which is often just 5 mins at SHP.

 

[norbitonflyer]

It’s because performance is needed on that route with a tight timetable and short turnaround time which is often just 5 mins at SHP.

Also why they skip Earls field.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

SWR has changed their response on social media back to "we don't know when they'll enter service" instead of "late summer/early autumn". Here we go again..

 

[Stephen42]

SWR has changed their response on social media back to "we don't know when they'll enter service" instead of "late summer/early autumn". Here we go again..

I wouldn't read too much into that response, the social media team won't receive every update from the 701 team and won't know where the various services stand in the rollout order. Astronomical summer ends in a week with no 701 changes planned before then and saying early autumn to anyone asking about specific services is going to be misleading.

The plan sounds like it has always been to first go from existing soft launch to an all day diagram. While a significant first step it won't have much impact on passengers as the extra capacity isn't needed at 2pm midweek. It would double the number of 701 services if it's the same diagram the soft launch starts at. That could still happen this month and I doubt it was expected to have multiple 701 diagrams yet.

 

[Goldfish62]

The plan sounds like it has always been to first go from existing soft launch to an all day diagram. While a significant first step it won't have much impact on passengers as the extra capacity isn't needed at 2pm midweek. It would double the number of 701 services if it's the same diagram the soft launch starts at. That could still happen this month and I doubt it was expected to have multiple 701 diagrams yet.

Apart from maybe the expansion of the "soft launch" diagram as you've suggested I certainly wouldn't expect anything yet. It's still less than two months since training started.

I'll start questioning what's going on if additional diagrams haven't been added by late Nov/ early Dec.

 

[MotCO]

Am I right in thinking that the 701s in service are still being driven by driver trainers rather than 'regular' drivers? If so what percentage of staff from a depot need to be fully trained before regular drivers can start to be rostered to drive 701s? I would imagine it must be around 40-50% to ensure that at crew changeovers, the new crew are 701 trained. If so, it must take some time to train the minimum number of drivers required to ensure a relable service.

 

[TEW]

Apart from maybe the expansion of the "soft launch" diagram as you've suggested I certainly wouldn't expect anything yet. It's still less than two months since training started.

I'll start questioning what's going on if additional diagrams haven't been added by late Nov/ early Dec.

The current plan is the soft launch diagram running all day this month, then ramping up to four diagrams by the December timetable change.

 

[Goldfish62]

The current plan is the soft launch diagram running all day this month, then ramping up to four diagrams by the December timetable change.

Great, many thanks for the update. Sounds pretty much exactly what I'd expect.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

The current plan is the soft launch diagram running all day this month

What does this mean for the current Hounslow loop service in the evening? I assume it'll be given back to another train so the unit can do Windsor all day

 

[TEW]

What does this mean for the current Hounslow loop service in the evening? I assume it'll be given back to another train so the unit can do Windsor all day

That's the plan, yes. The diagrams have been altered a bit at the moment to allow the 701 to cover a complete diagram with just those 3 trains. 2R53 is booked 8-450 LTP.

 

[Bigfoot]

Shepperton will be the next 701 diagram in the next few weeks. It will probably end up on the same or similar diagram the 707 ran on.

 

[Dan G]

I don't understand the requests to lock the thread, and that it's "really tedious and tiresome reading the same old moan and groans."

If the thread is so unpleasant to read, then don't read it? "Unwatch" button?

I think this thread is useful to anyone else who wants to understand the progress of the 701s (as well as the occasional where-are-the-701 jokes ).

Because some of us are interested in news of the 701 introduction, but bored of the endless circular discussions around it

 

[DMckduck]

Shepperton will be the next 701 diagram in the next few weeks. It will probably end up on the same or similar diagram the 707 ran on.

SWR really don't have enough of the trained crews. Not quite sure where you get that impression from.

Is it known yet which stations on the Shepperton route have currently failed DCO assessment? (Excluding Vauxhall and clapham)

 

[swr444]

Is it known yet which stations on the Shepperton route have currently failed DCO assessment? (Excluding Vauxhall and clapham)

No doubt norbiton, Hampton and Hampton wick are some of them

 

[OneTrackMinded]

Shepperton will be the next 701 diagram in the next few weeks. It will probably end up on the same or similar diagram the 707 ran on.

I assume this will come after:

The current plan is the soft launch diagram running all day this month

 

[Tirov]

So far today these units have been out in service and training

701036 Waterloo Windsor etc
701028 Clapham Hounslow Waterloo etc
701044 Waterloo Hounslow Waterloo etc

 

[swtrains]

5T91 saw testing at Woking and Hampton Court (5T92) today. Anyone know what unit this was?
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q78480/2024-09-16/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q78478/2024-09-16/detailed

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Deleted.

 

[Goldfish62]

I travelled on 701036 this morning from Staines to Waterloo in the AM peak. First time on a 701 since January.

The capacity came in good use. It was rammed by Whitton (and Mondays are supposedly "quiet"). Despite the train being packed it still seemed spacious due to the general huge amount of room.

It was noticeable how much quicker the DCO operation was compared with January, the driver clearly having got used to it. I noted guard despatch at Staines, Putney, CJ and Vauxhall.

 

[swtrains]

5T91 and 5T92 both see partial testing on the Kingston loop today, going between Waterloo and Hampton Wick several times.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q78479/2024-09-17/detailed
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q78477/2024-09-17/detailed

 

[OneTrackMinded]

701s reportedly start Shepperton services on the week commencing 30th of September. Kingston loop services at some point too.

 

[alanc]

5Q51:- 47727 dragging 701011 from Bicester Mod to Wimbledon Park