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

[D365]

They've just caught on that the 455s have been going away for corrosion repairs.

In common with all ex-British Rail passenger vehicles going through C6 overhauls.

 

[Goldfish62]

In common with all ex-British Rail passenger vehicles going through C6 overhauls.

Except the difference is that they should have been going for scrap instead.

 

[Fazaar1889]

Guildford is on two 701 diagrams each day as of this recent timetable change, (interworking with Hampton Court), and indeed 037 is working the 1945 Waterloo via Epsom service.

Realtime Trains | 1945 Guildford to London Waterloo | 20/05/2025

Real-time train running information for 1945 departure from Guildford to London Waterloo on 20/05/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2025 ==


Interestingly enough though, that 701 formed the 18:09 from Waterloo to Guildford, and the booked 701 turn at 18:54 was a pair of 458/5s instead. The 19:54 is being subbed with 455s. Not all of the above will immediately become 701s, due to driver availability - it will be a gradual process over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you! And what about Guildford to Waterloo? Where can I find that timetable for 701s?

 

[SEtrains]

701042 should be entering service for the first time today on 1D05

 

[norbitonflyer]

Guildford is on two 701 diagrams each day as of this recent timetable change, (interworking with Hampton Court), and indeed 037 is working the 1945 Waterloo via Epsom service.

Only one Guildford working so far - 2D53/64 1809 from Waterloo, 1945 from Guildford,

The other Guildford diagram (No 12, 2D15, 2D28, 2D35, 2D48, 2D55, 2D68) is today being worked by a pair of 458/5s

 

[Dan G]

Deleted my own post

 

[NSEWonderer]

701042 should be entering service for the first time today on 1D05

Indeed 1D05 was done by 701042 and it's currently now on 1D30 the 11:32 Dorking to London Waterloo: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:L47068/2025-05-21/detailed#allox_id=0

Arrived onto the network around March 2022 good to see it's meet the passenger readiness trials.

 

[FRSZMZ56]

701042 should be entering service for the first time today on 1D05

Can confirm! Rode it on my commute this morning

 

[norbitonflyer]

Will Labour’s shake-up really fix Great Britain’s ailing railways?

As South Western becomes the latest operator to be renationalised, there are questions about whether the changes will lead to lower fares

www.theguardian.com

I knowm its not actually the first re-nationalisation as was reported (the first was Connex South Eastern in 2003, and OLR has been in existence since 2018 (the second nationalsiation of the East Coast franchise)

But it seems fitting that the first train in GBR branding should be running on the same route (well partly - between Twickenham and Kingston) as the first in privatisation 29 years ago - and at a similarly ungodly hour on a Sunday morning (well, an hour later)

Realtime Trains | 2H07 0614 London Waterloo to Shepperton | 25/05/2025

Real-time train running information for 2H07 0614 departure from London Waterloo to Shepperton on 25/05/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[74A]

What will the stock be for this service?

 

[nctd2306]

What will the stock be for this service?

701 by the looks of it, and if rumors are to be believed, it'll be 701046 with some kind of GBR branding (either a logo or full livery- it's currently unclear as it is just a rumor for now as far as I can tell)

 

[Lockwood]

Quite amusing that with news finally of a few more 701s starting to appear in service, the discussion of this over-long South Western saga has now reached page … wait for it …. 442 !!

Those were the days.

444. And it will almost certainly hit 450 and 458.

Hopefully not 701

And REALLY hopefully not 4584 or 4585

 

[adc82140]

701 by the looks of it, and if rumors are to be believed, it'll be 701046 with some kind of GBR branding (either a logo or full livery- it's currently unclear as it is just a rumor for now as far as I can tell)

From what I can tell from the article it'll just be a one off sticker to promote GBR. The article says that GBR is not an operating entity, and that SWR will be around for some time to come. I'd guess all we'll see in the coming months is the mass peeling off of "operated by First Group" lettering.

 

[fgwrich]

I'd guess all we'll see in the coming months is the mass peeling off of "operated by First Group" lettering.

It’s already very much begun, though no doubt the 701s will be the last to retain the “Operated by First Group & MTR” tagline due to the amount of units in storage.

 

[Kite159]

From what I can tell from the article it'll just be a one off sticker to promote GBR. The article says that GBR is not an operating entity, and that SWR will be around for some time to come. I'd guess all we'll see in the coming months is the mass peeling off of "operated by First Group" lettering.

Or in some cases the mass stickering of "Operated by First/MTR" on any signage (i.e. CCTV).

As for the 701s, good news another has entered service

 

[Bikeman78]

The latest cover of Modern Railways magazine has a panel about the 701s, and a rather worrying bullet point that states "455 life extension plans"

This doesn't make much sense considering the positive news recently and the plan to get 30-ish in by Christmas, which would cover most of the 455s with the remaining being operated by 450s and 458s.
Has something else gone wrong?

There is a brief mention of a 455 going to Kilmarnock for repairs, which is hardly news. There have been virtually no short forms this week so the new timetable seems to be achievable in terms of stock utilisation.

 

[sp503]

There have been virtually no short forms this week so the new timetable seems to be achievable in terms of stock utilisation.

Reading had a 4 car 450 and 5 car 458/5 on Monday, and a 5 car 458/5 on Tuesday and today. Alton, Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Twickenham, Southampton are some of the routes suffering from having 4-car short forms today. Not sure how many of them are timetabled but in any case it seems like we are not out from the mess just yet…

 

[swr444]

Reading had a 4 car 450 and 5 car 458/5 on Monday, and a 5 car 458/5 on Tuesday and today. Alton, Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Twickenham, Southampton are some of the routes suffering from having 4-car short forms today. Not sure how many of them are timetabled but in any case it seems like we are not out from the mess just yet…

The 458/5 is booked this week

 

[SWT_USER]

The 458/5 is booked this week

Absolutely crazy to run single units on Reading services given SWR have already cut those to the bone. Can't believe there isn't something else that couldn't have been shortened elsewhere even if it meant a couple of 8 vice 12 on the mainline side.

The 15.52 Waterloo to Weybridge was a 4 car 455 today which is totally inadequate too. Hopefully these diagrams are prioritised for 701 introduction

 

[swr444]

Absolutely crazy to run single units on Reading services given SWR have already cut those to the bone. Can't believe there isn't something else that couldn't have been shortened elsewhere even if it meant a couple of 8 vice 12 on the mainline side.

The 15.52 Waterloo to Weybridge was a 4 car 455 today which is totally inadequate too. Hopefully these diagrams are prioritised for 701 introduction

The 1552 Weybridge has been a 4 car for almost a year now too

 

[SWT_USER]

The 1552 Weybridge has been a 4 car for almost a year now too

Yes - but generally a 450 and latterly a 458/4 I think? So with air conditioning. 4 coach 455 is the worst of all worlds.

 

[nctd2306]

The 458/5 is booked this week

This only lasts the morning thankfully before getting replaced by a pair of 458/4s from the 2C37 onwards, the 5 car then goes onto the Weybridge side, and it is booked for longer than just this week sadly

 

[mansonlo49]

not sure what’s going on this issue here? Said increasing diagrams, but the other hand towing away units to storage?

 

[markle]

deleted

 

[800001]

not sure what’s going on this issue here? Said increasing diagrams, but the other hand towing away units to storage?

All they are doing is rotating units around. This regularly happens.
Units are Long Marston regularly move to Eastleigh and a unit goes the other way.
This is to keep the units in a fit state rather than just say doing nothing.
At Eastleigh they will be powered up via 3rd rail and other things done to them.

 

[mansonlo49]

All they are doing is rotating units around. This regularly happens.
Units are Long Marston regularly move to Eastleigh and a unit goes the other way.
This is to keep the units in a fit state rather than just say doing nothing.
At Eastleigh they will be powered up via 3rd rail and other things done to them.

ok I get it thanks, how about those at marchwood or Bicester? Thanks

 

[800001]

ok I get it thanks, how about those at marchwood or Bicester? Thanks

Unsure about those tbf. I think they do also occasionally also move, can’t actually keep up with what moves .

 

[mansonlo49]

Unsure about those tbf. I think they do also occasionally also move, can’t actually keep up with what moves .

What I observed is those seem to me is a cold storage where on the other hand long marston is a warm storage

 

[The_Train]

a rather worrying bullet point that states "455 life extension plans"

Nothing worrying about this, it's fantastic news

 

[vuzzeho]

Nothing worrying about this, it's fantastic news

Not for those of us that use SWR, sadly