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

[reddragon]

And has already been allocated for the 12:45 2D36 Guildford to Waterloo to take over from 701043 that's had a train fault.

701.047 confirmed on RTT

 

[mansonlo49]

View attachment 195075701.047 confirmed on RTT

and it makes 35 units in service now, would be close to 45 which makes half of the 90 units in service

 

[D365]

would be close to 45 which makes half of the 90 units in service

I'm not sure what you mean.

 

[mansonlo49]

I'm not sure what you mean.

Half of 90 is 45, which is nearly there now

 

[norbitonflyer]

View attachment 195075701.047 confirmed on RTT

And that means five have entered service this month - a new record. (59/30/10/52/47)

 

[HMTrains]

0V70 0851 Leicester L.I.P. to Long Marston Gbrf

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

5Q70 1435 Long Marston Gbrf to Wimbledon Park Depot Sidings

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

Saw this on se-gen, assume it's a new 701 delivery

 

[WWTownEnth]

Half of 90 is 45, which is nearly there now

We are nowhere near 45 in service. We do have 35 of 60 ten cars in service.

 

[mansonlo49]

We are nowhere near 45 in service. We do have 35 of 60 ten cars in service.

10 isnt very far away

 

[Meglos]

We are nowhere near 45 in service. We do have 35 of 60 ten cars in service.

Only 3 units to deliver then more than 50% of the total seating/standing capacity of the 701's will be in service.
Once they get to 38 units running in a day, then they will have reached 21128 seats in service, and 20452 seats not in service. Works with the same result in terms of units in service where seating & standing capacity are taken into account.

 

[norbitonflyer]

We are nowhere near 45 in service. We do have 35 of 60 ten cars in service.

Current rate of entry into service is 4 or 5 units per month, so unlikely to reach 45 until March.
If you count the 5-car units as half a train each, (or count carriages) we are nearly half way: 35/75, or 47%

 

[Peter Sarf]

10 isnt very far away

Adding ten more units to the 35 units in service is just over a 28% increase - I would say significant and not imminent.

 

[Roylang]

I studied statistics and, being honest, the most significant thing I learned is that they are nearly pointless. Just look at the phrase “Lies, damned lies, and statistics”

This thread is proving the point…

Roy

 

[moley]

Adding ten more units to the 35 units in service is just over a 28% increase - I would say significant and not imminent.

Except most fleets get quicker as their introduction proceeds, and so far the 701 fleet has continued to gather pace.

There must be 8 back on SWR territory working through their various stages of introduction which aren’t yet in use.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Except most fleets get quicker as their introduction proceeds, and so far the 701 fleet has continued to gather pace.

There must be 8 back on SWR territory working through their various stages of introduction which aren’t yet in use.

There were seven in service this time last year. Then, starting in March, the numbers entering service each month were: 2, 0, 2, 3, 4, 4, 2, 3, 4, 5

There have four occasions when two have enetered service on consecutive days (but never three)

9th/10th January 2024 (the first two days in service)
17th/18th March 2025
26th/27th August 2025
22nd/23rd December 2025

 

[meld3]

What is more embarrassing, is that 701002 dates from 2019 and still to carry a passenger after nearly 7 years.

 

[D365]

There must be 8 back on SWR territory working through their various stages of introduction which aren’t yet in use.

I wouldn’t be surprised if these (including 002) take longer due to requiring more extensive modifications and approvals.

 

[45076]

What is more embarrassing, is that 701002 dates from 2019 and still to carry a passenger after nearly 7 years.

it was used as a test set so must need lots of remedial work to make it fit for passenger carrying.

 

[meld3]

it was used as a test set so must need lots of remedial work to make it fit for passenger carrying.

Ok, 003, 004 then.

 

[Snow1964]

and it makes 35 units in service now, would be close to 45 which makes half of the 90 units in service

It would be better if it had been phrased as 350 vehicles out of 750.

3 more 10car units (38 instead of 35) takes it to 380 vehicles which is over half the 750 vehicle order (half of 750 is 375).


On a separate note, is there updated list of which units are where, the list in post #1 of this thread hasn't been updated since October.

 

[mansonlo49]

It would be better if it had been phrased as 350 vehicles out of 750.

3 more 10car units (38 instead of 35) takes it to 380 vehicles which is over half the 750 vehicle order (half of 750 is 375).


On a separate note, is there updated list of which units are where, the list in post #1 of this thread hasn't been updated since October.

60 of the 701/0s, only 7 left which haven't been take back to SWR area
701003, 701006-701008, 701023, 701045, 701049
apart from 003 at Derby, others all at Long Marston

 

[WWTownEnth]

It would be better if it had been phrased as 350 vehicles out of 750.

3 more 10car units (38 instead of 35) takes it to 380 vehicles which is over half the 750 vehicle order (half of 750 is 375).


On a separate note, is there updated list of which units are where, the list in post #1 of this thread hasn't been updated since October.

There is a list which is almost uptodate here:

701 operation

As promised, another update since last week. As far as I know the only major changes are that 701050 has entered passenger service and 701047 is now on the SWR Arterio Network instead of Marchwood. Key: Green = In Passenger Service Purple = Stored At Derby, Eastleigh, Long Marston Or Marchwood...

www.railforums.co.uk

post 141

i stopped updating the list at the start of this thread as it was simply duplicating someone else’s excellent work

 

[mansonlo49]

There is a list which is almost uptodate here:

701 operation

As promised, another update since last week. As far as I know the only major changes are that 701050 has entered passenger service and 701047 is now on the SWR Arterio Network instead of Marchwood. Key: Green = In Passenger Service Purple = Stored At Derby, Eastleigh, Long Marston Or Marchwood...

www.railforums.co.uk

post 141

i stopped updating the list at the start of this thread as it was simply duplicating someone else’s excellent work

but your post is put on the beginning page, first post, which'll be easier to find when needed

 

[WWTownEnth]

but your post is put on the beginning page, first post, which'll be easier to find when needed

Well fine - I’ve updated it as best as I can from my mobile with the help of the other very good post as the latest source

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Jan 2026 ==

If anyone can give some info on the whereabouts of the stored 701/5s then I can update that list too.

 

[Bikeman78]

What is more embarrassing, is that 701002 dates from 2019 and still to carry a passenger after nearly 7 years.

It took less time to electrify most of Kent and put 120ish CEPs and BEPs into service.

 

[3141]

I studied statistics and, being honest, the most significant thing I learned is that they are nearly pointless. Just look at the phrase “Lies, damned lies, and statistics”

This thread is proving the point…

Roy

Well said!!!

It reminds me of a trick whereby you can get people to prove that 8 + 5 = 14, though it depends on being familiar with pre-decimal currency, which few are these days.

 

[norbitonflyer]

It reminds me of a trick whereby you can get people to prove that 8 + 5 = 14, though it depends on being familiar with pre-decimal currency, which few are these days.

It is in base 9, but what that has to do with pre-decimal currency (which was in base 12 and base 20) I don't know

 

[Stephen42]

Except most fleets get quicker as their introduction proceeds, and so far the 701 fleet has continued to gather pace.

There must be 8 back on SWR territory working through their various stages of introduction which aren’t yet in use.

There are 6 701s that have recently arrived at Wimbledon not yet in passenger service (I'm considering recent as November/December). Three recent arrivals are already in passenger service. There's another four that arrived in summer and four earlier than that not in passenger service which I'd guess aren't actively worked on considering how many units have jumped them. Some of these could be being used for alternative purposes training/fleet testing.

With the 701/0s being roughly 60% in passenger service I wouldn't expect much of a speed up. Averaging one unit into passenger service a week will be sufficient and diagram increases may lag to ensure can run the allocated services reliably.

What is more embarrassing, is that 701002 dates from 2019 and still to carry a passenger after nearly 7 years.

Does it matter if units are introduced in construction order? Yes the rollout has been massively delayed in getting going, but the number of passengers who care about the unit number will be negligible.

 

[Goldfish62]

Does it matter if units are introduced in construction order? Yes the rollout has been massively delayed in getting going, but the number of passengers who care about the unit number will be negligible.

Indeed.

458001 was delivered to SWR in 1998, but didn't enter passenger service until 2003.

 

[3141]

It is in base 9, but what that has to do with pre-decimal currency (which was in base 12 and base 20) I don't know

We're getting off-topic, but apparently you're referring to a different trick from the one I know.

 

[45076]

Ok, 003, 004 then.

Fair point