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

[Farnborough]

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.

Aldershot has the 1Axx semi-fasts to Waterloo via Woking; Ascot inwards has the 2Cxx services. The two peaktime 1Nxx services are in addition to the usual patters.

Given the incompatibility of a 701/0 with the platforms inbetween (Camberley platforms are 132m and 136m - so can't take a full length 701/0) it strikes me as a waste of a 701 when inner-suburban services are not getting one!

A four car is enough... maybe they should adjust the timetable so that the alternate 2Nxx (1x450) joins the 2Cxx (2x450) at Ascot and runs through as a 12-car? And vice versa...

 

[Goldfish62]

Slight correction to the bit in bold. Camberley was indeed extended, but only from four to six coaches, not a full ten. The 701s also open the first set of doors in coach 5 at Bagshot too, although that’s obviously a much more minor point!

Thanks for the correction.

 

[swr444]

Aldershot has the 1Axx semi-fasts to Waterloo via Woking; Ascot inwards has the 2Cxx services. The two peaktime 1Nxx services are in addition to the usual patters.

Given the incompatibility of a 701/0 with the platforms inbetween (Camberley platforms are 132m and 136m - so can't take a full length 701/0) it strikes me as a waste of a 701 when inner-suburban services are not getting one!

A four car is enough... maybe they should adjust the timetable so that the alternate 2Nxx (1x450) joins the 2Cxx (2x450) at Ascot and runs through as a 12-car? And vice versa...

That's never going to happen. A 12 car on the Windsor side only happens during Chertsey diverts when the mainline is shut (the trains don't stop anyway). It's a waste of a unit as 2 coaches do not open at any of the stations apart from Waterloo and Wokingham on the down towards Reading.
Also the 10 car 701 is a good use of a unit on this route. It gives people on the branch a direct train (and a seat) into waterloo + the train is pretty much full and standing from Egham.

 

[Goldfish62]

That's never going to happen. A 12 car on the Windsor side only happens during Chertsey diverts when the mainline is shut (the trains don't stop anyway). It's a waste of a unit as 2 coaches do not open at any of the stations apart from Waterloo and Wokingham on the down towards Reading.
Also the 10 car 701 is a good use of a unit on this route. It gives people on the branch a direct train (and a seat) into waterloo + the train is pretty much full and standing from Egham.

Indeed. The proposition seems to be to shorten and lengthen trains based on the loadings as they progress along a route!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Tuesday at 16:54 ==

Given the incompatibility of a 701/0 with the platforms inbetween (Camberley platforms are 132m and 136m - so can't take a full length 701/0) it strikes me as a waste of a 701 when inner-suburban services are not getting one!

Would this also apply to the short platforms on the Chertsey line and Hounslow loop?

Which inner-suburban services are you talking about given that as far as I'm aware the mainline inner-suburban side is rostered 100% 701?

 

[Kite159]

And having a 701 on those peak time services towards Bagshot where 3 stations (out of how many?) require SDO.
Similar to other services which might have some stations with short platforms at the start/end but require the full length at the other end

 

[Farnborough]

Which inner-suburban services are you talking about given that as far as I'm aware the mainline inner-suburban side is rostered 100% 701?

Being rostered, and actually getting one, are not the same thing...

 

[adc82140]

The shortfalls for 701s are nearly always on the Windsor/Reading side. So actually getting a 10 car on the mainline suburban side is pretty much a dead cert.

 

[swr444]

Being rostered, and actually getting one, are not the same thing...

One or Two 8 car vice 10 isn’t bad on the suburban side and it hardly ever happens now. Much better than when we had multiple 4 vice 8 beforehand.

 

[johnnym24]

One or Two 8 car vice 10 isn’t bad on the suburban side and it hardly ever happens now. Much better than when we had multiple 4 vice 8 beforehand.

Half of the windsor side stoppers, during the evening peak, are still 8 cars. This means they are generally crush loaded Tuesdays to Thursdays during the peak, even before any problems/cancellations. Add in the frequent cancellations and it gets really unpleasant.

 

[swr444]

Half of the windsor side stoppers, during the evening peak, are still 8 cars. This means they are generally crush loaded Tuesdays to Thursdays during the peak, even before any problems/cancellations. Add in the frequent cancellations and it gets really unpleasant.

and will continue until the 701/5s are in service. Annoying as it is, it's better than no train at all.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Has 701042 been out since its incident between Winnersh and Wokingham?

 

[Siemens Staines]

I make it 51 701s in passenger service this morning. The two outstanding diagrams are 2*450 (the diagrams commencing 2C03 & 1D12).

Neither 042 or 047 have been in passenger service since their incidents on Reading trains on Friday evening.

 

[Meglos]

The shortfalls for 701s are nearly always on the Windsor/Reading side. So actually getting a 10 car on the mainline suburban side is pretty much a dead cert.

The Chessington service will use a Class 450 about 1 day per week. Saturday's we often see two 450s on consequtive trains.

 

[Peter Sarf]

The Chessington service will use a Class 450 about 1 day per week. Saturday's we often see two 450s on consequtive trains.

This makes me ask.

In the long run, is the mainline side more likely to need the 701/5s ?.
(I am thinking Feltham adds 10 x 10car stabling capacity on the Windsor side, or is that just a drop in the ocean).

 

[D365]

Has 701042 been out since its incident between Winnersh and Wokingham?

Neither 042 or 047 have been in passenger service since their incidents on Reading trains on Friday evening.

Have the incidents been discussed elsewhere on this forum? I don’t see any prior discussion within this thread.

 

[Recessio]

Have the incidents been discussed elsewhere on this forum? I don’t see any prior discussion within this thread.

I was just going to ask that I don't remember reading anything?

 

[bb21]

Nothing serious. 042 suffered some fire damage when fireworks were let off onboard Friday night, and 047 struck a tree same night resulting in some front end damages.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Nothing serious. 042 suffered some fire damage when fireworks were let off onboard Friday night, and 047 struck a tree same night resulting in some front end damages.

Ended up being a lithium battery I heard from a friends daughter, apparently some individuals were throwing it on the ground either after it started overheating or that caused it because apparently then the batteries after repeated bashing near a train door ignited in flames and smoke. She and some other passengers hurried past it towards the front of the train to find the guard. Apparently they had a slightly distance to Wokingham as it happened not long after they left Winnersh. They were in the 2nd to last carriage which can only be carriage 9 which usually is the busier part of the train if you're leaving Reading towards London.

 

[Nimbus020]

The Chessington service will use a Class 450 about 1 day per week. Saturday's we often see two 450s on consequtive trains.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Today at 06:38 ==

701 055 stuck at Vauxhall on way out from W’loo (6:37am) - not sure why at the moment

 

[davews]

Ended up being a lithium battery I heard from a friends daughter, apparently some individuals were throwing it on the ground either after it started overheating or that caused it because apparently then the batteries after repeated bashing near a train door ignited in flames and smoke. She and some other passengers hurried past it towards the front of the train to find the guard. Apparently they had a slightly distance to Wokingham as it happened not long after they left Winnersh. They were in the 2nd to last carriage which can only be carriage 9 which usually is the busier part of the train if you're leaving Reading towards London.

Back in the summer the people in a house round the corner were charging a phone and it suddenly burst into flames. Fire brigade round and fortunately they caught it in time - loads of smoke pouring out of the windows and some damage. I wonder if this one was being charged at the time. Calling it vandalism (as RTT says) may be a bit unfair.

 

[Siemens Staines]

I make it 51 701s in passenger service this morning. The two outstanding diagrams are 2*450 (the diagrams commencing 2F01 & 2G03).

 

[NSEWonderer]

Back in the summer the people in a house round the corner were charging a phone and it suddenly burst into flames. Fire brigade round and fortunately they caught it in time - loads of smoke pouring out of the windows and some damage. I wonder if this one was being charged at the time. Calling it vandalism (as RTT says) may be a bit unfair.

There was a lot that went on that day to be fair I think updates might have been lost in the swirl of noise, not good of course considering how much more serious a lithium battery is compsred to just fireworks but explains potentially the vandalism code. SWR had a really bad fatality at Wimbledon still on going at the time, had just had some issue with a biohazard or something at Waterloo on a 701, and another 701 had its windows vandalised so they probably were overrun.

 

[bb21]

Ended up being a lithium battery I heard from a friends daughter, apparently some individuals were throwing it on the ground either after it started overheating or that caused it because apparently then the batteries after repeated bashing near a train door ignited in flames and smoke. She and some other passengers hurried past it towards the front of the train to find the guard. Apparently they had a slightly distance to Wokingham as it happened not long after they left Winnersh. They were in the 2nd to last carriage which can only be carriage 9 which usually is the busier part of the train if you're leaving Reading towards London.

I have only read the summary and haven't really looked at the exact events but my god I am just glad no one is hurt.

There was a lot that went on that day to be fair I think updates might have been lost in the swirl of noise, not good of course considering how much more serious a lithium battery is compsred to just fireworks but explains potentially the vandalism code. SWR had a really bad fatality at Wimbledon still on going at the time, had just had some issue with a biohazard or something at Waterloo on a 701, and another 701 had its windows vandalised so they probably were overrun.

Oh yes that was the 9th wasn't it. That fatality was quite tragic too. One of those unfortunate days.