Fazaar1889
Member
The trains look quite nice icl. I feared that their front would make it look ugly but no.. its nice!
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Class 701 'Aventra' trains for South Western Railway: progress updates
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Sun Chariot
Established Member
"Mind the Gap". Is that the time gap, between construction and in-service....
shakermaker_86
Member
It did look very nice and shiny. Looking forward to one day travelling in one, whatever year that will be!
Invincible
Member
On RTT as 5Q43 at 21:13:30 left Waterloo for Eastleigh
Robin Procter
Member
I am fairly new to RailUKforums and so am still finding my way around and had not seen this thread earlier. So on July 14th this year 2023 I photographed 701 054 which stopped briefly at Eastleigh and was apparently on test. As my photo shows, it was in SWR livery and badged as an 'Arterio'. The cab access doors were open when I arrived at that end of platform 2 and there were about 4 staff standing inside talking, one of them was a woman whom I think was in uniform. I thought the train's overall appearance was very attractive and smart.
ARTERIO ON TEST by Robin Procter, on Flickr
ARTERIO ON TEST by Robin Procter, on Flickr
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The_Train
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Nice shot, Robin! Any photo of these things running on rails is a collectors item at the momentI am fairly new to RailUKforums and so am still finding my way around and had not seen this thread earlier. So on July 14th this year 2023 I photographed 701 054 which stopped briefly at Eastleigh and was apparently on test. As my photo shows, it was in SWR livery and badged as an 'Arterio'. The cab access doors were open when I arrived at that end of platform 2 and there were about 4 staff standing inside talking, one of them was a woman whom I think was in uniform. I thought the train's overall appearance was very attractive and smart.
Sun Chariot
Established Member
Or photoshoppedNice shot, Robin! Any photo of these things running on rails is a collectors item at the moment
Great capture, Robin. I've only seen them stored at MoD Marchwood, or being towed to Eastleigh
Robin Procter
Member
....Nice shot, Robin! Any photo of these things running on rails is a collectors item at the moment
Thanks. That was captured at ~13:30 and this photo below at ~14:30, July 14th 2023.
ARTERIO ON TEST by Robin Procter, on Flickr.... Photos below of Class701 units being towed into Eastleigh by Class47 727 'Edinburgh Castle' at ~13:30 on July 14th.
A CLASS 47 HEADS CLASS 701 UNITS INTO EASTLEIGH by Robin Procter, on Flickr
Class47 727 'Edinburgh Castle' & Class701_OMD10874 @ by Robin Procter, on Flickr
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Sun Chariot
Established Member
Great stuff, Robin. 47727 was at the head of 701 029 on the Portsmouth Direct Line, in May - photo is at the top of this thread:
www.railforums.co.uk
Loco hauled around Havant
A summer "challenge" deep in SWR/Southern land - Photograph loco-hauled, or light, services within within my locality. Focus is freight workings or uncommon traffic. I'll add to this thread during the year.
www.railforums.co.uk
spark001uk
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701037 providing some split training at Wombledon by the looks. Country-facing half visible outside the sheds @0956.
jwhite9185
Member
519/517 out and about today - just went through Woking.
Will no doubt be seeing it head back to London in an hour or so.
Will no doubt be seeing it head back to London in an hour or so.
spark001uk
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Sun Chariot
Established Member
Cracking shot, great stuff
I've noticed some animated adverts online on Instagram for South Western Railways are showing Class 701 trains. I wonder if that is a sign that they are confident about getting them into service soon? Or maybe the advert was commissioned a while ago (especially as it was computer animated) and they're hoping the average customer won't notice when instead they're actually on a knackered 458?
aliceh
Member
If it's the pigeon advert, it's been on and off TV/online for about 18 months! I remember pointing out to someone last year that the trains featured in it weren't actually in service... Plus ca change, as they say
Goldfish62
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They've been using that set of ads for the past couple of years. I doubt if the average passenger would notice what it's supposed to be.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
There, corrected for you
.I actually think the 458s could well be gone before passengers set foot on a 701.
Goldfish62
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That's an horrific prospect given the huge rolling stock shortage that would lead to.There, corrected for you
I actually think the 458s could well be gone before passengers set foot on a 701.
boiledbeans2
Member
The Class 701s have been running out of Waterloo since at least October 2019... October 2019 was when I visited Legoland Windsor.
Not my photo, but you can see it here:
It replaced the Class 450, again not my photo:
Lego London Waterloo
Lego Desiros at London Waterloo, although the new 458/5 may have been based on these!
www.flickr.com
Tweet from Richard clinnick below, first 701 launched to press November 2019!The Class 701s have been running out of Waterloo since at least October 2019... October 2019 was when I visited Legoland Windsor.
Not my photo, but you can see it here:
It replaced the Class 450, again not my photo:
Lego London Waterloo
Lego Desiros at London Waterloo, although the new 458/5 may have been based on these!
Snow1964
Established Member
Yes nearly 4 years ago.
But as has been said many times first one in service was originally Autumn 2019, there was a table of dates in the franchise (now removed), but was third in service by about March 2020 (covid outbreak), about 70% after school summer holidays, and all 750 vehicles in service by December 2020 timetable change.
Some of the lower numbered ones rolled off production line 4.5 years ago.
DJH1971
Established Member
This clearly has to a record for when the first train of its class was completed and still not in revenue earning service.
The 730's are not far behind on this either.
They have the best front design of all the Aventras IMHO. The 345s are the worst with the "fish" look.
So the irony of this is… Lego managed to build and enter their 701 in service quicker than Bombalstom whose units are still not in service some 4 / 4.5 years later. Knowing the quality of some Lego kits (try taking them apart!) it’s probably better builtThe Class 701s have been running out of Waterloo since at least October 2019... October 2019 was when I visited Legoland Windsor.
Not my photo, but you can see it here:
It replaced the Class 450, again not my photo:
Lego London Waterloo
Lego Desiros at London Waterloo, although the new 458/5 may have been based on these!
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Likely no rattles for a start.So the irony of this is… Lego managed to build and enter their 701 in service quicker than Bombalstom whose units are still not in service some 4 / 4.5 years later. Knowing the quality of some Lego kits (try taking them apart!) it’s probably better built
Ah I see, thanks for letting me know - this is the first time I've seen them, I don't really watch much TV and hadn't seen them online before.
That really does go to show just how much the introduction time line has slipped though.
OneTrackMinded
Member
I've been talking to some people and apparently ABDO, one of the star features of the 701, has been scrapped because drivers have refused to accept the PTI risk due to DCO camera quality. Reportedly the sensors haven't been installed either, and the "ABDO Plan" which was in the last business report is down the drain too.
Goldfish62
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It was reported in Modern Railways a few issues back that there were no plans to introduce ABDO until after the whole fleet was well bedded in so hardly significant.
The case for ABDO is surely no longer there anyway given that the previously planned service levels are never going to happen.