Class 701 'Aventra' trains for South Western Railway

[SWT_USER]

Eh? If you mean the ongoing national pay dispute that has nothing to do with the 701 introduction.

Clearly, if training starts, say, next month and goes as planned then everything will be in service by late Summer next year.

Well, it does and it doesn’t. It’ll likely mean less cooperation from ASLEF, and potentially RMT if they end up back in dispute.

Fingers crossed it gets resolved ASAP.

@43066 has covered what I meant.

ASLEF aren't going to be doing SWR any favors and I can't see the landscape changing between now and the election sadly. What SWR should be doing in the meantime is training enough driver managers (or whatever they are using to run the service at the moment) to reliably operate a peak time diagram, even if it's just one out and back at the busiest time.

Has the training course even been agreed yet?

 

[73128]

@43066 has covered what I meant.

ASLEF aren't going to be doing SWR any favors and I can't see the landscape changing between now and the election sadly. What SWR should be doing in the meantime is training enough driver managers (or whatever they are using to run the service at the moment) to reliably operate a peak time diagram, even if it's just one out and back at the busiest time.

Has the training course even been agreed yet?

I understand that it's (so far) a handful of drivers at Staines, Waterloo and Wimbledon who have been trained so far and are doing the driving, along with guards who do the doors at certain stations.

 

[The_Train]

701528

Realtime Trains | 5Q20 0912 Derby Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh Trsmd | 26/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q20 0912 departure from Derby Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh Trsmd on 26/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I make that to be just 529 and 530 left to come out of Litchurch Lane?

 

[stuving]

So a repeat of the 2013 ceremony on platform 19?

It’s Gordon, the slam door train

A RAILWAY enthusiast from Woking has made locomotive history after one of the last slam door trains to remain in active service in the South West was named after him.

www.getsurrey.co.uk

The original date of that article was June 2004, when SWT named the train "Gordon Pettitt" while it was still in service. There was a kind of rededication ceremony in January 2009 at East Grinstead when it was handed over to the Bluebell Railway.

 

[wickham]

Ref post 7833 above: Yes, only two more 5 cars to be output (529 & 530) but there are still 3 x 10 cars to see the light of day (058-060) and of course a few of the earlier ones of both varieties (such as 501-504, 001/002) which have been rotting at Worksop and are still to be completed.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

As a 458 cab isn't deemed adequate a 455 must be terrible so ASLEF should be doing all they can to get their drivers into a much improved and safer environment.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

As a 458 cab isn't deemed adequate a 455 must be terrible so ASLEF should be doing all they can to get their drivers into a much improved and safer environment.

I'm not a driver, and can only speak as a guard - albeit one who doesn't even sign 458s (but have been in the cabs of them for route learning purposes, etc.) - so am perhaps not in the best position to comment, but in my experience the 455 cab is a lot more comfortable than the 458 cab.

My first impressions of the 458 cab were dingy and worn-out, poor visibility and all the fittings felt very flimsy, compared to 455s which feel surprisingly very solidly put together.

 

[pompeyfan]

I’m sorry but I don’t understand the ASLEF witch hunt around 458 cabs.

Let’s say you work for a large retailer (Let’s say Tesco), you work in a store that’s a bit tired, a bit run down and needs work.

Head office say they’re going to refit the store to modern standards.

They complete the refit and it looks amazing, a real improvement on the shop floor, however when you get to the staff area you’ve seen it’s not been touched. The furniture is still completely untouched, not even a splash of paint and the same old leaks occur when it rains. You’d be peeved.

Ah, says someone, there’s even older stores with even worse facilities that your colleagues work in, so suck it up (even though there’s plans to completely demolish those stores and replace with brand new equivalent)

Now a break room in retail you may only be in there for 30 minutes maximum. Try spending 4 and a half hours in there….

 

[Invincible]

The original date of that article was June 2004, when SWT named the train "Gordon Pettitt" while it was still in service. There was a kind of rededication ceremony in January 2009 at East Grinstead when it was handed over to the Bluebell Railway.

Thanks, the 3417 4VEP unit been unused for quite a while, some update on the 3417 twitter account on getting it ready today (for the private birthday event)?
May need a new thread as fundraising and work on 3417 continues? Now started in rail tours and restoration

As a 458 cab isn't deemed adequate a 455 must be terrible so ASLEF should be doing all they can to get their drivers into a much improved and safer environment.

The drivers showed concerns about the 701 cab in 2021,

Train drivers reject £895 million new SWR trains with 'unsafe windscreen wipers'

The train drivers union say the trains were 'when delivered, not fit for purpose'

www.mylondon.news

Think the concerns have sorted now, perhaps the drivers should have been involved earlier in the 701 cab design and software testing?.

 

[Goldfish62]

I'm surprised that the "soft launch" services are still scheduled to run next week (ref RTT and NR jny planner) during the overtime ban and especially when there are gaps in services elsewhere, eg there are some hour gaps on Reading services.

I would have thought staff would be better deployed covering normal services.

 

[43066]

Whatever the ins and outs of everything as a passenger I am heartily sick of the squabbles between SWR and the unions about the 701s over the past few years. They all need their heads knocking together.

A perfectly understandable view, to be fair.

 

[Goldfish62]

A perfectly understandable view, to be fair.

Thanks. I did wonder after I posted it if it was a bit too ranty, but I felt better for getting it off my chest.

 

[The_Train]

Ref post 7833 above: Yes, only two more 5 cars to be output (529 & 530) but there are still 3 x 10 cars to see the light of day (058-060) and of course a few of the earlier ones of both varieties (such as 501-504, 001/002) which have been rotting at Worksop and are still to be completed.

Missed the /0's left in my list - I do still have 058-060 to come out of Derby as well. Interestingly, me checking those on my list has also shown me that I have 501 as having not come out of Derby yet - do you know when that came out and went to Worksop please?

 

[Goldfish62]

Missed the /0's left in my list - I do still have 058-060 to come out of Derby as well. Interestingly, me checking those on my list has also shown me that I have 501 as having not come out of Derby yet - do you know when that came out and went to Worksop please?

According to what Alstom told MPs the Derby production lines close for ever at the end of this month. Ie about now!

 

[The_Train]

According to what Alstom told MPs the Derby production lines close for ever at the end of this month. Ie about now!

I would presume all units are built now and some will just remain at Derby pending onward movement (probably waiting for some siding space to become available )

 

[PG]

According to what Alstom told MPs the Derby production lines close for ever at the end of this month. Ie about now!

You could hardly blame the workforce if they aren't exactly in a great hurry to get those final three units out of the shop!

 

[wickham]

(Ref 7843): I have 701501 as Derby to Worksop 06.12.21 (It was at Velim Test Centre in February 2020 - possibly went there and back by road ?).

 

[Goldfish62]

You could hardly blame the workforce if they aren't exactly in a great hurry to get those final three units out of the shop!

Far too late for that.

 

[The_Train]

(Ref 7843): I have 701501 as Derby to Worksop 06.12.21 (It was at Velim Test Centre in February 2020 - possibly went there and back by road ?).

Thanks for the info

 

[800001]

(Ref 7843): I have 701501 as Derby to Worksop 06.12.21 (It was at Velim Test Centre in February 2020 - possibly went there and back by road ?).

I have 701501 moving Old Dalby to Worksop on 14/09/22.

 

[The_Train]

FAO @800001 & @wickham - a quick gander on Flickr seems to suggest the following regarding 701501:

10 Feb 2020 - Seen at the Velim Test Track
15 Feb 2021 - Seen arriving at Old Dalby from Derby
14 Sept 2022 - Hauled from Old Dalby to Worksop by 56081 & 47749 under 5Q11 headcode

 

[amazon1675]

I presume full width cabs as the 707 and 701s feature must be much nicer and more spacious for drivers?

 

[wickham]

RE: Posts 7850 & 7851: I wonder if my date for 701501 to Worksop 06.12.21 is incorrect, or has it been there twice ?
The other interesting thing - if it went to Velim by road (and I have not picked up any rail movement) that would be 5 lorry loads there and back - can anyone confirm how it got there and back ?

 

[800001]

RE: Posts 7850 & 7851: I wonder if my date for 701501 to Worksop 06.12.21 is incorrect, or has it been there twice ?
The other interesting thing - if it went to Velim by road (and I have not picked up any rail movement) that would be 5 lorry loads there and back - can anyone confirm how it got there and back ?

It may be correct, there is that many movements backwards, forwards and sideways, I can imagine it’s hard for anyone to keep track of all moves.
Especially when some moves are by road.

 

[73128]

701043 out again this morning on the 1025 public Windsor diagram.

 

[stuving]

RE: Posts 7850 & 7851: I wonder if my date for 701501 to Worksop 06.12.21 is incorrect, or has it been there twice ?
The other interesting thing - if it went to Velim by road (and I have not picked up any rail movement) that would be 5 lorry loads there and back - can anyone confirm how it got there and back ?

Coming back, it was by rail to Cuxhaven, loading there on big lorries which drove onto the DFDS ferry to Immingham. There are youtube videos of that, and see post #1467. Going out, while I can't find any trace, there's a strong presumption it was the same route - if only because setting up another one would have cost a lot more.

 

[Zeremony]

I like that it still says TfL Rail not the Elizabeth line

Also why is the Overground in the SWR font rather than Johnston

 

[43096]

I like that it still says TfL Rail not the Elizabeth line

I get why you might think that, but it just shows how long this fiasco has gone on for and shows sloppy attention to detail.

Also why is the Overground in the SWR font rather than Johnston

More lack of attention to detail. It’s amateur.

 

[nlogax]

I like that it still says TfL Rail not the Elizabeth line

Hard to believe it'll remain that way for much longer and it ably demonstrates how long these things have been sat gathering dust!

 

[SWT_USER]

Hard to believe it'll remain that way for much longer and it ably demonstrates how long these things have been sat gathering dust!

Not a great look that the few units they do actually have available for service are still displaying out of date information.