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

[Goldfish62]

Thank you very much to all those who have posted details of the 701 diagrams and services from next week.

 

[strimmer]

Thank you very much to all those who have posted details of the 701 diagrams and services from next week.

Plus 1 on that.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Much as I loved the original Celia announcements and was gutted when they were replaced, the annoyingly soft and infantile New Celia announcements on these things are becoming a major source of irritation for me now, and I’m hoping they get Elinor installed pronto.

 

[D365]

There is a known issue with door air on the Aventra platform which is causing a lot of issues at the moment. Fixes are being developed and will be rolled out in due course.

It has certainly affected the 345s in the past, among many other issues. Don't know if it's still a problem with them.

So not just confined to SWR.

I won't say "finally" . They have been working on it since the other Aventra fleets came into service, however the 701s only started experiencing them of late. There is a fix but it isn't as simple as just implementing the same ones on all Aventra fleets. Without getting into the technical side too much, it is to do with air pressure in the system, which causes a spurious object being detected, and warmer weather will bring higher usage of air-conditioning, which builds up more air, or so I was of the understanding from my source. The previous door issues from weeks ago weren't related to this one.

A few weeks ago I was listening to an Aventra engineer talk about recent modification and testing of the passenger doors on 345s. A physical modification to the door leaves was required, in conjunction with a software tweak, due to coffee cups and other detritus getting caught and preventing the door leaves from fully closing. Particularly in the Elizabeth line core.

There wasn’t any mention of an air systems being used for edge detection, but perhaps I don’t know the whole story.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

Much as I loved the original Celia announcements and was gutted when they were replaced, the annoyingly soft and infantile New Celia announcements on these things are becoming a major source of irritation for me now, and I’m hoping they get Elinor installed pronto.

I was speaking to someone the other day who actually held the opposite opinion. The reason they gave was that both old Celia and Elinior rush through what they're speaking without taking a breath which can be a bit overwhelming and isn't as nice to listen to, meanwhile new Celia does. I can see where they're coming from, but that doesn't take away from how depressing and robotic new Celia sounds.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Surely the 23:00 departure is the 2M71 which is the only 701 service to Chessington South.

Typo yes, sorry.

 

[lewisf]

Hopefully the new 701 diagrams will reduce the number of short form 4 car 455s running about on the network

 

[NSEWonderer]

Thanks for posting this! - I guess passenger views are even stronger if it’s just a single 455 unit! - some drivers sound their horn to alert passengers if the train’s short formed - happy / safe driving…….

Haha yeah I've know a few to refuse taking a short formed 4 car on a Reading. Its just carnage

 

[Peter Wilde]

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.

 

[NSEWonderer]

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.

The plastic pig.

 

[DelW]

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 !!

It'll almost certainly reach 455 and 458 too, but let's hope that if it ever reaches page 701, the whole fleet is well established in service by then!

 

[RBD32]

I've not been following this thread properly so I don't know if the weekend diagrams are meant to be different,

But is anything going to change on the weekends in terms of number of 701s? If so do we know which diagrams they will be operating?

 

[NSEWonderer]

I've not been following this thread properly so I don't know if the weekend diagrams are meant to be different,

But is anything going to change on the weekends in terms of number of 701s? If so do we know which diagrams they will be operating?

10 On Saturday and 8 On Sunday, Diagram wise.

 

[Stephen42]

No problem and Indeed they will be, won't be instantly as swr444 mentioned but it will be quicker than previous diagram introductions as more drivers are getting through the training and more units are trialing for passenger readiness.

Also from the STP alterations in the schedules for next week, several of the diagrams themselves seem altered from the LTP as well as booked traction changes.

Maybe the schedule alterations aren't complete/accurate, 2H90 going on to form a Portsmouth service looks particularly unusual.

 

[swr444]

Also from the STP alterations in the schedules for next week, several of the diagrams themselves seem altered from the LTP as well as booked traction changes.

Maybe the schedule alterations aren't complete/accurate, 2H90 going on to form a Portsmouth service looks particularly unusual.

looks correct to me, 450 traction. arrives into plat 17 and forms 2P11

 

[norbitonflyer]

10 On Saturday and 8 On Sunday, Diagram wise.

could you share those diagrams?

First day of the new timetable today - only two 701s seem to be running

 

[SWT_USER]

could you share those diagrams?

First day of the new timetable today - only two 701s seem to be running

Maybe not surprising today given the engineering works closing Kew Bridge/ Richmond to Clapham

 

[norbitonflyer]

Maybe not surprising today given the engineering works closing Kew Bridge/ Richmond to Clapham

Indeed - one of them is running a Windsor via Kingston (reverse at twickenham) diagram

 

[RailExplorer]

Train Secured/Brake applied
Correct SCM for formation
Correct side door release

I would hazard a guess, that some part of that process is being disregarded with instant door release.

3-5 seconds for those checks would be ballpark I reckon, maybe DOO drivers could chime in on this one?

I drive 345 stock. Management want (and the driving policy states) that 2 seconds is required between stopping and door release to check for the items you stated. However, it can be done perfectly safely with the clock timer on the HMI still stating 0 seconds as these can be checked before you have even stopped. There is a huge variance in the entire process of hitting a platform ramp to doors released between drivers. I've noted that 25 seconds from hitting a 10 car platform ramp to doors released is about the quickest - for some drivers this can be 1 minute.

 

[yorkie]

This thread is to discuss 701 progress updates.

For 701 diagrams, please use:

SWR Class 701 diagrams - Spring/Summer 2025

From what I can see from the Waterloo LTP diagrams, 701 diagrams will as follow on the daily circuits from these headcodes, please remember that these all won't go over to 701s from next Monday. 2H05 2H87 -> 2H94 -> 2R15 1D12 and so on alternating with 2J services 2O03 2O05 2D15 and so on...

www.railforums.co.uk

And this thread for individual unit entries to service:

701 operation

Now that 701s have been in service for a whole year (well, one of them has.........) I thought it timely to transfer the record of which units have run, and when, to a new thread instead of having it hidden halfway down the 701 thread in the "traction" area. I little thought when I started...

www.railforums.co.uk

Discussion regarding @Class15's plans to avoid class 701s can be found here:

Journeys on SWR: trying to avoid 701s

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/class-701-aventra-trains-for-south-western-railway-progress-updates.148717/ You're very welcome and thanks much for posting. So for those wishing to catch 701s, the following departures from Waterloo should be booked 701 from the...

www.railforums.co.uk

For anything else, please create a new thread (if there isn't one already).

Thanks.

 

[NSEWonderer]

could you share those diagrams?

First day of the new timetable today - only two 701s seem to be running

Starts officially on the 19th. I'll write them up if I get time, someone else might and if they do it will most likely be in: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/swr-class-701-diagrams-spring-summer-2025.286452/

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 May 2025 ==

So far if nothing suddenly changes. Weekday Diagram 1 starting with 2O05 should be 701037 doing a Kingston Rounder.

 

[swtrains]

Looks like 458/5 pair is staying on the mainline side (533 on Reading + 458/4 pair for the first time 414+416), and no 701s are going to Guildford? Looks like it's rotating between Dorking and Hampton Court.
Kingston Rounder does 2 journeys in the morning then goes to Wimbledon depot.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Mix of number 1 and 7 diagram. Could be Resourcing reasons.

 

[swr444]

Looks like 458/5 pair is staying on the mainline side (533 on Reading + 458/4 pair for the first time 414+416), and no 701s are going to Guildford? Looks like it's rotating between Dorking and Hampton Court.
Kingston Rounder does 2 journeys in the morning then goes to Wimbledon depot.

1809 is a 701

 

[WWTownEnth]

Disappointing turnout of 701s as far as I can see this morning

 

[Goldfish62]

I also wouldn't be surprised if there's actually a temporary increase in 455s to Readings to cover for any 450s that go back to the mainline (and were supposed to have been 701)

Based on today you would unfortunately appear to be correct!

 

[nctd2306]

Based on today you would unfortunately appear to be correct!

Indeed the fears have been realised! I'm sure it will only be temporary (although how long is temporary...?)but that increase in 455s, plus an all day booked single 458 really isn't going please those along the Reading line, not to mention RTT also shows two short formed 450s today! I doubt these are booked though.

 

[Phillipimo]

An increase to 7 701 units in passenger service this morning:

017, 031, 034, 036, 037, 039 & 043.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

Disappointing turnout of 701s as far as I can see this morning

Not really, at around 8am there were 7 in service, one doing Dorking, one doing HMC, one doing the Kingston loop via Wimbledon, 2 doing Shepperton and 2 doing Windsor.
That's a big improvement from before.

 

[norbitonflyer]

An increase to 7 701 units in passenger service this morning:

017, 031, 034, 036, 037, 039 & 043.

I don't think there have ever been seven in passenger service at the same time before (although we have had eight in the course of a day)

701034 was the first run of a 701 in service to/from Hampton Court.