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

[Peter Sarf]

I am told that the Class 345 software is unique to that class due to the highly bespoke nature of the trains. They've got two different in-cab signalling systems installed for a start.

That is the impression I get. The 345s have to handle platform edge doors, several different signalling systems and the seamless transition between them while on the move.

Would make more sense if the 701 software was based on the 710s or 720s. Except perhaps for the software handling the 10-car unit behaving as two 5-car units which is probably similar to the 345s but I would have thought that was simpler than the signalling functionality.

 

[60159]

S

701028 seems to have been sat on 11 road at Clapham cut-in for the last few days (no portable red tail lamp) - does this mean that they have got to the bottom of the exploding capacitors?

I wonder if we'll see any 455s making it into the paintshops?

So SWR have matched supply with demand, then, if the trains are as busy as before the pandemic but are running fewer services.

Going back to the 701s, the 5-car sets are like-for-like replacements of the 707s.

Does anyone know how many 701s have been built so far, please?

I’m sure I saw a post saying 52? and 1 5 car unit. I’ve quickly checked from post 3529 onwards and see the first 50 other than 46. Can anyone update this and confirm the 5 car set please?

 

[3973EXL]

EH - Marchwood Paths W/C 06/02

Realtime Trains | 5Q95 0706½ Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf | 06/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q95 0706½ departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf on 06/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Caped

Realtime Trains | 5Q96 1130½ Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf | 06/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q96 1130½ departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf on 06/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

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Realtime Trains | 5Q95 0706½ Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf | 07/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q95 0706½ departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf on 07/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

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Realtime Trains | 5Q96 1130½ Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf | 07/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q96 1130½ departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf on 07/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Caped

Realtime Trains | 5Q95 0706½ Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf | 08/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q95 0706½ departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf on 08/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Caped

VSTP Ran 701032

Realtime Trains | 5Q96 1130 Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf | 08/02/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q96 1130 departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Marchwood Mod Gbrf on 08/02/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[stuving]

037 is still at Wokingham and unfortunately has more fresh graffiti. If it's not moved soon it'll end up completely plastered.

037 sneaked off on Thursday evening, by which time it still had some paint-free vehicles. Presumably all this shifting of units out of depots into long-term parking means there is space for it somewhere (first stop was Wimbledon Park).

 

[GeoffS]

S




I’m sure I saw a post saying 52? and 1 5 car unit. I’ve quickly checked from post 3529 onwards and see the first 50 other than 46. Can anyone update this and confirm the 5 car set please?

051 and 052 have both been reported recently as moving to Eastleigh (presumably now there's space after other units going to store at Marchwood). On my own record which I struggle(!) to keep as up to date as possible 046 is at Worksop, along with several others. Re the 5-cars it seems that they have been built up to 512, with both 509 and 512 having appeared at Eastleigh at various times over the last couple of weeks. Others seem to be either at Worksop or still within the Derby complex.

 

[60159]

051 and 052 have both been reported recently as moving to Eastleigh (presumably now there's space after other units going to store at Marchwood). On my own record which I struggle(!) to keep as up to date as possible 046 is at Worksop, along with several others. Re the 5-cars it seems that they have been built up to 512, with both 509 and 512 having appeared at Eastleigh at various times over the last couple of weeks. Others seem to be either at Worksop or still within the Derby complex.

Many thanks. Helpful reply.

 

[Robert Carroll]

Thanks for the information on units built.

Any sign of driver training starting yet, please?

 

[TheHSRailFan]

Thanks for the information on units built.

Any sign of driver training starting yet, please?

sadly no...

 

[Robert Carroll]

sadly no...

Thanks.

 

[amazon1675]

701051 out on test yesterday.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

701014/028/030 in claoham yard replete with flashing tail lamps so presumably no fix yet for covers. GAs 720s are stabled pan up.

 

[Goldfish62]

701014/028/030 in claoham yard replete with flashing tail lamps so presumably no fix yet for covers. GAs 720s are stabled pan up.

Presumably not a priority for retrofitting given they're not in service yet.

 

[Chilternblue]

Noted in Farnham Yard on Friday 10th February, 701017/701029/701034, all visible from Weldon Lane

 

[Fazaar1889]

Do people dislike the 701s? I was looking around online and it seems a lot of people hate them. Why's that? I personally dislike the ironing board seats but the overall design looks nice icl...

 

[swt_passenger]

Do people dislike the 701s? I was looking around online and it seems a lot of people hate them. Why's that? I personally dislike the ironing board seats but the overall design looks nice icl...

Any opinion is really just speculation, until someone ever gets to travel on one…

 

[Goldfish62]

Any opinion is really just speculation, until someone ever gets to travel on one…

Indeed. Maybe people are forming their opinions based on their experiences of other Aventras.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Feb 2023 ==

Do people dislike the 701s? I was looking around online and it seems a lot of people hate them. Why's that? I personally dislike the ironing board seats but the overall design looks nice icl...

They've got the upgraded ironing boards with thicker and slightly wider cushions, which are actually a reasonable seat for suburban work.

 

[Fazaar1889]

Any opinion is really just speculation, until someone ever gets to travel on one…

True

They've got the upgraded ironing boards with thicker and slightly wider cushions, which are actually a reasonable seat for suburban work.

Ah right, that's good then

 

[Fastlane256]

I was wondering if they might be used after the Wessex resignalling program that is occurring. Any ideas?

 

[swr444]

I was wondering if they might be used after the Wessex resignalling program that is occurring. Any ideas?

Why would that affect the use of 701s?

 

[WizCastro197]

I was wondering if they might be used after the Wessex resignalling program that is occurring. Any ideas?

701s will be used regardless. They won't even operate in the Wessex area and it isn't as if the signalling programme affects what stock can be used.

 

[swt_passenger]

701s will be used regardless. They won't even operate in the Wessex area and it isn't as if the signalling programme affects what stock can be used.

Wessex Route is Network Rail‘s name for the SW division of the former Southern Region, ie all lines out of Waterloo…

 

[WizCastro197]

Wessex Route is Network Rail‘s name for the SW division of the former Southern Region, ie all lines out of Waterloo…

Ah apologies. But the signalling programme still won’t affect what stock can run still?

 

[swt_passenger]

Ah apologies. But the signalling programme still won’t affect what stock can run still?

I don’t think there’s anything unusual planned for any of the resignalling, it’s still lights on sticks…

 

[Goldfish62]

I was wondering if they might be used after the Wessex resignalling program that is occurring. Any ideas?

If you mean the huge Feltham and Wokingham area scheme that completes next year one would hope they're not affected!

 

[Fazaar1889]

What lines will the 701s run on? Will they run on the Portsmouth Direct line for example?

 

[jackot]

What lines will the 701s run on? Will they run on the Portsmouth Direct line for example?

Basically anywhere the 455s, 707s and 458s run now. I doubt they will do much on the PDL, maybe the occasional run to Haslemere which already has some 458 diagrams. They may well reach as far as Alton too, which also sees the odd 458.

 

[Fazaar1889]

Basically anywhere the 455s, 707s and 458s run now. I doubt they will do much on the PDL, maybe the occasional run to Haslemere which already has some 458 diagrams. They may well reach as far as Alton too, which also sees the odd 458.

Ah right thanks

 

[Big Jumby 74]

What lines will the 701s run on? Will they run on the Portsmouth Direct line for example?

The basic plan can be covered as follows:

The Reading's and all inner sub network in it's entirety, ie: Guildford stoppers (all routes), Woking (stoppers), Windsor's, Waterloo Rounders (via Kingston and Brentford), Hampton Court's, Chessy's, Sheppy's, Epsom's, etc., all 701.

All other electric routes: 450/444.

Salisbury/Exeter: 159/158 (or whatever comes to replace them in due course?)

With all 701's in service, that was always (and still is AFAIK) the plan. That basic idea was part of the plan in SWT days, in that all Desiro work would be either outer sub or main line based (which also simplified maintenance regimes). It was only the DfT option/decision to finance the plan for 30 x 707 (instead of the 36 x 707) option, that left 3 x 8 car 450 on the Reading road.

But since CV19, I get the impression that the whole plan went out the window and a new set of rules/objectives now apply, to which I am not party to (and don't want to be either....)

Bold: forgot to include in OP. Sorry. But remainder still applies.

 

[800001]

Does anyone know which 3 x 701s were at Clapham Junction yesterday? I managed to get 014 nearest the Windsor lines.

 

[Fazaar1889]

The Reading's and all inner sub network in it's entirety, ie: Guildford stoppers (all routes), Woking (stoppers), Windsor's, Waterloo Rounders (via Kingston and Brentford), Hampton Court's, Chessy's, Sheppy's, Epsom's, etc., all 701

So..yes? It will travel along the PDL? Apologies, English isn't my mother tongue

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Feb 2023 ==

Oh I'm an idiot. It says on the damn website

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/travelling-with-us/our-trains/arterio

Above is a map showing the routes of the 701 on the SWR network