Class 701 'Aventra' trains for South Western Railway

[godfreycomplex]

That’s interesting to learn. So Waterloo is standard guard dispatch? I’m surprised by that as RA is surely preferable at busy locations on stock without drop lights, so that platform staff can conduct a final safety check once the guard is aboard and all doors are closed (the procedure at my London terminal is for the guard to close doors, then RA to be given to the driver by platform staff).

If I was to take a wild guess, I’d imagine the reason is simply to reduce the number of platform staff required!

It is yes. Mandatory dispatch at all times, which isn’t the case at a lot of SWR stations.
The reason RA dispatch is mandated by Network Rail at certain locations is partially to do with the final safety check, partially to do with RA being interlocked with red signals whereas bells are not; and partially (this was the reason that Glasgow Queen Street went over to RA after the recent-ish refurbishment) because of the proximity of pointwork immediately past the starting signal, making RA necessary under signalling standards as a SPAD mitigation measure. The last one was certainly a factor at (if I’ve guessed correctly) your London terminal as well, after its refurb

Weren’t all the SWR guards monitors installed much later (from around 2004 onwards when the Desiros came in) ?

Would have been around early - mid 2010s they started coming out in earnest. They were largely a part of the 10 car extension project when the 456 & 458/5s came in

 

[The_Train]

701002

Realtime Trains | 5Q74 0917 Wembley Inter City Depot to Derby Litchurch Lane | 30/11/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q74 0917 departure from Wembley Inter City Depot to Derby Litchurch Lane on 30/11/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Some funky timings on that run

 

[3973EXL]

Some funky timings on that run

Two 5Q74s over the same over the same route confusing RTT

Realtime Trains | 5Q74 1306 London Euston to Oxley Car. M.D. | 30/11/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q74 1306 departure from London Euston to Oxley Car. M.D. on 30/11/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Towers]

Waterloo and Kings Cross are the only remaining London termini (not counting through platforms/Underground) that don’t use the RA for all passenger services, and as swr444 has said that is changing at Waterloo

Point of order; London Paddington too. RA is not used for guarded trains there, only for DOO & ECS moves.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Point of order; London Paddington too. RA is not used for guarded trains there, only for DOO & ECS moves.

Same at Cardiff Central. Everything is dispatch for public use but those going to Canton sidings are RA.

 

[Towers]

Same at Cardiff Central. Everything is dispatch for public use but those going to Canton sidings are RA.

Indeed, guard dispatch used for London Paddington terminators going ECS into the sidings too!

 

[AM9]

... They are geared for higher speed and faster acceleration and braking. ...

Minor point,
How can they be both geared for higher speed and faster acceleration, - the two are mutually incompatible, (unless they have a multi-speed gearbox - which they don't).

 

[godfreycomplex]

Point of order; London Paddington too. RA is not used for guarded trains there, only for DOO & ECS moves.

Yes that is very true now I come to recall.

 

[amazon1675]

31 days to get one in service...tick,tock,tick,tock...

 

[Goldfish62]

I

31 days to get one in service...tick,tock,tick,tock...

Given the recent developments reported on this thread I'd say that no longer seems so unlikely.

 

[3973EXL]

701525

Realtime Trains | 5Q20 0912 Derby Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh Trsmd | 01/12/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q20 0912 departure from Derby Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh Trsmd on 01/12/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Jamesrob637]

31 days to get one in service...tick,tock,tick,tock...

30 really, they won't run a single train on New Year's Eve.

 

[swr444]

30 really, they won't run a single train on New Year's Eve.

no trains run on christmas and boxing day, we do run trains on NYE

 

[traji00]

Guard training has started on the 701s, it seems by stealth but that is confirmed

Do you know which depot this was at?

 

[Mainsideman]

Do you know which depot this was at?

Staines seems the most likely, however not 100%

 

[swr444]

Staines seems the most likely, however not 100%

It is staines

 

[Goldfish62]

30 really, they won't run a single train on New Year's Eve.

Since when???? It's a normal Sunday service.

I had a look through a window of 701023 yesterday when it stopped at Wandsworth Town on a test/training run (there was a group of SWR staff standing in a doorway halfway down the train) and as previously stated I can confirm that the seat padding looks noticeably thicker than the standard ironing boards as found on the 700, 707 etc.

 

[kw12]

Staines seems the most likely, however not 100%

See post #6327

 

[TEW]

Since when???? It's a normal Sunday service.

I had a look through a window of 701023 yesterday when it stopped at Wandsworth Town on a test/training run (there was a group of SWR staff standing in a doorway halfway down the train) and as previously stated I can confirm that the seat padding looks noticeably thicker than the standard ironing boards as found on the 700, 707 etc.

Yes, having sat in one of the seats I would say they're definitely better than 700s and 707s. They're the best version of that seat in my opinion.

 

[swr444]

Soft launch between Waterloo - Windsor has been confirmed today, exact date isn’t known

 

[Samzino]

Interesting, that is some good news

 

[pompeyfan]

Soft launch between Waterloo - Windsor has been confirmed today, exact date isn’t known

Where have you seen this? Is it a public announcement or an internal document/newsflash?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Soft launch between Waterloo - Windsor has been confirmed today, exact date isn’t known

Interesting, that is some good news

As long as the exact date isn’t decided for 2025+.

 

[Goldfish62]

Soft launch between Waterloo - Windsor has been confirmed today, exact date isn’t known

Thanks for the update.

 

[GeoffS]

No. The 450s are 4, the 444s are 5.

Sorry, I was thinking of 458s!

 

[Peter Sarf]

Where have you seen this? Is it a public announcement or an internal document/newsflash?

My guess is that being a soft launch it is not worth waiting/looking for a public announcement. Probably the staff who have to know (to operate them) will be the best source (for us) of information - transmitted by some internal document to those who need to know.

But very good news indeed.

 

[Andy1673]

My guess is that being a soft launch it is not worth waiting/looking for a public announcement. Probably the staff who have to know (to operate them) will be the best source (for us) of information - transmitted by some internal document to those who need to know.

But very good news indeed.

Very sorry but what is the soft launch? what is that and how will it be look like?

 

[PG]

Very sorry but what is the soft launch? what is that and how will it be look like?

No press announcement or publicity, most people won't even realise it is running.

 

[Andy1673]

No press announcement or publicity, most people won't even realise it is running.

But will it be constantly booked working? or only one-time-special event?

 

[Peter Sarf]

But will it be constantly booked working? or only one-time-special event?

Being a "launch" I am interpreting (hoping) that to mean it will not be a one off run. It should mark the beginning of a roll out of more and more 701s. Probably first taking over all the services on the Waterloo/Windsor route one-by-one. Then spreading to other services - most likely also on the Windsor lines side.