Class 701 'Aventra' trains for South Western Railway

[Goldfish62]

345003 exploded at Plumstead sidings.

That's certainly been kept quiet. Understandably of course!

 

[DanNCL]

That's certainly been kept quiet. Understandably of course!

Dare I say suggest they may be saving it til tomorrow so that they can have something in the news that isn't the Sue Grey report?

 

[fgwrich]

Most likely detected on a 730?


Maybe a simple case of replacing a piece of equipment that doesn’t need testing? Also, at Worksop there has been some new large covered buildings built which can fit a 701 inside, so can be worked on undercover.

I wouldn't have thought so - quite a few of the mods they've been receiving at Eastleigh has required some form of power, including new Air Con modules and software updates. Though I gather one recently decided, post mods, that it didn't like the power at Eastleigh and sat across the entrance to the works for several hours until the computer decided that the brakes should be released, so it could be unglamorously pushed back inside.

701s currently out on the usual test runs today so can’t be that bad.

Panic over. So not exactly a “withdrawal” after all.

Indeed - even the West Mids and Greater Anglia units have been out on test on the WCML today, so it certainly wasn't them.

345003 exploded at Plumstead sidings, Alston have issued an instruction to not not go within 2m at ground level alongside any powered equipment. The brief is for all aventra stock until further notice. It does state that passing at platform height is acceptable.

Oh nice, another new trait for the Aventra family. I hope the damage isn't too serious, although it isn't good when an instruction advising staff not to go near to them at ground level has to be handed out.

 

[800001]

I wouldn't have thought so - quite a few of the mods they've been receiving at Eastleigh has required some form of power, including new Air Con modules and software updates. Though I gather one recently decided, post mods, that it didn't like the power at Eastleigh and sat across the entrance to the works for several hours until the computer decided that the brakes should be released, so it could be unglamorously pushed back inside.





Indeed - even the West Mids and Greater Anglia units have been out on test on the WCML today, so it certainly wasn't them.



Oh nice, another new trait for the Aventra family. I hope the damage isn't too serious, although it isn't good when an instruction advising staff not to go near to them at ground level has to be handed out.

Similar instruction given to station and on train teams about class 80X.
Not to go underneath them until Hitachi have been contacted to ensure certain items are isolated, incase people get electrocuted.

 

[fgwrich]

Similar instruction given to station and on train teams about class 80X.
Not to go underneath them until Hitachi have been contacted to ensure certain items are isolated, incase people get electrocuted.

Indeed, particularly unhelpful at incidents where emergency workers and staff may need to get close to or underneath the unit, as I found out a couple of years ago. Those side covers may look similar to the undercarriage of a MK3, but in reality they are just that - side covers, with nothing boxed in.

 

[WarrenTManager]

Similar instruction given to station and on train teams about class 80X.
Not to go underneath them until Hitachi have been contacted to ensure certain items are isolated, incase people get electrocuted.

That’s probably a more global instruction that IGBT type traction is still live even after being powered down for a short period.

 

[Elorith]

Here they are:

Realtime Trains | 5Q70 1436 Eastleigh Trsmd to Woking | 24/05/2022

Real-time train running information for 5Q70 1436 departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Woking on 24/05/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 5Q71 1536 Woking to Eastleigh Trsmd | 24/05/2022

Real-time train running information for 5Q71 1536 departure from Woking to Eastleigh Trsmd on 24/05/2022. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Weird, couldn't find them at all. Thanks.

 

[swr444]

Weird, couldn't find them at all. Thanks.

Did you actually see them running though? From what I know all 701s have been “switched off until further notice” due to what happened at plumsted

 

[Roger B]

Did you actually see them running though? From what I know all 701s have been “switched off until further notice” due to what happened at plumsted

Interesting that the 701s have been "switched off until further notice" (although 5Q70/71 ran yesterday), whilst the 345s, of which 345003 was the unit involved in the incident at Plumstead, carry on running!

Seems to suggest the 701 stoppage and the Plumstead incident may not necessarily be directly linked - what's the evidence for the 701 stoppage having been initiated by the Plumstead incident?

 

[swr444]

Interesting that the 701s have been "switched off until further notice" (although 5Q70/71 ran yesterday), whilst the 345s, of which 345003 was the unit involved in the incident at Plumstead, carry on running!

Seems to suggest the 701 stoppage and the Plumstead incident may not necessarily be directly linked - what's the evidence for the 701 stoppage having been initiated by the Plumstead incident?

An ASLEF bulletin which was sent out a few days ago.

 

[dgl]

I suppose it really would be the icing on the cake if after years of waiting for crossrail to be finished, the day it finally is supposed to open they end up having no usable trains for it! Doub't you'd want a train going "bang" in the core.

 

[fgwrich]

Did you actually see them running though? From what I know all 701s have been “switched off until further notice” due to what happened at plumsted

Yes, I couldn’t see the unit number but I did pass one at Basingstoke yesterday afternoon.

There were also photos on Facebook of the 720s and 730s out on test on the WCML yesterday, so the supposed stoppages can’t seem to be affecting those either.

 

[amazon1675]

A couple of things spring to mind. Surely the unions would advise all members not to work them as they are unsafe for staff and passengers alike.Secondly,are Derby still pumping out 701s with numerous faults,or are the current(pardon the pun) ones now as they should be? These chaps make British Leyland look like a quality outfit ! if you bought a duff motor one always said it must have been built on a Friday.Perhaps the 701s could be 'Fridays' from now on?

 

[spark001uk]

Today's 5Q10 701 drag from Worksop - Eastleigh, 47749 + 701038.
With the emphasis on 'drag' - reported at a stand on the up slow outside Kettering, issue with dragging brakes.

Edit: On move 1340, didn't get far though, stopped again blocking Kettering south jn.
Proceeding again 1410 (174 late now)

 

[Elorith]

Did you actually see them running though? From what I know all 701s have been “switched off until further notice” due to what happened at plumsted

Nope

As far as I know, that one in Clapham Yard is still there with its red removable lamp

 

[Goldfish62]

Yes, I couldn’t see the unit number but I did pass one at Basingstoke yesterday afternoon.

There were also photos on Facebook of the 720s and 730s out on test on the WCML yesterday, so the supposed stoppages can’t seem to be affecting those either.

Well, yesterday I travelled on both 345s and 710s and Liverpool St was as usual full of 720s so clearly not!

 

[theageofthetra]

An ASLEF bulletin which was sent out a few days ago.

Have SE staff been advised of the Plumstead incident as they also sign those sidings.

 

[swr444]

Negative

As far as I know, that one in Clapham Yard is still there with its red removable lamp

all the ones i saw today at feltham, clapham yard and Wimbledon park had the red removable lamps on the all power switched off

 

[Flange Squeal]

The AnonSWR Twitter account has published the Alstom bulletin.

https://twitter.com/anonswrteam/status/1529294341117726722

Background:
After a significant failure on Train 345003 at Plumstead sidings it has become apparent there
is a potential risk to maintenance staff. Train 345003 suffered a failure of a capacitor in the
traction system; this failure caused a significant over pressure event in the Convertor case
which has caused a 7kg cover to become detached from the train.
This means there is a risk of serious injury or death when adjacent to the traction converter
cases along the sides of the train
As such to protect maintenance staff NO ONE is allowed to work within 2 metres of the outside
covers on the converter cases with power applied to the train. It is, however, permissible to
walk past the converter if alternative options are not available as noted below
This brief is to be adopted for ALL AVENTRA fleets until further notice.
Instruction:
NO ONE is allowed to work within 2 metres of the outside covers on the converter cases
with power applied to the train (i.e., Safety Conditions 2, 3 & 4).
2.
If practicable trains should be shutdown as much as possible when stabled
3.
If there is a choice of routes a route not passing a traction converter should always be
used.
if personnel are situated on a platform road working on the train, at, or above, the height
a station platform would be, then there is no restriction, this does not apply if the
platform is staging.
5.
Walking past a converter is permissible if no other option is available, however make
sure you are:
As far away from the converter as possible
b. Do not loiter by the converter
Walk as quickly, but safely, past as possible, taking no longer than 4 seconds
to pass the converter.

 

[43096]

The AnonSWR Twitter account has published the Alstom bulletin.

https://twitter.com/anonswrteam/status/1529294341117726722

Thanks for posting.

It sounds rather similar to the Guildford Class 455 incident (RAIB report: https://assets.publishing.service.g...data/file/698067/R052018_180320_Guildford.pdf).

 

[fgwrich]

The AnonSWR Twitter account has published the Alstom bulletin.

https://twitter.com/anonswrteam/status/1529294341117726722

Indeed, the briefing was also mentioned on BBC South Today tonight. Along with the reminder that they are now 3 years overdue...

 

[TRAX]

If only Alstom had bought Bombardier before the latter got going with the Aventra project…

 

[the sniper]

I blame the unions...

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

The AnonSWR Twitter account has published the Alstom bulletin.

https://twitter.com/anonswrteam/status/1529294341117726722

Umm would have expected that would be part of type testing to contain an explosion inside the case. Furthermore you would expect the case to have pressure relief for such an occurrence but maybe the fixings of the access doors need beefing up. Guess 003 is one of the oldest Aventra so wonder whether the mechanism of capacitor failure is age deterioration or was the train exposed to a voltage deviation outside of tolerance. No doubt Alstom will have data from the train to assist the investigation.
The restrictions will cause problems in depots I would have thought although i guess there is far less staff wondering round at rail level these days.

 

[boiledbeans2]

Very convenient that platform exception - else the Lizzie line opening would’ve been very different!

Yes, seems like a "hack" to let the trains run in service.

Looking at the 455 Guildford report again in one of the above posts, Figure 3 on pg 13 shows the extent of the explosion. The train was at platform 2, yet debris was found at Platform 8 and beyond (in the car park outside the station).

Considering that the 345s operate along many open sections (and not only in tunnels, where the debris would be confined), the platform level exception seems useless if an explosion on the scale of the 455 were to occur.

 

[Invincible]

So at Guildford on the 455 a newish faulty capacitor leaked inflammable gas, which built up in the traction control case?
But was it the same fault with the 345?.

Improved ventilation of the case may stop the gas build up, but will be less water proof.
I know small domestic electrolytic capacitors can start to deteriorate with age and leak a small amount of liquid, so a visual check, followed by a capacitor test can be done before replacing one.

Presume it's the same with the larger capacitors on trains, although a gas leak will be harder to see.
Guess it's a matter of replacing capacitors from the same batch and regularly checking/ monitoring them?. As Nicholas Lewis says Alstom will have data to act on.

 

[theageofthetra]

Ahh ok we are referring to Cross Rail Plumstead not SE.

 

[davews]

Presumably 345003 is the one you see at Plumstead sidings when you pass it on Elizabeth line?

 

[PG]

Yet another problem… whatever can come next for these whacked in the face with a frying pan trains?

Best description I've read - describes them perfectly

No doubt Alstom will have data from the train to assist the investigation.

Assuming that the famed Bangladesh software coders have implemented it properly...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Assuming that the famed Bangladesh software coders have implemented it properly...

Out of curiosity, which subcontractor do they use for software and admin?

Please don't tell me it beings with the letter "G"?