Greater Anglia Bombardier Aventras (Class 720): Technical discussion and introduction

[William3000]

I know it was all about max number of seats but the profile of the 720s makes the aisle unacceptably narrow, should have been 2+2 seats
I have only been on them off peak, if peak numbers mean all seats in use I would imagine getting along the train to go to the toilet would be elbows-V-hips

Totally agree 2+2 is so much better. Yes there may be fewer seats but it just works better with luggage and people moving around the train. I thought 3+2 had been banished. Really bad design on what is a medium distance train.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Hello, any of these enter service yet? They’re the remaining of the subclass not to carry passengers.


720 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, 507, 508, 509, 510, 512, 513, 514, 516, 518, 519, 520, 521, 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 541, 544, 555, 567, 572, 575, 576, 578, 579, 581, 582, 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, 588, 589

I’ve seen 521 operational today. Another one down.

 

[Milo T.K]

Saw 521 and 526(I think)

Hello, any of these enter service yet? They’re the remaining of the subclass not to carry passengers.


720 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, 507, 508, 509, 510, 512, 513, 514, 516, 518, 519, 520, 521, 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 541, 544, 555, 567, 572, 575, 576, 578, 579, 581, 582, 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, 588, 589

 

[47584Suffolk]

I've been informed by a semi-official source that 720567 + 720578 were delivered to Ilford on 9/12 and 720531 + 720575 followed on 16/12, both as 5Q21 10+10 ex Alstom's Wembley InterCity Depot. However, 720567 was noted on WCML test runs (and photographed at Stafford) on Weds 15/12 so seems unlikely that it was moved to IL six days earlier. Can any kind soul possibly confirm/amend the aforementioned delivery formations? Many thanks.

 

[Wivenswold]

According to my notes 521 and 526 are still at Worksop. Not even aware of them doing mileage runs on WCML or GEML.

 

[Shwam3]

521 entered passenger service on 15/12/2021

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

521 entered passenger service on 15/12/2021

I had it on Friday

Have 720532/581 entered service yet?

 

[RailWonderer]

Totally agree 2+2 is so much better. Yes there may be fewer seats but it just works better with luggage and people moving around the train. I thought 3+2 had been banished. Really bad design on what is a medium distance train.

Unfortunately not. The 450s, 350/2s, some 377s, 165s, 166s, Northern's 150s and more have 3+2 as well. In the peaks, it does get used, regardless of how skinny the man or woman is.

 

[The_Train]

I've been informed by a semi-official source that 720567 + 720578 were delivered to Ilford on 9/12 and 720531 + 720575 followed on 16/12, both as 5Q21 10+10 ex Alstom's Wembley InterCity Depot. However, 720567 was noted on WCML test runs (and photographed at Stafford) on Weds 15/12 so seems unlikely that it was moved to IL six days earlier. Can any kind soul possibly confirm/amend the aforementioned delivery formations? Many thanks.

My records suggest that 720531 moved to Wembley on 09/12/21 with 720575 moving 2 days later - I have no record of either coming out for mainline testing yet.
I also have 720567 & 720578 as being at Wembley but I noted these both out on test on 09/12/21.

I am trying my hardest to keep things updated as much as possible at https://www.ukraillog.co.uk/700-730 although I am doing so without any sort of 'inside' information and no access to internal systems

 

[Mikey C]

Unfortunately not. The 450s, 350/2s, some 377s, 165s, 166s, Northern's 150s and more have 3+2 as well. In the peaks, it does get used, regardless of how skinny the man or woman is.

Most people don't move around the trains or have lots of luggage. Commuters get to their seat and sit down until their journey is over.

Off peak it's pretty rare that all 5 seats across are taken, so people can spread out more.

 

[St. Paddy]

My records suggest that 720531 moved to Wembley on 09/12/21 with 720575 moving 2 days later - I have no record of either coming out for mainline testing yet.
I also have 720567 & 720578 as being at Wembley but I noted these both out on test on 09/12/21.

I am trying my hardest to keep things updated as much as possible at https://www.ukraillog.co.uk/700-730 although I am doing so without any sort of 'inside' information and no access to internal systems

Excellent work you’re doing, many thanks. One observation on the link is that it says several 7201xx units are in service. They are still under construction and none have been released from Derby yet

 

[Shwam3]

Excellent work you’re doing, many thanks. One observation on the link is that it says several 7201xx units are in service. They are still under construction and none have been released from Derby yet

I'm not even sure any /1s have started construction yet.

 

[warwickshire]

My records suggest that 720531 moved to Wembley on 09/12/21 with 720575 moving 2 days later - I have no record of either coming out for mainline testing yet.
I also have 720567 & 720578 as being at Wembley but I noted these both out on test on 09/12/21.

I am trying my hardest to keep things updated as much as possible at https://www.ukraillog.co.uk/700-730 although I am doing so without any sort of 'inside' information and no access to internal systems

720531 did most certainly go to Wembley wcml Depot on the 03rd December 2021. It was hauled by 37688 and the other green 37521. Which was on hire to Gbrf from lsl. The two 37s top n tailed the move through derby. On that date approximately 30 minutes before 37884 the grim reaper took 365541 to booths masboro for scrapping.
The above move with 37688 and green 37521 reversed via Chaddesden sidings.

 

[St. Paddy]

I'm not even sure any /1s have started construction yet.

As 581 is on mileage accumulation and the next 2 are apparently at Worksop, that only leaves 6 /5s to appear and therefore i would assume they are in the early stages of construction

 

[The_Train]

Excellent work you’re doing, many thanks. One observation on the link is that it says several 7201xx units are in service. They are still under construction and none have been released from Derby yet

Apologies, those were errors - the status was correct as "In Production" (I basically use this term for anything on order, not necessarily to indicate the build status - it's hard enough to keep tabs on units that exist, never mind trying to find out where they are on the production line ), but some notes had seemingly been copied into the wrong place.

It should all be corrected now - appreciate you pointing it out to me as I can go months without checking certain aspects if I have no reason to (as is the case with the 720/1's as there is just no news on them) so it's always handy to have these sort of mistakes pointed out

 

[Peter Mugridge]

There's a video on Twitter today of 720 530 being delivered to Wembley.

 

[59CosG95]

Haven't seen any units beyond 581, so 582-589 haven't emerged yet; neither have 101-144.
IIRC 541 is at Ilford, although I've only seen pics of it at Old Dalby.
518, 519 & 544 are still at Old Dalby.
No sign at all of 533, 534 & 555.

 

[Wivenswold]

I have 533 and 555 down as being stored at Worksop and 534 going back to Alstom for rectifications. Those entries haven't been updated in a while so things may have changed.

 

[Pinza48]

Haven't seen any units beyond 581, so 582-589 haven't emerged yet; neither have 101-144.
IIRC 541 is at Ilford, although I've only seen pics of it at Old Dalby.
518, 519 & 544 are still at Old Dalby.
No sign at all of 533, 534 & 555.

582 and 583 went to Worksop from Derby on 23rd November

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Haven't seen any units beyond 581, so 582-589 haven't emerged yet; neither have 101-144.

I'm sure I saw 720 589 at Wembley a few weeks ago; I was going quite slowly past it so I don't think I misidentified it; it's in my trip reports somewhere but I'll have to search back for the date. If I can find the date again, would you know if I might possibly have seen 720 580 instead?

 

[Fredtheshred]

532 went past Watford webcam this morning, heading for Ilford.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I'm sure I saw 720 589 at Wembley a few weeks ago; I was going quite slowly past it so I don't think I misidentified it; it's in my trip reports somewhere but I'll have to search back for the date. If I can find the date again, would you know if I might possibly have seen 720 580 instead?

Found it. It was 9th September.

It's time I started doing trip reports...

It will probably be split into different sectors. Although I've not looked into it in much detail yet I'd recommend the same four portions that we did, then. They're roughly equal in length to each other and fairly close to a station at each end. If you have enough energy left when you reach...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Gulf1159]

Found it. It was 9th September.

It's time I started doing trip reports...

It will probably be split into different sectors. Although I've not looked into it in much detail yet I'd recommend the same four portions that we did, then. They're roughly equal in length to each other and fairly close to a station at each end. If you have enough energy left when you reach...

www.railforums.co.uk

I can find no details on 720589 but I have a sighting of 720569 at Wembley on 10 September 2021. Suggests it was probably 720569 that you saw and not 720589.

hope that helps

 

[Fredtheshred]

5Q30 just passed Watford jct with an unidentified 720.

 

[Gulf1159]

5Q30 is possibly 720532 thats out testing today

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I can find no details on 720589 but I have a sighting of 720569 at Wembley on 10 September 2021. Suggests it was probably 720569 that you saw and not 720589.

hope that helps

Thank you; I will amend my notes appropriately.

 

[Class360/1]

I went to Colchester North yesterday and I found a car stop marker had recently been erected halfway down platforms 4+5. The other side says, "Class 720 //5 // reverse // car stop."

 

[samuelmorris]

Eyesore? These are at pretty much every station... Granted, they're often attached to existing infrastructure but if there was none already in a suitable position...

 

[Kite159]

And it's better than then using say the 8 coach car-stop mark and hence stopping a long way up the platform, similar to Stratford P10

 

[Shunter_69]

It needs to be in the right place for coupling up.