Bobcp
Member
I can confirm that the unit is 720505 all fully numbered.
Viewed by myself - Platform 6 at Rugby.
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Greater Anglia Bombardier Aventras (Class 720): Technical discussion and introduction
- Thread starter absolutelymilk
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Viewed by myself - Platform 6 at Rugby.
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Peter Sarf
Established Member
Interesting thought, possible.
Ironically, after all the talk of stragglers, that would mean there was no "last 720 delivered to Ilford" ?.
This was 720504 and 505 - just caught them running early into Ilford!
What a turn up - both arriving at Ilford together: To be perdantic, the one on the rear (which ever one that was) will be the "last 720 delivered to Ilford" !
It now remains to be seen what will be out on the Southend mileage runs from Monday......watch this space....
At least 505 has finally been numbered.
Brilliant that’s a wrap for the entire 720 delivery.
Thanks BigB: Can you kindly say which unit was on the front and which on the rear of the train - just so we can say which one arrived at Ilford last !!
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Careful. Does it reverse into Ilford ?.
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Just to ruin things, sods law dictates that they will both be out together for mileage accumulation
.At least they did not leave Derby together - did they !.
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5Q22 does not appear to have reversed into Ilford Depot: RTT actual timings show Ilford (station) 16/08, Ilford Lon End Junction 16/10, Ilford EMUD arrive 16.11:Careful. Does it reverse into Ilford ?.
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Just to ruin things, sods law dictates that they will both be out together for mileage accumulation
At least they did not leave Derby together - did they !.
It will be good if they DO go out on mileage together - "two birds with one stone" as the saying goes ! But we still have 104 and 534 to be accepted so they might have priority if they have not completed "FFM".
720504 was on the front when waiting on the Up City line at Willesden Junction.
Thanks Ian: I noticed that 5Q22 took a different route out of Wembley to "normal", quite a rare sight to see a 720 on the City Line. These moves usually seem to go via Camden, so you were lucky to see it where you did.
504 was on the front when it arrived at Ilford, and went straight into the depot, meaning only one car of 505 was visible when I went back past on the train.
So 505 the last to be delivered to Ilford - as many here predicted!
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720534 and 720504 were out testing together on the Shenfield - Southend runs.
Just for completeness!
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Yeah so true. I’m glad 505 was delivered to Ilford a-lot earlier than we thought it would have been.
In a matter of fact, 504 & 505 are both last as they came in as a pair.
Wivenswold
Established Member
I'd be interested to hear from anyone in the know as to which services these potentially surplus final dozen of units will be deployed on. We seem to have a lot of daytime 5 car trains running our hourly services to London up here on the "Sunshine Line". Does GA have a list of diagrams that are being strengthened when they had their full new fleet available?
Peter Sarf
Established Member
It is inevitable (he says !) that some 720s will be covering the Stansted Express so that there are enough 745s for Liverpool Street to Norwich. If all 10 x 745s meant for Stansted Express were freed up that would use up at least 10 720s, more likely 20. Note that not all the extra 10 are needed for Liverpool-Norwich but the temptation would be to use the excess 745s on working services nearer to the Norwich side of things (Clacton/Ipswich). I would say 10 720 could be used up effectively releasing 5 x 745s.
Been talked about before, probably time for a dedicated thread.
Mikey C
Established Member
- Joined
- 11 Feb 2013
- Messages
- 7,609
The 745s are perfect for an airport service though, due to the level boarding which is a massive help on a service with lots of heavy luggage being carried on board.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Tell the Norwich customers that !.
How bad are the 720s in that (level boarding) respect ?.
Mikey C
Established Member
- Joined
- 11 Feb 2013
- Messages
- 7,609
They're just normal "high floor" trains.
Airport services do have far more luggage though. Many people on the Norwich will be commuters, or just packing for an overnight stay, whereas most Stansted passengers will have wheely suitcases of various sizes.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
I can see "practicalities" meaning 720s on the Stansteds to replace 745s because the home depot for the 720s is Ilford which is so much nearer to the route than Norwich Crown Point is.
Rather surprisingly the Ilford/Shenfield-Southend milage runs did not run today (Tues 25/03). 720505 has not been out yet, so could that indicate that there is more work to be done on it.
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It appears that the mileage runs HAVE run today (Wednesday 26th) - anyone seen what was running?
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It appears that the mileage runs HAVE run today (Wednesday 26th) - anyone seen what was running?
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Has the front cab bit even been fixed yet according to the recent picture of when it was sat at Wembley?
All we know that 505 has finally been numbered & now at Ilford.
504 and 104 if my eyes didn’t deceive me
There are photos on Flickr taken 22.03.25 & 24.03.25 clearly showing that 720505 had all panels fitted and was numbered:
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Correction all these photos were taken on 22.03.25 (ignor reference to 24.03.25, this is the date that some were uploaded, not taken !)There are photos on Flickr taken 22.03.25 & 24.03.25 clearly showing that 720505 had all panels fitted and was numbered:
iphone76
Member
I'm travelling home on the 1250 from Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria. (Carriage 453131 - not sure how they number their units).
I noticed the displays indicate the next few trains departing from Shenfield, our next stop (including the cancellation of an Ipswich train). They also now display the weather at Southend. Useful touches.
Sorry if this has been noted before.
I managed to get a photo showing the weather and the next departures from Wickford, the next junction station. Useful to check if the Southminster line is cancelled.
I noticed the displays indicate the next few trains departing from Shenfield, our next stop (including the cancellation of an Ipswich train). They also now display the weather at Southend. Useful touches.
Sorry if this has been noted before.
I managed to get a photo showing the weather and the next departures from Wickford, the next junction station. Useful to check if the Southminster line is cancelled.
Attachments
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Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
That will be 720 131. The last three digits of each carriage number match the last three digits of the unit number.
iphone76
Member
Ahhhh. Cheers! I work on the 345's and haven't figured out the 720 numbering system after all these years.
Many thanks.
720_Aventra
Member
720534 is in service later today https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G29714/2025-03-29/detailed#allox_id=0
Extra good news, 720104 will also be heading into service today.
Realtime Trains | 2Y02 0534 London Liverpool Street to Ipswich | 29/03/2025
Real-time train running information for 2Y02 0534 departure from London Liverpool Street to Ipswich on 29/03/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.
www.realtimetrains.co.uk
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