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Class 701 'Aventra' trains for South Western Railway

DaveHarries

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I don't know if any of these 701s are in service yet but I have seen a couple of them. One passed me at Swaythling back in November while I was waiting for a train for Romsey via. Eastleigh but I didn't photo that as I didn't have my phone in my hand. I also have a photo of 701008 (I think - the number has partly obscured and may be 701006) at Eastleigh but that was an ECS. Think they look quite nice and I will certainly be keen to try one if my day job (key worker) allows.

Dave
 
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pompeyfan

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I don't know if any of these 701s are in service yet but I have seen a couple of them. One passed me at Swaythling back in November while I was waiting for a train for Romsey via. Eastleigh but I didn't photo that as I didn't have my phone in my hand. I also have a photo of 701008 (I think - the number has partly obscured and may be 701006) at Eastleigh but that was an ECS. Think they look quite nice and I will certainly be keen to try one if my day job (key worker) allows.

Dave

although not impossible, it’s very very unlikely that 701s will be used in passenger service beyond Woking on the mainline, they could perhaps be used on Basingstoke stopping service but even that is a slim chance. If you want to travel on one, you’ll need to use a route that is usually operated by 455s, 458s or 707s
 

theironroad

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I don't know if any of these 701s are in service yet but I have seen a couple of them. One passed me at Swaythling back in November while I was waiting for a train for Romsey via. Eastleigh but I didn't photo that as I didn't have my phone in my hand. I also have a photo of 701008 (I think - the number has partly obscured and may be 701006) at Eastleigh but that was an ECS. Think they look quite nice and I will certainly be keen to try one if my day job (key worker) allows.
No, they are not in passenger service anywhere yet. The ones you saw were still under testing which certainly goes as far down as Bournemouth, maybe Poole.
 

Goldfish62

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Does anyone know how many units have been delivered so far, including those stored at Worksop?
 

southern442

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although not impossible, it’s very very unlikely that 701s will be used in passenger service beyond Woking on the mainline, they could perhaps be used on Basingstoke stopping service but even that is a slim chance. If you want to travel on one, you’ll need to use a route that is usually operated by 455s, 458s or 707s
I'm fairly sure the 707's have worked through to Southampton in passenger service before, so we might possibly see them on a few services further south, maybe at times of extra demand or disruption?
 

swt_passenger

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I'm fairly sure the 707's have worked through to Southampton in passenger service before, so we might possibly see them on a few services further south, maybe at times of extra demand or disruption?
Only once to Southampton, in some sort of major emergency, which isn’t much of a precedent. I doubt you’ll see them anywhere off route normally, for a start there just aren’t enough of them.
 

swt_passenger

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That's assuming all services get restored post-Covid (assuming there is a post-Covid!).
I think if services are long term reduced they’ll just internally cascade the few 450s from their remaining Windsor side services. And if they never add any of the additional long distance trains, or cancel the west of Southampton changes, that’ll probably mean they won’t need the 442s. I doubt they‘ll run out of 450s or 444s to such an extent they’ll need to use 701s in lieu...
 

Flange Squeal

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Only once to Southampton, in some sort of major emergency, which isn’t much of a precedent. I doubt you’ll see them anywhere off route normally, for a start there just aren’t enough of them.
You're right - it was 707018+015 on the evening of 18 December 2019. I seem to recall there was an infrastructure issue somewhere causing things to be out of place. I can only presume it was all they could muster together at the time between immediate stock availability at the time and route/traction knowledge of available crew, particularly as it was during the Guard strikes. Certainly, as you say, it hasn't been a regular occurrence.
 

pompeyfan

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Believe it was a broken rail at Sway with a lot of stock stuck the wrong side of the block.
 

WWTownEnth

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Deliveries seem to have all but dried up. Nothing for over a month now.

Does anyone know how many units have been delivered so far, including those stored at Worksop?
The first post on this topic has an updated list of deliveries made to Eastleigh and Wimbledon. I don’t have any info on deliveries made to Worksop, unfortunatel.
 

Goldfish62

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Deliveries seem to have all but dried up. Nothing for over a month now.


The first post on this topic has an updated list of deliveries made to Eastleigh and Wimbledon. I don’t have any info on deliveries made to Worksop, unfortunatel.
OK, many thanks.
 

WWTownEnth

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Does anyone know where 701017 ended up after this video was filmed on 15 Jan?

Here’s 701020 going for storage at Worksop


And 701022 on the move too

 

The_Train

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Does anyone know where 701017 ended up after this video was filmed on 15 Jan?
My last update on that unit was on the 19th Jan and I had it down as being at Litchurch Lane. Not saying this is correct of course as these things seem to be all over the place haha
 

spark001uk

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I think we've probably reached a capacity issue now, there's a number of them at Eastleigh, Feltham still doesn't seem ready to take any for whatever reason, Worksop possibly only has limited space, and the acceptance / training is suffering delays due to current circumstances, so they can't be entered into service allowing cascade of older units and the resulting space made available. They must still be continuing with construction of them at Litchurch though I assume?
 

Dan15812

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I think we've probably reached a capacity issue now, there's a number of them at Eastleigh, Feltham still doesn't seem ready to take any for whatever reason, Worksop possibly only has limited space, and the acceptance / training is suffering delays due to current circumstances, so they can't be entered into service allowing cascade of older units and the resulting space made available. They must still be continuing with construction of them at Litchurch though I assume?
Are the 720's being sent to Ilford? As that would indicate construction is still continuing. I'm surprise staff training still hasn't yet commenced as other operators are still managing to do it despite Covid-19. I think there must be severe financial penalties if the summer deadline isn't meet!
 

3141

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Are the 720's being sent to Ilford? As that would indicate construction is still continuing. I'm surprise staff training still hasn't yet commenced as other operators are still managing to do it despite Covid-19. I think there must be severe financial penalties if the summer deadline isn't meet!

I wonder if there is any connection between this situation and the reports that discussions are still going on between First Group and DfT about the terms of a new direct award franchise.
 

Goldfish62

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I wonder if there is any connection between this situation and the reports that discussions are still going on between First Group and DfT about the terms of a new direct award franchise.
I don't why this would impact the introduction of the trains. It'll be business as usual while the financial negotiations continue. The current Emergency Measures Recovery Agreement is extendable by six months if required.
 

3141

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I don't why this would impact the introduction of the trains. It'll be business as usual while the financial negotiations continue. The current Emergency Measures Recovery Agreement is extendable by six months if required.

The post immediately before mine referred to possible financial penalties if Class 701s hadn't started being put into service by the summer, so I was thinking about the matter the other way round - might the difficulties of getting enough drivers trained on 701s be impacting the financial negotiations? But it isn't a point I'd want to push.
 

Goldfish62

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The post immediately before mine referred to possible financial penalties if Class 701s hadn't started being put into service by the summer, so I was thinking about the matter the other way round - might the difficulties of getting enough drivers trained on 701s be impacting the financial negotiations? But it isn't a point I'd want to push.
That's a very good point. I imagine the DfT could be implying that SWR isn't doing enough to get the trains into service ASAP and will want to incentivise this through the contract.

Bombardier will also want paying for the trains at some stage as well!
 

TT-ONR-NRN

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Does anyone know if these units will have bins, as the 720's currently do not.
That’s a mistake if there ever was one.

I often pick up a meal deal when leaving Waterloo in the evening so as to sort dinner, and I don’t want to have to carry the empty packets all the way home with me.
 

swt_passenger

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Possibly to replace 450s in years to come. The 450 is already mid life now. Being 15-16 years old.
But they weren’t four years ago, when @SpacePhoenix first asked about it. :D

But in any case the 450s still have at least 20-25 years service life remaining, I suggest the 701s are 100 mph units just because that’s the new default standard...
 

Bigfoot

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Possibly to replace 450s in years to come. The 450 is already mid life now. Being 15-16 years old.
Careful now, some will say that anything less than 50 years of service is not a full life.

In other news, the first units were built in 2002, so 19 years old.
 

southern442

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That’s a mistake if there ever was one.

I often pick up a meal deal when leaving Waterloo in the evening so as to sort dinner, and I don’t want to have to carry the empty packets all the way home with me.
My thoughts exactly.
I believe someone had the bright idea that it's easier for staff to just pick up litter rather than sort the little bins out but that is just asking for trouble.
 

NSE

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My thoughts exactly.
I believe someone had the bright idea that it's easier for staff to just pick up litter rather than sort the little bins out but that is just asking for trouble.
If that’s case that’s ridiculous. Whilst I’d take my rubbish with me regardless of the bin situation (my mess, my responsibility), I wouldn’t want to sit with it hanging around me until I could get off the train to bin it :/
 

TT-ONR-NRN

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If that’s case that’s ridiculous. Whilst I’d take my rubbish with me regardless of the bin situation (my mess, my responsibility), I wouldn’t want to sit with it hanging around me until I could get off the train to bin it :/
I completely agree, and I fear the new Aventras for Greater Anglia will soon look an absolute state as not nearly everyone is as responsible as us as to take it with us, not that it’s convenient for us anyway. I hope the 701s do have them. There’s a very well-used McDonald’s at Waterloo :lol:
 

spark001uk

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I completely agree, and I fear the new Aventras for Greater Anglia will soon look an absolute state as not nearly everyone is as responsible as us as to take it with us, not that it’s convenient for us anyway. I hope the 701s do have them. There’s a very well-used McDonald’s at Waterloo :lol:
To be fair people chuck their rubbish on the floor/seats on stock that does have bins, so it won't be much different.
 

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