Class 701 'Aventra' trains for South Western Railway: progress updates

[Jacob Porrett]

Where is that mentioned? Have they even started driver/guard training?

Article in the RAIL Magazine

 

[swt_passenger]

I notice in this SWR article they say "Once the first train arrives on the Reading route".
One wonders the significance of the word "train" (singular).??

I believe it’s a nearly 2 year old article on the website, and never been updated, so I wouldn’t really worry about what they originally assumed…

 

[800001]

Article in the RAIL Magazine

I read that as they aim to have a plan by June 30th dictating how and when they will introduce them by.

 

[EdChap]

Out of pure curiosity, would it be possible for SWR to use the same drivers that are testing the units for passenger service?

 

[Jacob Porrett]

I read that as they aim to have a plan by June 30th dictating how and when they will introduce them by.

This is the article that I read.

 

[XCTurbostar]

Out of pure curiosity, would it be possible for SWR to use the same drivers that are testing the units for passenger service?

I believe GBRf drivers are involved in the testing. No SWR driver managers or drivers have yet had training.

 

[800001]

This is the article that I read.

That is what I read. As I wrote above, I see the June date as when they Weill have a plan of how and when they are going to introduce them.
Not that they will be in service by June 30th.

 

[spark001uk]

I believe it’s a nearly 2 year old article on the website, and never been updated, so I wouldn’t really worry about what they originally assumed…

Yeah I see that now, I should've guessed by the Feltham depot article below it not being updated since May 2020.!

 

[JaJaWa]

This is the article that I read.

SWR's delayed Arterio trains have "service plan by June 30"​

South Western Railway's new Class 701 Arterio trains could finally enter passenger service later this year - nearly three years late.

The Department for Transport said it had "increased confidence" in the delivery of the Derby-built trains and that it “expects a final entry into service plan by June 30 2022”.

It was responding to a request under the Freedom of Information Act by SWR passenger Rich Williams, which he shared with RAIL. He also asked the DfT to list the main problems that have been preventing introduction of the trains, and was given more information than has previously been published.

The DfT stated that the biggest problem “has been the inconsistency of the software to improve the performance and reliability of the trains”.

It added: “The issues experienced are not consistent on every unit. Core activities such as splitting and joining and train preparation have proved challenging.”

Other problems during testing have included:

• Computer control unit issues.
• Passenger information screen irregularities.
• Configuration irregularities.
• Wheel slide protection faults.
• Driver machine interface merging issues.

The trains were built by Bombardier, which has since been taken over by Alstom. DfT said that Alstom is "providing regular, targeted software drops to address these concerns" and that a team from SWR has been conducting "a comprehensive series of tests”.

There will be additional software upgrades between now and July. But the company has "provisionally accepted" the first batch of trains.

Driver training has yet to start, and the DfT recognises there are outstanding issues with unions.

Although other variants of are Bombardier's Aventra trains have been delivered late, none match the scale of problems encountered with the £1 billion SWR order for 750 vehicles in 90 trains.

The fleet was expected to take over suburban and Reading and Windsor Lines services from 2019 and be maintained at Wimbledon depot. It is widely believed that the operator is struggling to have sufficient rolling stock available.

SWR has agreed a short-term lease extension on part of its Class 707 fleet, that had been due to transfer to Southeastern.

Class 458 trains currently used on Reading-Waterloo services are due to start a programme of upgrades this year, in preparation for taking over Portsmouth duties from Class 450 Desiros. And older Class 455 suburban trains have been withdrawn.

Source: RAIL magazine

 

[800001]

Source: RAIL magazine

Yes Service Plan……I do not read that as an entry to service date.

 

[fgwrich]

Yes Service Plan……I do not read that as an entry to service date.

Indeed. Confusion aside however, it does mean we are finally getting a little closer to actually seeing one of the most delayed fleets finally enter service - it'll be interesting to see what their plan entails. Certainly sounds like no turning back now.

 

[gabrielhj07]

This is the article that I read.

A note on this article: It says that the 455 sets have been withdrawn, which isn't strictly true. AFAIK only 4 units have been returned to Porterbrook, the rest remain either in service or as spares donors. SWR cannot really go further with any withdrawls without compromising diagrams, at least with no new trains to replace them.

 

[Jacob Porrett]

That is what I read. As I wrote above, I see the June date as when they Weill have a plan of how and when they are going to introduce them.
Not that they will be in service by June 30th.

Have to wait and see. At least it's positive news.

A note on this article: It says that the 455 sets have been withdrawn, which isn't strictly true. AFAIK only 4 units have been returned to Porterbrook, the rest remain either in service or as spares donors. SWR cannot really go further with any withdrawls without compromising diagrams, at least with no new trains to replace them.

Two have already gone to scrap. Not sure on the others.

Indeed. Confusion aside however, it does mean we are finally getting a little closer to actually seeing one of the most delayed fleets finally enter service - it'll be interesting to see what their plan entails. Certainly sounds like no turning back now.

Positive news at last

 

[Wyrleybart]

“The issues experienced are not consistent on every unit. Core activities such as splitting and joining and train preparation have proved challenging.”

Obviously this is a big problem with the five car subfleet, but surely the ten car units are very unlikely to split and join simply because there wouldn't be the capacity to platform a 20 car class 701. so perhaps the ten car units need a different focus ?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Source: RAIL magazine

Why should it take a FoI request to get some honesty out of SWR and DfT over these trains. About time SWR communicated better with its passengers given it needs them more than ever now.

 

[Mainsideman]

Wasn't this a result of the recent DOO RMT settlement? Sounds similar to Greater Anglia and Merseyrail as unlike Southern they remain more useful and safety crit plus guaranteed

I remember Reading in the agreement that all door control would be lost

 

[pompeyfan]

“The issues experienced are not consistent on every unit. Core activities such as splitting and joining and train preparation have proved challenging.”

Obviously this is a big problem with the five car subfleet, but surely the ten car units are very unlikely to split and join simply because there wouldn't be the capacity to platform a 20 car class 701. so perhaps the ten car units need a different focus ?

The 10 cars are half sets and can and will be split on depot for various reasons. If the couplers stop talking you get a dead duck.

 

[swr444]

Where is that mentioned? Have they even started driver/guard training?

No they haven’t.

I remember Reading in the agreement that all door control would be lost

They won’t be in the end, drivers wanted guards to be able to close in case of any issues so they’ve gone with that

 

[davews]

The Rail article also mentions the 458 refurbishment. But since the December 2021 timetable most of the diagrams on the Reading line use 450s. Anyway, however I read it I don't expect to see the 701s in service anytime soon.

 

[DelW]

Might the deadline to have a workable plan in place by the end of June be related to the planned departure date of the remaining 707s? If they transfer to Southeastern in August, which I think is still the intention, SWR will be even shorter of suburban stock.

 

[JaJaWa]

Introduction to the Class 701 yesterday at Waterloo. Had the opportunity to be taken around the unit and look at the various onboard systems. Great progress being made by the project team and it won't be long before we start seeing these introduced into service.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6928298548090310656-lreX

 

[dorsetdesiro]

I do like the 701's interior lighting which have opaque diffusers, for a softer glow, not as exposed like the Desiro City's making the 700/707/717s appear harsher & spartan inside like a hospital corridor.

 

[TEW]

Might the deadline to have a workable plan in place by the end of June be related to the planned departure date of the remaining 707s? If they transfer to Southeastern in August, which I think is still the intention, SWR will be even shorter of suburban stock.

The May 2022 unit diagrams for SWR have been produced on the basis of having no 701s or 707s in traffic. It will mean more shortening of mainline services to free up 450s but the plan is definitely there.

 

[Goldfish62]

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6928298548090310656-lreX

Evidence of tangible progress at last!

 

[DennisM]

They could’ve given the front a quick clean

Also surprised to see the GOP panel left wide open where someone from the RMT might see it. I thought contents were supposed to be secret, after all they still haven’t revealed how these trains will operate in regard to guards involvement.

 

[Elorith]

They could’ve given the front a quick clean

Also surprised to see the GOP panel left wide open where someone from the RMT might see it. I thought contents were supposed to be secret, after all they still haven’t revealed how these trains will operate in regard to guards involvement.

I thought they had been quite vocal about intending for them to operate under DCO?

Evidence of tangible progress at last!

Also haven’t they been saying "it won't be long" for months and months now?

 

[fgwrich]

They could’ve given the front a quick clean

Also surprised to see the GOP panel left wide open where someone from the RMT might see it. I thought contents were supposed to be secret, after all they still haven’t revealed how these trains will operate in regard to guards involvement.

It’s nice to see that it already comes with layers of black and yellow hazard tape. A new feature from Derby perhaps - we’ll sort of build it, you fix it?

I was stood next to a stabled unit yesterday, the air con modules are that loud that I thought it was an air craft in the distance preparing to take off! Much noisier than the Desiro A/C modules.

 

[TEW]

They could’ve given the front a quick clean

Also surprised to see the GOP panel left wide open where someone from the RMT might see it. I thought contents were supposed to be secret, after all they still haven’t revealed how these trains will operate in regard to guards involvement.

The dispute with the RMT has been resolved for some time. It's never been a secret that there's GOPs, where they are or what's in them.

 

[43096]

It’s nice to see that it already comes with layers of black and yellow hazard tape. A new feature from Derby perhaps - we’ll sort of build it, you fix it?

It's part of the WorstGroup influence on the franchise - Laira must have had a consignment that was too much even for them to use and they've sent a load to Wimbledon.

 

[cactustwirly]

It's part of the WorstGroup influence on the franchise - Laira must have had a consignment that was too much even for them to use and they've sent a load to Wimbledon.

Not as if Stagecoach used any at all, definitely didn't see any on EMTs 222s...