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

[Railperf]

well I can, as padding doesn’t exist Us professional use timetable allowances.

I will agree that using sectional running times based on the performance of rolling stock from the 1980s for trains built in the last few years does provide additional margin for recovery.

but turning it round, you can’t deny that GA performance is the best it has ever been in ‘normal’ circumstances. And tightening the timetable up will cause performance to decline.

Too much padding (oops performance allowances) means you get a mixture of driving styles - either running at line speed with loads of dwell time, or dawdling along at 60-70mph on 90-100mph stretches of track. either way, it doesn't 'feel' like a quick and efficient service to the customer. You could take several minutes out of the GA timetable to benefit from the 720's superior wet and dry road handling and still leave enough performance allowances to aid service recovery. Too much recovery time can promote a slacker attitude in many departments - because in the back of people's minds - the timetable allows for it.

 

[Bald Rick]

Too much padding (oops performance allowances)

performance allowance is the ,east used of the timetable allowances.

but in GAs case, it’s all about using trains with much better acceleration and dwell t8mes than their predecessors that the timetable is based on.

 

[800301]

To be honest the train service is so reliable now, very rare anything is running late, even in peaks when the trains are rammed, you do however feel downgraded when a 5 car turns up instead of the booked 10, don’t really think the padding is much of an issue

 

[Wivenswold]

The original concern was 5 vice 8 on services, having now experienced it, the Aventra feels more cramped than an 8 car 321/360 set. Luckily there are so many units still to enter service that I don't think there will be an issue with short-forms by the Autumn.

 

[Railperf]

performance allowance is the ,east used of the timetable allowances.

but in GAs case, it’s all about using trains with much better acceleration and dwell t8mes than their predecessors that the timetable is based on.

The current GA timetable is based on the slothful performance of 321's. There were a few tweaks for the 745's but even those timings are still very conservative. It looks like most paths are regulated by the need to fit freight along the GEML too - especially as lots of it is still diesel hauled.

 

[3973EXL]

5Q68 50007 720127 56098

Realtime Trains | 5Q68 1109 Derby Litchurch Lane to Willesden T.M.D | 06/04/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q68 1109 departure from Derby Litchurch Lane to Willesden T.M.D on 06/04/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Alfie1014]

Travelling home on a 720 on Colch - Walton service yesterday evening, I had a chuckle when changing ends at Colchester Town and setting up the cab the driver must have mistakenly input the wrong (head) code as the screens and announcements suddenly advised of a changed destination - Peterborough! It was rapidly corrected but long enough to confuse some of the passengers!

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Travelling home on a 720 on Colch - Walton service yesterday evening, I had a chuckle when changing ends at Colchester Town and setting up the cab the driver must have mistakenly input the wrong (head) code as the screens and announcements suddenly advised of a changed destination - Peterborough! It was rapidly corrected but long enough to confuse some of the passengers!

Surely it's not Colchester town anymore... It's Colchester city!

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Travelling home on a 720 on Colch - Walton service yesterday evening, I had a chuckle when changing ends at Colchester Town and setting up the cab the driver must have mistakenly input the wrong (head) code as the screens and announcements suddenly advised of a changed destination - Peterborough! It was rapidly corrected but long enough to confuse some of the passengers!

I had this last Saturday when returning home from Clacton, the announcements were saying Liverpool Street, well into its journey, when there was a weekend blockade on between Colchester and Chelmsford

Surely it's not Colchester town anymore... It's Colchester city!

Nah, St Botoph's

 

[Wivenswold]

Off topic I know but there was a report that GA/Network Rail (whoever has the final decision) had announced that there are no plans to change the name of the station and given the lack of backlash locally it seems it will stay "Colchester Town" though my preference is "Colchester St. Botoph's".

 

[robert west]

Off topic I know but there was a report that GA/Network Rail (whoever has the final decision) had announced that there are no plans to change the name of the station and given the lack of backlash locally it seems it will stay "Colchester Town" though my preference is "Colchester St. Botoph's".

720126 leading 565 on 2000 witham to Liverpool street tonight (1935 EX COL TOWN?)

 

[St. Paddy]

An interesting point in an article in the current edition of Modern Railways. The final 720 should be assembled by the end of March (last month) and all units delivered by the end of this year. We shall see!

 

[3973EXL]

47749 720129

Realtime Trains | 5Q70 0948 Derby Litchurch Lane to Willesden T.M.D | 15/04/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q70 0948 departure from Derby Litchurch Lane to Willesden T.M.D on 15/04/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Wivenswold]

Should be possible to get them all in service by the end of the year. There are 15 720/1s that have yet to leave the factory and 9 /5s that are built but need refitting/quality control work done on them. 502/10/34 are (according to my notes) already being worked upon. It may well end up that all the second batch are in service before the 2020 Bombardier-built ones are ready.

 

[St. Paddy]

Should be possible to get them all in service by the end of the year. There are 15 720/1s that have yet to leave the factory and 9 /5s that are built but need refitting/quality control work done on them. 502/10/34 are (according to my notes) already being worked upon. It may well end up that all the second batch are in service before the 2020 Bombardier-built ones are ready.

I also have 509, 516 and 519 in Litchurch Lane with 503/504/505 still at Worksop so you could well be right

 

[3973EXL]

47749 720130

Realtime Trains | 5Q68 0848 Derby Litchurch Lane to Wembley Inter City Depot | 02/05/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q68 0848 departure from Derby Litchurch Lane to Wembley Inter City Depot on 02/05/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[3973EXL]

56098 50049 720130 50007

Realtime Trains | 5Q06 1544 Wembley Inter City Depot to Derby Litchurch Lane | 11/05/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q06 1544 departure from Wembley Inter City Depot to Derby Litchurch Lane on 11/05/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[wickham]

Something odd about 720130 - Note it was delivered to Wembley IC Depot and not Willesden TMD as the previous several have, and after only 9 days it has been sent back to Derby.

 

[RailWonderer]

Is there any chance of the last 20-25 720s headed to Scotrail to replace their 55 3 car mixed fleet of 318s and 320s? GA could deliver their required savings to the DfT and Scotrail could replace 6 car formations with fixed 5 car.

 

[59CosG95]

Is there any chance of the last 20-25 720s headed to Scotrail to replace their 55 3 car mixed fleet of 318s and 320s? GA could deliver their required savings to the DfT and Scotrail could replace 6 car formations with fixed 5 car.

I suspect not; ScotRail will likely want a uniform EMU fleet to replace the 318s, 320s and 334s in one fell swoop.

 

[Wivenswold]

There's a bit a drop-off in new train production on the horizon, if I were ScotRail I'd wait until a few factories are close to winding-down production lines before shopping around.

 

[3973EXL]

47727 720131 dep 0902

Realtime Trains | 5Q68 0849 Derby Litchurch Lane to Willesden T.M.D | 18/05/2023

Real-time train running information for 5Q68 0849 departure from Derby Litchurch Lane to Willesden T.M.D on 18/05/2023. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[robwalkerrail@]

An interesting point in an article in the current edition of Modern Railways. The final 720 should be assembled by the end of March (last month) and all units delivered by the end of this year. We shall see!

The units will probably be built by late summer but I believe deliveries into service will go on into 2024.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I suspect not; ScotRail will likely want a uniform EMU fleet to replace the 318s, 320s and 334s in one fell swoop.

They do want that, as made clear from looking to tender for just that.

 

[Tony2]

720583 was delivered IL on 22/11/22 but has still not been added to GA's fleet after a number of (presumably unsuccessful) FFR trial runs. Indeed, I've heard that one car (451583) was seen at Litchurch Lane only yesterday. If so, then presumably is was moved by road. Can anyone please confirm and/or advise what the problem is with this unit?

A friend advises that the original 451583 has been removed from 720583 and replaced with a new car from the production line renumbered as per the original car. Can anyone confirm and if this is correct what has happened to the original 451583?

 

[Milo T.K]

I'm guessing probably being swapped to a /1 or something

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Have any made their debuts to service recently? Not heard of any acceptances for a while?

 

[Wivenswold]

Last one I've got listed was 720125 which was in service at the end of April. Introduction does seem to have slowed.

 

[The_Train]

Wasn't there previous rumours that GA had decided they didn't want/need around 20 units? If my records are correct, I believe there are somewhere in this region left to come off the production line so could it be this reason that has slowed the production down?

 

[Wivenswold]

I'm pretty sure a recent Modern Railways said that GA will be getting the full compliment. More units will be needed as more services are added though we're still missing a few pre-pandemic peak services. I think there are now over 100 in service though with just over 40 to come. That's a lot of units.