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

[800001]

Hard to believe it'll remain that way for much longer and it ably demonstrates how long these things have been sat gathering dust!

Are the stations west of Paddington and east of Liverpool Street branded as TFL or Elizabeth line?

 

[Zeremony]

Are the stations west of Paddington and east of Liverpool Street branded as TFL or Elizabeth line?

All trains are branded as Elizabeth line services from May 2023.
All TfL Rail signage was updated around then.

 

[Goldfish62]

Are the stations west of Paddington and east of Liverpool Street branded as TFL or Elizabeth line?

Elizabeth line. TfL Rail no longer exits, it was a temporary brand.

 

[Warrior2852]

Hard to believe it'll remain that way for much longer and it ably demonstrates how long these things have been sat gathering dust!

When I went on them last week I overheard some staff talking about the PIS getting a software patch soon to change all the errors. Apparently there's various things like typos in station names and announcements not being triggered.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I like that it still says TfL Rail not the Elizabeth line

Also why is the Overground in the SWR font rather than Johnston

View attachment 151357

Aren't the lines out of Liverpool Street that have 710s on them branded TfL rail ?. Thinking about it - what is Euston-Watford, the NLL, and the ELL branded as ?. I fear TfL rail covers a lot of routes.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Aren't the lines out of Liverpool Street that have 710s on them branded TfL rail ?. Thinking about it - what is Euston-Watford, the NLL, and the ELL branded as ?. I fear TfL rail covers a lot of routes.

They're Overground

 

[Peter Sarf]

They're Overground

Ah yes. Memory fail.

 

[ijmad]

TfL rail was supposed to be a far more temporary brand that it eventually ended up being, given the Elizabeth Line was supposed to open in 2018.

 

[SEtrains]

Does anyone know what 701(s) are going to Bicester MOD this morning?

Realtime Trains | 5Q75 0925 Eastleigh Trsmd to Bicester Mod Gbrf | 01/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q75 0925 departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Bicester Mod Gbrf on 01/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Train Boy]

2U91/2U92/2U93/2U94 cancelled today due to emergency services dealing with an incident between Staines and Wraysbury.

It was due to be 701039 according to RTT.

 

[3973EXL]

5Q75 701526

Realtime Trains | 5Q75 0925 Eastleigh Trsmd to Bicester Mod Gbrf | 01/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q75 0925 departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Bicester Mod Gbrf on 01/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[norbitonflyer]

2U91/2U92/2U93/2U94 cancelled today due to emergency services dealing with an incident between Staines and Wraysbury.

It was due to be 701039 according to RTT.

2U93 and 2U94 are not currrently shown as cancelled.

 

[Jamesrob637]

5Q75 701526

Realtime Trains | 5Q75 0925 Eastleigh Trsmd to Bicester Mod Gbrf | 01/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q75 0925 departure from Eastleigh Trsmd to Bicester Mod Gbrf on 01/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Not on its own, I hope

 

[12LDA28C]

Not on its own, I hope

69008 doing the honours I believe

 

[Train Boy]

2U93 and 2U94 are not currrently shown as cancelled.

At the time of my post, they were but had been reinstated when you had replied. They have since been cancelled again.

 

[SEtrains]

I’ve only noticed this now but why are 5U91, 2U91, 2U92, 2U93 and 2U94 no longer ’runs as required‘. Also 701039 is allocated for todays 701 services.

 

[3973EXL]

701002

Realtime Trains | 5Q20 0912 Derby Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh Trsmd | 02/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q20 0912 departure from Derby Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh Trsmd on 02/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[OneTrackMinded]

I assume ABDO has been scrapped completely now, network rail never went ahead with installing it

 

[43OO4]

I assume ABDO has been scrapped completely now, network rail never went ahead with installing it

Might be a matter of waiting until all the 455s are binned and their turf becomes 701 turf. Just speculation however

 

[Big Jumby 74]

ABDO was a subject of discussion within SWT days, to the point that draft timetable plans were drawn up with a couple of additional trains in what was an already heavily congested morning peak, on to which certain ABDO test equipment fitted units would be diagrammed, in order to evaluate the concept. But nothing came of it as far as real time timetable planning was concerned (in my time).
It would seem it became a major part of SWR's plans (FG/MTR bid) for their enhanced timetable plans to speed up dwell times in (principally) the inner sub area, but wider events overtook everything as we all know, and SWR having (by all accounts?) dropped their enhanced TT plans, I suspect there is now no stomach (either TOC or DfT wise) for spending huge amounts on a system that is, for the time being at least, deemed to be not worth the expense.
I speak from a historical sense this far (a decade ago) down the road, so I may be wrong in the context of how things stand today?

 

[Zeremony]

I presume ABDO will only be implemented if the full pre-covid TT is not sufficient for the demand which doesn't seem like any time soon (and if DfT grant funding of course)

 

[OneTrackMinded]

It would seem it became a major part of SWR's plans (FG/MTR bid) for their enhanced timetable plans to speed up dwell times in (principally) the inner sub area, but wider events overtook everything as we all know, and SWR having (by all accounts?) dropped their enhanced TT plans, I suspect there is now no stomach (either TOC or DfT wise) for spending huge amounts on a system that is, for the time being at least, deemed to be not worth the expense.

From a logical point of view that's a fair conclusion to draw, however I do find it interesting that in the 2023/2024 business plan ABDO is mentioned as one of the targets, which comes after said wider eventsI have been told by a few people who work for SWR that it was amended since then not to include it afterwards, but of course there's no public record of that so can't be sure. Bit of a mystery for now. I do agree it's probably not needed post covid

 

[TEW]

There's definitely some ABDO work going on but I don't think it's the priority it once was.

 

[spark001uk]

Would I be right in assuming this soft launch diagram is M-F only?

 

[jwhite9185]

701002

Realtime Trains | 5Q20 0912 Derby Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh Trsmd | 02/02/2024

Real-time train running information for 5Q20 0912 departure from Derby Litchurch Lane to Eastleigh Trsmd on 02/02/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Saw this one pass through Woking yesterday, pulled by a loco in what looked like BR livery.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Ref M-F (only) diagramming;

In the case of past 'new' stock introductions, weekend diagrams didn't usually commence until about mid way through the M-F introduction, and/or until the Friday night berthing location(s)/Monday morning start up locations(S) made it impossible to allocate anything other than the 'new' type of unit. This was the case with the 458/5s, which at about the half way stage (M-F) the Friday night train that berthed at Woking 3 bay became 458/5, and hence weekend diagramming commenced at that stage.
Reasons were two fold, in that it gave fleet dept time to overcome any problems that may have arisen during the week, but also train crew availability at weekends (with training/conversion courses still ongoing) and other rostering issues (leave etc) associated with weekends, meant that to diagram the newer type SO & SUN from the very start just wouldn't work.

Whether the same will apply 701 wise, I have no idea?

 

[3973EXL]

Saw this one pass through Woking yesterday, pulled by a loco in what looked like BR livery.

GBRf operated. If you use the RTT link it gives the loco - 69008

 

[janahan]

Was ABDO planned for all stations operated by 701s, or just some? I would have thought it may be risky to only implement it in some as the potential of assuming it is available, when it's not and vice versa could cause problems?

Rare as it may be, mistakes have been made in the past. I don't know much on how it works, but I guess the question is, what are the risks (specifically in relation to the implementation on the 701) when getting it wrong on approaching a station, and what alerts or mitigation is available against any risks?

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Was ABDO planned for all stations

Going back to my post re SWT, something in the back of my mind is saying the idea (then) was for the most critical corridor, ie: Raynes Park inwards to Waterloo (and vv). There was an understanding/planning rule even in BR days that once an UP morning peak suburban train reached Raynes Park, there was no need for the crew to specifically await booked departure time (in the rare occasions they may have arrived a few seconds early), but it was a case of complete station duties and get going, as there were so many services converging by that point, no one would have to wait more than a few minutes for the next train (a bit like LU would advertise first and last tube services by exact timings, but everything in between was just advertised as every xx minutes), and in that way (the thinking was) it would help to keep arrival/departures as close to right time as possible at Waterloo, where any late running would have a far greater negative impact overall.
Again, as for now and 701's, it's a whole new world, so can't comment on that!

 

[TEW]

Was ABDO planned for all stations operated by 701s, or just some? I would have thought it may be risky to only implement it in some as the potential of assuming it is available, when it's not and vice versa could cause problems?

Rare as it may be, mistakes have been made in the past. I don't know much on how it works, but I guess the question is, what are the risks (specifically in relation to the implementation on the 701) when getting it wrong on approaching a station, and what alerts or mitigation is available against any risks?

ABDO will/was be required to be accepted by the driver for each station. Provided the train correctly reads the balise the driver would then have the option to allow ABDO to take over control of the braking curve for that station. Otherwise the driver just brakes as per normal.