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

[swr444]

Are there diagrams available as to what the 701's are on?

it's just the 1025 2U91 and return from Windsor at 1130.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Realtime Trains | 2U91 1025 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside | 11/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 2U91 1025 departure from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside on 11/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 2U92 1130 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo | 11/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 2U92 1130 departure from Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo on 11/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[BerrylandsMan]

Lovely new train smell right now on platform 17, is 701042

 

[GW43125]

Noticed that 701037 seems to be distinctly lacking the new train smell

 

[Peter Sarf]

Noticed that 701037 seems to be distinctly lacking the new train smell

Its probably had people like us on it .

 

[hwl]

But then because we have photographic evidence that the seat cushions are wider and take up the space that the seat spacer creates they must also take up the equivalent space between the seat frame and the side wall.

I checked this morning they do have a spacer between the sidewall and window seat.

There's no flat bit on the ducting. It basically follows the curving inwards body profile and is identical to that on the 720s.

Technically the "top" is flat in mathematical or engineering terms, it just happens to be inclined at ~65 degrees from the horizontal.
(Similarly a flat roof is typically inclined at a minimum of 2.5 degrees)

 

[mangyiscute]

Noticed that 701037 seems to be distinctly lacking the new train smell

701039 certainly had it yesterday

I'll also add that conventional seating is definitely the way to go compared to sideways seats, as someone who frequently does Reading to Ealing Broadway on the EL it's awful having to sit sideways for that long.
It's very telling that the bays of 4 seats always go first - most of the public prefer conventional seating.

 

[davews]

701039 certainly had it yesterday

I'll also add that conventional seating is definitely the way to go compared to sideways seats, as someone who frequently does Reading to Ealing Broadway on the EL it's awful having to sit sideways for that long.
It's very telling that the bays of 4 seats always go first - most of the public prefer conventional seating.

Maybe a new train smell but there were muddy footprints by the door when I got on....

 

[mangyiscute]

Maybe a new train smell but there were muddy footprints by the door when I got on....

Yeah I saw them too, although they are on pretty much every class 700 and a lot worse, so clearly whatever they're using on the floor doesn't clean very easily.

 

[GW43125]

Its probably had people like us on it .

Ouch!

 

[Busman]

Realtime Trains | 2U91 1025 London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside | 11/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 2U91 1025 departure from London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside on 11/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Realtime Trains | 2U92 1130 Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo | 11/01/2024

Real-time train running information for 2U92 1130 departure from Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo on 11/01/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Lovely. Thanks both.

it's just the 1025 2U91 and return from Windsor at 1130.

Thank you

 

[Dan G]

The earlier units will have festered for years in sidings so will have suffered from damp etc. Also there are various modifications needed - more than usual for a new fleet it seems. The later built units will have those modifications as built but the older units might still have the modifications outstanding.

Have earlier units literally been parked up since they were first delivered? (When was the first delivery?) Or have they been taken out for "exercise" on a rotation?

 

[RealTrains07]

Is the 701 more like the 720 and 730 in terms of appearance?

Externally, the closest is probably the 730, without the gangway they would look even more similar.

 

[Sam Beck 93430]

it's just the 1025 2U91 and return from Windsor at 1130#

Managed to get videos of 701 037 @ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqX8PGKU1m-hh5BQcCPZ7LgRNWT3F50C3

Hope you enjoy.

 

[swt_passenger]

Have earlier units literally been parked up since they were first delivered? (When was the first delivery?) Or have they been taken out for "exercise" on a rotation?

This thread reports dozens of moves to/from a number of locations, and units have been up and down the mainline on and off for a few years now. Units have been shuffled around in both directions between for example Eastleigh TRSMD, Eastleigh works, MOD Marchwood, Long Marston, MOD Bicester, Worksop, etc etc…

 

[Dan G]

This thread reports dozens of moves to/from a number of locations, and units have been up and down the mainline on and off for a few years now. Units have been shuffled around in both directions between for example Eastleigh TRSMD, Eastleigh works, MOD Marchwood, Long Marston, MOD Bicester, Worksop, etc etc…

Right; I've never been sure to what purpose .

If they have been run every month or two I would think the interiors and mechanicals are fine.

 

[Purple Train]

Yeah I saw them too, although they are on pretty much every class 700 and a lot worse, so clearly whatever they're using on the floor doesn't clean very easily.

345s are absolutely full of them!

 

[londontransit]

it's just the 1025 2U91 and return from Windsor at 1130.

Next week its an extra Windsor duty on top of that one - eg an early afternoon turn about 10 mins ahead of 2U35 and 2U42. RTT won't have details yet.

 

[Jammy Dodger]

Next week its an extra Windsor duty on top of that one - eg an early afternoon turn about 10 mins ahead of 2U35 and 2U42. RTT won't have details yet.

Will this be next Monday (15/01)?

 

[Waterlemon]

Why can SWR use an Aslef driver when they haven't agreed a training course with Aslef? Only answers from those that actually know. thanks

 

[pompeyfan]

Why can SWR use an Aslef driver when they haven't agreed a training course with Aslef? Only answers from those that actually know. thanks

The driver is a driving instructor according to a few posts on Twitter, although it could also be that the training package has actually been finalised but not rolled out.

There’s also grumbles that the guard wasn’t included in that photo shoot.

 

[Goldfish62]

Next week its an extra Windsor duty on top of that one - eg an early afternoon turn about 10 mins ahead of 2U35 and 2U42. RTT won't have details yet.

It would all be more convincing about the roll-out if there was a substitution in the normal diagrams.

 

[OneTrackMinded]

I hope they do go ahead with ABDO. It sounds like a cool system

 

[The_Train]

So after all this time, there are only four units ready for revenue service?

Four more than I ever expected

 

[deepeetw]

Will this be next Monday (15/01)?

There's no service Staines-Windsor next Monday, Network Rail have a possession on.

(On a *normal* Monday!)

 

[Jammy Dodger]

There's no service Staines-Windsor next Monday, Network Rail have a possession on.

(On a *normal* Monday!)

That's what I thought when looking at RTT. Will any 701's be running next Monday, on any route?

 

[Goldfish62]

Four more than I ever expected

Except it's five, not four.

 

[The_Train]

Except it's five, not four.

Maybe I expected one*

*I didn't, I expected them all to go to Sims without carrying a passenger

 

[PG]

Right; I've never been sure to what purpose .

If they have been run every month or two I would think the interiors and mechanicals are fine.

Units have been moved to/from various storage facilities which isn't the same thing as being run - they are being dragged unpowered by a locomotive.

 

[TheHSRailFan]

They started service while I was on holiday in Finland, talk about timing haha.

I feel like the 701s being out this week is just like the taster for commuters just like how the 717s did a pilot/taster service Between Gordon Hill and Moorgate back in 2019. Until the RMT and other things get sorted out. I don't think we will see a proper rollout launch for a while.