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

DelW

DelW

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701056 was in Waterloo at around 10:15 this morning. There was no obvious indication why it was there though.
 
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Bumpkin

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swr444 said:
It’s more to do with who signs the routes used for diversions. Currently only Waterloo and Woking (possibly Wimbledon) who sign the Byfleet curve.
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Wimbledon drivers do, Basingstoke (drivers and guards) also sign the Byfleet curve.

I would imagine that Basingstoke would sign 701s as they maintain the Byfleet curve for diesel diversions, plus gives more flexibility for disruption
 
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Big Jumby 74

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Bumpkin said:
Basingstoke (drivers and guards) also sign the Byfleet curve
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Going back some years the very reason a small number of 8 car 450 diagrams still worked on Weybridge bay services, worked by Basingstoke, for diversionary purposes when required.
 
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Peter Sarf

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wickham said:
Odd and a little confusing that 47727 hauled 701021 from Worksop to Wembley today and then according to reports hauled 701020 forward from Wembley to Eastleigh. There must be something significant about these units visiting Wembley as several have done so now. With Alstom now having a near monopoly of workshops and main depots (such as Wembley and Ilford) are they now using these depots to complete work that Derby Litchurch Lane is too busy to do ? A lot of preperation work is done at Eastleigh depot but this IS under different ownership, although it would be interesting to know who the staff work for who are doing this preperation and rectification work.
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The 710s are indeed finished at Ilford. Not sure that was always the case but the second to last one is at Ilford 710374 currently with the last - 710270 to follow. I had calculated (roughly) that before the end of 2023 Ilford should have finished finishing 710s. So Ilford could then have more time to finish something else like 720s.
 
TT-ONR-NRN

TT-ONR-NRN

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Goldfish62 said:
Given that, excluding the diesels, SWR will have just three classes (444, 450 and 701) I'm assuming this will enable competency across all classes for a lot more staff than the current and past situations?
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They won’t, they’ll have five. Probably a bit unnecessarily pedantic to include the 484s there, but the 458s will be working - or should be anyway.
 
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wickham

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Rustbucket, post 5812 mentions work on 701s being undertaken by Alstom staff in rented spare at Arlington's Eastleigh works: While this is indeed perfectly true, much more work on far more units has been undertaken in Eastleigh Depot possibly under the same arrangements but with spare rented from the depot owners (is it Abbelio Traincare?, a DB subsiduary - the place is not owned outright by DB). It is quite common to see 701 units split up in the depot buildings with half hanging outside at both ends and often more than one are being attended to at the same time.
 
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Bigfoot

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A recent all colleague call it was implied that there would be units being used for passenger service before the end of the year.
 
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Flange Squeal

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wickham said:
Rustbucket, post 5812 mentions work on 701s being undertaken by Alstom staff in rented spare at Arlington's Eastleigh works: While this is indeed perfectly true, much more work on far more units has been undertaken in Eastleigh Depot possibly under the same arrangements but with spare rented from the depot owners (is it Abbelio Traincare?, a DB subsiduary - the place is not owned outright by DB). It is quite common to see 701 units split up in the depot buildings with half hanging outside at both ends and often more than one are being attended to at the same time.
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Close - Arriva TrainCare are at Eastleigh.
 
DelW

DelW

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Bigfoot said:
A recent all colleague call it was implied that there would be units being used for passenger service before the end of the year.
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I'm not doubting that that was said, but how many times have SWR's management promised that 701s are entering service "soon" over the last *four* years since these units were supposed to be introduced.
Either they had no idea what they were talking about, or they were deliberately telling porkies. Why would anyone believe that it's any different this time?
Of course taxpayers are funding the whole shambles, so SWR's empty suits won't care anyway.
 
fgwrich

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wickham said:
Rustbucket, post 5812 mentions work on 701s being undertaken by Alstom staff in rented spare at Arlington's Eastleigh works: While this is indeed perfectly true, much more work on far more units has been undertaken in Eastleigh Depot possibly under the same arrangements but with spare rented from the depot owners (is it Abbelio Traincare?, a DB subsiduary - the place is not owned outright by DB). It is quite common to see 701 units split up in the depot buildings with half hanging outside at both ends and often more than one are being attended to at the same time.
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No work has been carried out on the 701s in Eastleigh Works for some time now, the last units only came in for stabling during the test runs or until Arriva could free up space in the TMD next door.
 
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Invincible

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warwickshire said:
Today's Railways also states awaiting a final software upgrade
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So presumably testing of the final software update will be taking part "soon"?.
Although software is never 100% complete (and sounds like Alstom are still updating the Elizabeth line software), but hopefully there will be a version that meets the current requirements of service and safety for the SWR suburban network?.
 
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Snow1964

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wickham said:
Odd and a little confusing that 47727 hauled 701021 from Worksop to Wembley today and then according to reports hauled 701020 forward from Wembley to Eastleigh. There must be something significant about these units visiting Wembley as several have done so now.
Click to expand...

I wonder if those that have been in cold storage at Worksop need to have some physical modifications (eg the underfloor equipment case doors). Updates to the spec from when they were built.

Possibly means they can then be handed over (Alstom to Rock Rail) etc.

Summarising the various comments, it seems another software update will happen before they enter public service, but in meantime testing and fault free running is continuing.
 
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Goldfish62

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Meanwhile the other day I had a 100% Aventra journey from Clacton to Reading. Both trains comfortable (relatively speaking for new trains), on time and without incident. Liverpool Street full of Aventras of classes 710 and 720.

What a contrast!
 
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SWT_USER

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Bumpkin said:
Wimbledon drivers do, Basingstoke (drivers and guards) also sign the Byfleet curve.

I would imagine that Basingstoke would sign 701s as they maintain the Byfleet curve for diesel diversions, plus gives more flexibility for disruption
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Doesn't seem to be a consideration these days. Easier to just cancel everything rather than allocating time for staff to learn diversionary routes.
 
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Goldfish62

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SWT_USER said:
Doesn't seem to be a consideration these days. Easier to just cancel everything rather than allocating time for staff to learn diversionary routes.
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And not limited to SWR either from what my railway friends tell me.
 
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DMckduck

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SWT_USER said:
Doesn't seem to be a consideration these days. Easier to just cancel everything rather than allocating time for staff to learn diversionary routes.
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made even worse when you realise for guards at SWR to sign the byfleet curve it’s a 5 minute video. Any guards with competencies including Woking via surbiton and weybridge via Richmond or hounslow should sign it
 
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