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

[SolomonSouth]

I travel from WIM-RAY every evening, and try to schedule my journey to be on the 18:59 to Shepperton (2H55 WAT-SHP - 18:42 from WAT). This service seems to be cancelled at least twice a week for a shortage of train crew. It seems like SWR don't have enough 701 trained crew to operate this service on a daily basis.

And to think they should have fully been in service by 2019…

 

[Nimbus020]

I think his answers were quite disingenuous actually - the way to accelerate training is just him spinning the absence of DOO from the course (which of course they can’t deliver, one of the reasons for the delay).

As for the point about capacity at Wandsworth (not for this thread really!) - absolutely no intent to improve the service there on the part of SWR (only way to do it would be to reintroduce the Hounslow loop all day) - can just imagine the laughs in the timetable office when he asks about the feasibility of stopping a Windsor or Reading there (which will also be full to bursting).

Agreed - I found that '701' discussion a bit bizarre - why did no-one ask why training wasn't going ahead as planned? - isn't that their job to ask? - Mr SWR had an easy ride

 

[swtrains]

Today's testing:

5T92 - Clapham Yard - Clapham Yard - goes to Feltham Depot bit, then to Aldershot, reverses at Farnham Depot, goes to Ascot, reverses, goes to Aldershot, reverses at Farnham Depot, goes to Ascot again, then heads back to Yard via Hounslow.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Q36372/2025-03-18/detailed

 

[DelW]

The update would be summarised as:
- We're behind where we said we'd be
- We think we've found a way to accelerate training
- SWR will be shortly issuing a press release apologising for the delay in rollout
- No commitment on when they will be rolled out further

Presumably without an apology for the apparently endless squandering of taxpayers' money spent leasing two fleets instead of one over several years?

 

[alanc]

There is a 5Q98 from Long Marston to Eastleigh today with 69009 providing the traction.
Any help with the unit being transferring would be appreciated
TIA, Alan

 

[lewisf]

Just to confirm. 701046 joining the passenger serviceable unit list would make it unit number 8? So far the units that have had passenger service are: 701017, 701028, 701031(Night Hawk), 701036(Red Rose), 701037, 701039(Ace), 701043(175 Years) and now 701046.

Before it's mentioned, I'm aware 701028 hasn't been seen carrying a passenger for a while now, however it's fair to say that it was in a passenger serviceable state when it did. It's mostly since then been moving around the network, conducting various tests and training runs, so could always be put back into passenger runs when needed as it's not gone back into long term storage.

So at this rate it’s going to take about 10 years to roll out all the units

And to think they should have fully been in service by 2019…

November 2020, not that it makes too much difference at this stage

 

[alanc]

There is a 5Q98 from Long Marston to Eastleigh today with 69009 providing the traction.
Any help with the unit being transferring would be appreciated
TIA, Alan

Should read 5Q89…fat fingers…sorry

 

[NSEWonderer]

Today's testing:

5T92 - Clapham Yard - Clapham Yard - goes to Feltham Depot bit, then to Aldershot, reverses at Farnham Depot, goes to Ascot, reverses, goes to Aldershot, reverses at Farnham Depot, goes to Ascot again, then heads back to Yard via Hounslow.

701041

 

[wickham]

701042 is shown on RTT today on 5Qxx workings - so it is out and about, but NOT in passenger service.

 

[NSEWonderer]

034 is indeed in service.

So that is 9 Units in passenger serviceable now.
Leaves 5 regular units being tested for passenger readiness(18, 25, 44, 42 and 51) now.

 

[St. Paddy]

Realtime Trains | 5Q89 1234 Long Marston Gbrf to Eastleigh East Yard | 18/03/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q89 1234 departure from Long Marston Gbrf to Eastleigh East Yard on 18/03/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

69009 + 701503/504

 

[The_Train]

Well loading this thread up to catch up on things, the one thing I didn't expect was to see not 1, but 2 new units entering service. Progress indeed!

 

[class701]

Why have none of the thirty 5-car units been put into off-peak passenger service or even training yet? I get there are 'coupling problems' but can they not operate as single units. Could it be an admission by SWR that the 2ph post-pandemic timetable means there is no longer an off-peak in West London. Every service being pretty much rammed most of the day. If they ran more services that problem might improve, you never know.

 

[WrongRoad]

I travel from WIM-RAY every evening, and try to schedule my journey to be on the 18:59 to Shepperton (2H55 WAT-SHP - 18:42 from WAT). This service seems to be cancelled at least twice a week for a shortage of train crew. It seems like SWR don't have enough 701 trained crew to operate this service on a daily basis.

They don’t, they rely on favours from trained 701 drivers to cover the trip

 

[Siemens Staines]

They don’t, they rely on favours from trained 701 drivers to cover the trip

plus possibly also the driving instructors during this period that driver training is/was suspended?

 

[swrfanatic]

Abolish the introduction 701's.

 

[reddragon]

There is a 5Q98 from Long Marston to Eastleigh today with 69009 providing the traction.
Any help with the unit being transferring would be appreciated
TIA, Alan

I watched it pass Reading West and it was 2x 5-car units (no idea which)

 

[markglos]

have been told was 503 & 504

 

[800001]

I watched it pass Reading West and it was 2x 5-car units (no idea which)

Post #12573

 

[MotCO]

I travel from WIM-RAY every evening, and try to schedule my journey to be on the 18:59 to Shepperton (2H55 WAT-SHP - 18:42 from WAT). This service seems to be cancelled at least twice a week for a shortage of train crew. It seems like SWR don't have enough 701 trained crew to operate this service on a daily basis.

WIM I assume is Wimbledon; RAY is ?

 

[Towers]

WIM I assume is Wimbledon; RAY is ?

Raynes Park?!

 

[NSEWonderer]

Nice to see 3 701s at the same time at Waterloo all in passenger service. 2U69 as 701031 and 2U65 just left as 701034 and the sheppy 2H67 as 701039. Hopefully in a few months, international platforms will mainly see just them taking the platforms up.

 

[LUYMun]

Realtime Trains | 5Q89 1234 Long Marston Gbrf to Eastleigh East Yard | 18/03/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q89 1234 departure from Long Marston Gbrf to Eastleigh East Yard on 18/03/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

69009 + 701503/504

I'm told that 69009, on its return 5Q92 leg, suffered a loss of power near Basingstoke: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K30034/2025-03-18/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[OneTrackMinded]

The media has finally caught up after multiple months...

Waterloo woe: £1billion fleet of new commuter trains stuck in sidings

Only 5 of 90 Arterio trains that were due in 2019 are currently in service

www.standard.co.uk

A rail firm has admitted it has no idea when a long-awaited £1billion fleet of new trains meant to ease overcrowding on services in and out of London Waterloo will all be running.
South Western Railway ordered 90 Arterio trains in 2017 and the aim was to have the first ones enter service from mid-2019.
SWR promised the new trains would “transform every journey on our suburban network”, with “more capacity, quicker journey times and better reliability and punctuality for our customers”.
But only five of the 90 trains are currently in use – and a SWR boss said delays in training drivers meant that he was unable to give a date when the rest of the fleet would be unveiled.
Many of the new 10-carriage, air conditioned, walk through trains are parked up in depots including at Clapham Junction due to delays in training drivers.
One industry expert told The Standard that SWR was unable to release drivers to attend training programmes for the new Arterio because it had too few staff - and sending them on a course would result in driver shortages on its day-to-day services.
David Wilby, SWR’s regional development manager, told a meeting of Wandsworth council’s passenger transport liaison group on Monday night: “This is not the most positive news.
“We will put out a press release shortly saying the introduction of our new fleet is taking longer than we thought.
“But we have identified some measures in the future around training, and the training of drivers, that will accelerate the training package that we offer.
“We still hope to have the trains rolled out according to schedule. But, at the moment, it’s not going as we planned and as we previously said.”
Asked by Cllr Jenny Yates if he had a likely date for all the new trains to be running, he replied: “Er, no.”
Mr Wilby added: “All the red trains were planned to be replaced with the new ones. Everything you see with eight carriages is planned to be replaced with 10-carrriage walk-through trains.
“You can see those [trains] – they’re parked up in Clapham Junction most of the time.
“The trains are here – it’s just the training to bring them into service that is taking longer than expected.”

Earlier this month commuter rail fares rose by an average of 4.6 per cent. South Western railway is due in May to become the first privatised rail firm to be renationalised by the Labour government.
Joshua Hughes, a spokesperson for Wandsworth Liberal Democrats, said: “It’s astonishing that these brand-new trains are sitting in a depot while commuters are left crammed onto outdated, overcrowded carriages.
“After years of delays, passengers deserve answers – not more excuses. And to add insult to injury, they’ve just been hit with another rail fare increase while being denied the service improvements they were promised.”
Cllr Yates, Wandsworth's cabinet member for transport, said: “We’re very keen to see the roll out of the new, higher capacity trains and it’s really disappointing it’s not clear when the new trains will all be operational.
"With the new development in the area already and Wandsworth Town’s inclusion in the London Growth plan, a well-served station is essential to for residents.
“That’s why the council is investing significantly in the area, including new lifts and step-free access at the station and high street improvements to Old York Road to make it easier to walk and safer to cycle.”

The first Arterio train carried passengers between Waterloo and Windsor in January 2024.
There are currently five Arterios in service on SWR’s suburban network, calling at Clapham Junction, Feltham, Hounslow, Kingston, Richmond, Shepperton, Staines, Twickenham, Vauxhall, Wimbledon and Windsor & Eton Riverside.
Last November, SWR announced that the trains would start running to Epsom, Guildford and Dorking in March, to Chessington South in May and to Reading in June.
A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “We are sorry that the Arterio rollout is taking longer than previously expected. We are continuing to work with all our stakeholders as we seek to speed up the training programme and to deliver the customer benefits of the new Arterio trains as quickly as possible.”
The trains, which were built by Alstom in Derby, have been designed to carry more than 50 per cent more passengers than the eight-car Class 455 trains they will replace.
They also feature wi-fi, charging points at every seat, real time information and accessible toilets.
But their arrival has been delayed by extensive faults, mostly to do with software. There have also been issues with the design of the driver’s cab. Many trains have reportedly spent years stored in sidings.
According to Rail magazine, “significant issues” were found with the stability of the train control and management system, TCMS. “Parts of the system would trigger alarms inconsistently across the fleet,” Rail reported.
Wandsworth councillors have expressed concern at the struggle residents face trying to board trains at Wandsworth Town station, due to overcrowding and the lack of stopping services.

 

[swtrains]

The media has finally caught up after multiple months...

Waterloo woe: £1billion fleet of new commuter trains stuck in sidings

Only 5 of 90 Arterio trains that were due in 2019 are currently in service

www.standard.co.uk

Brilliant article, needs more media attention!

 

[norbitonflyer]

The media has finally caught up after multiple months...

Waterloo woe: £1billion fleet of new commuter trains stuck in sidings

Only 5 of 90 Arterio trains that were due in 2019 are currently in service

www.standard.co.uk

Even if it is not completely accurate - there are six weekday diagrams, not five (albeit one is morning peak only) and, as of this week, eight units covering them.

 

[boiledbeans2]

From that media article, it seems SWR is attributing the lack of driver training as it's last major hurdle. Alstom isn't the hurdle now.

From that article, it seems that SWR doesn't know what to do next, as they can't give an estimated date of when the rest of the fleet will come in.

 

[165009]

Realtime Trains | 5Q89 1234 Long Marston Gbrf to Eastleigh East Yard | 18/03/2025

Real-time train running information for 5Q89 1234 departure from Long Marston Gbrf to Eastleigh East Yard on 18/03/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

69009 + 701503/504

Edit: posted in error, ignore

 

[D365]

From that media article, it seems SWR is attributing the lack of driver training as it's last major hurdle. Alstom isn't the hurdle now.

From that article, it seems that SWR doesn't know what to do next, as they can't give an estimated date of when the rest of the fleet will come in.

Alstom hasn’t been the critical link in the project plan for a very long time.

Do not expect to see much more information from SWR for the foreseeable, other than what is written in that article.

 

[Goldfish62]

Do not expect to see much more information from SWR for the foreseeable

Certainly not First/MTR-owned SWR. What they've said now feels like their closing statement on the matter.