-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Class 701 'Aventra' trains for South Western Railway: progress updates
- Thread starter WWTownEnth
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Again ?.Dorking 701 broke down at Raynes Park - problem with the doors.
Is that three times in the same place ??.
OneTrackMinded
Member
Aventras have this reoccurring problem with doors. They all have it and Alstom refuses to fix it
Nogoohwell
Member
Two different units at the same platform, a 701 and a 458.
Got to say, im surprised when they extended platform 1, that they never realigned the track and extended the platform at the London end. Would have got rid of the huge gap between the train and the platform.
Its not as if there is not the space for the new alignment. The embankment is wide enough for at least 150 meters.
Cant see a platform like P1 at Raynes Park being built now
Got to say, im surprised when they extended platform 1, that they never realigned the track and extended the platform at the London end. Would have got rid of the huge gap between the train and the platform.
Its not as if there is not the space for the new alignment. The embankment is wide enough for at least 150 meters.
Cant see a platform like P1 at Raynes Park being built now
willontrains
Member
701017 failed at Raynes park on 1D14 this morning after a passenger alarm was set off by accident; which broke the interlock.
NSEWonderer
Established Member
Wonder if it's the usual one in the toilets. They have started to modify the toilet ones by covering them up, last I knew.
willontrains
Member
they weren't able to locate it, but did lock a door out of use, which didn't seem to solve the fault so it went out of service and empty to Wimbledon I believe.
Last edited by a moderator:
re. the 458 that had door problems earlier this week, these look to have started earlier in its journey (5 mins stop @ Worcester Park etc.) - probably made sense to get it to Raynes Pk so people could de-train & then get on to other services (i.e. crushed on to 8-car Class 455s!)
NSEWonderer
Established Member
That's a shame but yeah Aventras have always had some issues with passcoms messing up the trains. Used to plague heavily the Elizabeth Line 345s, bring the service to a complete hslt if it occurred in the COS, door issues were rampart and no surprise the same issues appear on the 701s which are yet to apply fixes and mods as the faults come.
They'll eventually become reliable enough but for that, there will be more pain faults wise before relief.
willontrains
Member
I was on this 458, reason it was late was due to the route not being set on Motspur Park Jn. From what I was told by the guard the train had a Traction Interlock Fault at Raynes Park, as we were sat there for a few minutes closing and re-releasing the doors in an attempt to rectify the issue. This didn't happen and the train was deemed faulty at 07:47am.
Many thanks - makes sense
Robert Carroll
Member
- Joined
- 24 Nov 2017
- Messages
- 54
I was on 1D14 this morning. It was evident from the prolonged stop and repeated door cycling that something was wrong so I transferred to the first train that came into platform 2, before 1D14 was cancelled. There were no announcements on 1D14 about any problem before I abandoned the train.
fairysdad
Member
Was looking forward to catching 1D14 this morning... first ride on a 701...
... only to look on RTT and find it's been subbed for a 455! Ah well!
... only to look on RTT and find it's been subbed for a 455! Ah well!
The Surbiton peak service (2J92) doesn't run on Fridays so the 455s aren't needed on it, therefore they can operate the full 1D05 diagram from the start without the need for the 701 on that round trip.
norbitonflyer
Established Member
This seems a bit back to front. Surely if you don't need both the 455 and the 701, you should be using the newer better, longer one?
I note that there was no crew available for the Shepperton-via-Richmond diagram this morning, meaning overcrowding on the Kingston alternative (18 into 8 won't go) and consequent skip-stopping
With the driver training still paused, there's only enough crew for the one round trip, hence why 2J92 went over to 701 in the first place as only one driver/guard was needed for that diagram. If you tried to keep the 701 on after 1D14, you'd probably end up with more cancellations than services that run (and that would be every single day).
At least by putting the 455s back in, the passengers will actually get a train to board.
Or put back what was originally there last week, 458/5 pair.
OneTrackMinded
Member
The Transport Secretary has made a statement about getting the Class 701 introduction issues sorted before SWR comes into public ownership at the end of May after questioned by Paul Kohler, MP for Wimbledon
View attachment 7y_19y_SWm2Z0qYF.mp4
View attachment 7y_19y_SWm2Z0qYF.mp4
Last edited:
Peter Sarf
Established Member
She actually says "it is important that the issues are resolved before the trains are bought into public ownership on 25 May".
To me that is not a commitment, it is a statement of desire but something they can get out of.
I would have thought getting the mess sorted out is beyond the governments control until they (more directly) take over.
Interestingly the words infer the trains will be bought, I thought they were leased and will continue as leased ?.
My simplest take on this is it shows how little understanding of the situation (or most likely transport in general) the transport secretary has.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
She probably just meant to say "brought"?
I agree - it's a non-commitment dressed up to look like a commitment... but also sets the ground for them to fire a few senior people if the issues are still unresolved at the end of May... so it seems to be aimed at concentrating a few minds.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Yes she probably meant "brought" and also should have said "services" not "trains".
I too suspect some minds needing concentrating was the tack (either at SWR or perhaps DfT). Either that or the problems are not going to go away any time soon - not too unlikely !.
It's down in Hansard as "brought":
I'd also view that as no commitment, agreeing with importance is a common way of sounding like you will do something without actually saying it will happen. Even if the situation was resolved tomorrow, the amount of training required means no more than a couple of additional diagrams could run by 25 May. A resolution coming imminently also doesn't seem that likely given how long it's been going on for.
Goldfish62
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 14 Feb 2010
- Messages
- 11,661
That's exactly my interpretation and would have thought most people's as well. Most importantly it's a veiled threat to those at the top of SWR to get their act together or else...
OneTrackMinded
Member
The managers will get away like nothing happened as usual, with an extra helping of LinkedIn slop ("#TeamSWR")
TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
Today, I was on 701017, the 1501 from Windsor & ER to London Waterloo, and it departed, actually moving, at 1459… that’s poor, to be honest. Way too early.
OneTrackMinded
Member
Don’t think that has anything specifically to do with 701s mind you, just poor operational standards
TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
Yes, I’m simply stating. Not worth making a new thread over.
norbitonflyer
Established Member
Only four this morning - both Dorking and Surbiton operated by 455s, and 2H93 (Shepperton) cancelled so the unit can take up one of the Windsor diagrams.