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

[pompeyfan]

Presumably the main production units will be 750v DC only. Is the Derby test track AC only?

In the BBC report there appeared to be 3rd rail but all the shoes looked to be bagged up.

 

[Doomotron]

Er? Who did? The seats might be a bit hard but they are VERY good at what they do. They swallow people in a way the 319s didn't.

Many moons ago on here some tweets or whatever from execs at GTR were leaked (or something like that) and they admitted they thought the 700s were crap.

Not like bombardier have been doing any better they are a year behind already. Explain?

The AT300s were ordered almost 10 years ago and still haven't entered service on most routes. The 700s were much faster, but suffered more teething troubles.

 

[RealTrains07]

The AT300s were ordered almost 10 years ago and still haven't entered service on most routes. The 700s were much faster, but suffered more teething troubles.

and so have the aventras, when have new trains ever been perfect or delivered on time

 

[RealTrains07]

So what had “First” got to do with the 2014 order by SWT?

Check earlier posts in the thread

 

[swt_passenger]

Check earlier posts in the thread

You’ve completely lost me now...

 

[Prestige15]

Found this on google, Not a bad looking unit but it would look abit more better if the lights were LED/xenon like the class 68 for example.

 

[Doomotron]

and so have the aventras, when have new trains ever been perfect or delivered on time

Aventras were a new design. The AT300s are basically 395s/Japanese A-Trains and therefore Hitachi have been building them for years. There is no excuse.

Found this on google, Not a bad looking unit but it would look abit more better if the lights were LED/xenon like the class 68 for example.

I think if there was a bit more black (a grid?) it would look better.

 

[Fincra5]

Looks good. I agree the lights should look beefier!

 

[theking]

Found this on google, Not a bad looking unit but it would look abit more better if the lights were LED/xenon like the class 68 for example.

Bombardier still seem to use cheap rubbish normal bulbs rather than the led types seen on all other units. I know it's only a small thing but the other units look so much better with the crisp clean white light rather than the yellowish type ones.

 

[Goldfish62]

Bombardier still seem to use cheap rubbish normal bulbs rather than the led types seen on all other units. I know it's only a small thing but the other units look so much better with the crisp clean white light rather than the yellowish type ones.

Don't think the 707s use LEDs. Looking at recent European trains, use of LEDs for headlights is by no means universal.

 

[K.o.R]

Found this on google, Not a bad looking unit but it would look abit more better if the lights were LED/xenon like the class 68 for example.

Presumably the lights must be (dual-colour) LED, as there's nowhere (obvious) in that housing for a separate red light.

 

[TRAX]

To me the 701 lights on the picture do look like LEDs, with the photograph itself making them look a bit yellow-ish. I could be wrong of course.

 

[Goldfish62]

Presumably the lights must be (dual-colour) LED, as there's nowhere (obvious) in that housing for a separate red light.

Good point.

 

[hwl]

Presumably the lights must be (dual-colour) LED, as there's nowhere (obvious) in that housing for a separate red light.

I suspect they have decent lenses focusing the beams ahead (the other aventras do but have seperate marker/tail lights) so not much sideways spread to the angle in the photo as well.
If the lenses are plastic in most cases they will tend to yellow the light to certain extent.

 

[TRAX]

The left-side optic seems to be showing an LED bar.

 

[Doomotron]

The right optic seems to be showing an LED bar.
View attachment 70594

That seems to be a reflection to me.

 

[TRAX]

No, look at post #1024, it’s there too, lit up.

 

[keith1879]

The AT300s were ordered almost 10 years ago and still haven't entered service on most routes. The 700s were much faster, but suffered more teething troubles.

By AT300s do you mean the IETs (or 800 series of train?)

 

[Doomotron]

No, look at post #1024, it’s there too, lit up.

I don't see it.

By AT300s do you mean the IETs (or 800 series of train?)

The IET/IEPs ordered in the IEP programme. Agility Trains' bid (the AT300s) was taken up in 2009, so now it's been ten years (although the actual procurement happened later).

 

[keith1879]

The IET/IEPs ordered in the IEP programme. Agility Trains' bid (the AT300s) was taken up in 2009, so now it's been ten years (although the actual procurement happened later).

OK...so when were the firm orders actually placed (I can think of four separate ones at least ....there may be more) and when did the trains enter service....and which are the routes on which they still haven't entered service? Sorry to appear argumentative but I am dubious about your facts. (Editing in an example for info: The TPE sets were ordered in Spring 2016, have all been delivered, some have been accepted and two sets are in regular service).

 

[Elshad]

Presumably the front set of doors will be vinyled grey or something similar to meet contrast requirements compared to the blue car body. Which begs the question why they didn't just paint them grey in the first place?

 

[Doomotron]

OK...so when were the firm orders actually placed (I can think of four separate ones at least ....there may be more) and when did the trains enter service....and which are the routes on which they still haven't entered service? Sorry to appear argumentative but I am dubious about your facts.

I think they were the preferred bidder from 2009 and had completely won by 2011, with the actual order being in 2012. So basically 8-10 years since the order and the 801s haven't started service on most of the services on the ECML (both as 800s and 801s).

Presumably the front set of doors will be vinyled grey or something similar to meet contrast requirements compared to the blue car body. Which begs the question why they didn't just paint them grey in the first place?

I think it must have been easier to add the grey later, like the blue and orange was added later on the 707s.

 

[Energy]

The only thing which bugs me on the exterior is the windscreen wiper, they put it in a position which draws attention to it, the SWR logo should be there and the windscreen wiper more discreet

 

[TRAX]

That seems to be a reflection to me.

Bear in mind I was talking about the right optic on the picture, so it would be the left-side headlight for the train, so I wasn’t talking about the obvious big reflection on the right-side headlight.

I don't see it.

one horizontal light beam in each headlight.

 

[keith1879]

I think they were the preferred bidder from 2009 and had completely won by 2011, with the actual order being in 2012. So basically 8-10 years since the order and the 801s haven't started service on most of the services on the ECML (both as 800s and 801s).

The order was finalised in 2014 with service entry intended to be complete in 2020. https://www.railwaygazette.com/news...ose-on-pound27bn-east-coast-iep-contract.html

 

[hwl]

The only thing which bugs me on the exterior is the windscreen wiper, they put it in a position which draws attention to it, the SWR logo should be there and the windscreen wiper more discreet

Where else would you locate the windscreen wiper from functional and aerodynamic point of view?
It is hard enough getting single wipers to work perfectly on a curved windscreen screen that large...

 

[swt_passenger]

The order was finalised in 2014 with service entry intended to be complete in 2020. https://www.railwaygazette.com/news...ose-on-pound27bn-east-coast-iep-contract.html

Yes, I don’t think the original IEP units are actually as late as some people seem to think. The 801 order for the ECML wasn’t an original part of the contract either.

 

[hwl]

The order was finalised in 2014 with service entry intended to be complete in 2020. https://www.railwaygazette.com/news...ose-on-pound27bn-east-coast-iep-contract.html

The article talks about financial close for ECML stock in 2014 with the GW equivalent in 2012 but they were the preferred only bidder long before that.
DfT discovered that getting upto 19 parties to financial close takes a very long time! (Thameslink also on going at the time and preferred bidder to close to 18+ months there)

 

[TRAX]

Where else would you locate the windscreen wiper from functional and aerodynamic point of view?
It is hard enough getting single wipers to work perfectly on a curved windscreen screen that large...

For some people form is more important than function.

 

[43096]

Yes, I don’t think the original IEP units are actually as late as some people seem to think. The 801 order for the ECML wasn’t an original part of the contract either.

It was 12 years from start of IEP project to in service of the first set. In that same time span from 1970, BR designed and built a prototype HST and then ordered, built and accepted 95 production trains. Just saying.