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Greater Anglia Bombardier Aventras (Class 720): Technical discussion and introduction

class387

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9 Oct 2015
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Have any more 720s been introduced for the timetable change or is it still the one diagram?
 
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reddragon

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New video from Geoff Marshall on these units


Apparently they have new super comfy S shaped seats and underfloor heating which is unique in the UK
 

Bletchleyite

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Apparently they have new super comfy S shaped seats and underfloor heating which is unique in the UK

Though sadly it appears the underfloor heating has not been used to reduce the size of the conduit, so the window seat still has nowhere to put your feet (and the top is sloping so you can't unlike 350s put them on the conduit).
 

hwl

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Though sadly it appears the underfloor heating has not been used to reduce the size of the conduit, so the window seat still has nowhere to put your feet (and the top is sloping so you can't unlike 350s put them on the conduit).
Most of what appears to be the "conduit" is actually due to the outside curvature of the bodyshell to fit in the loading gauge.
 

Alfie1014

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Most of what appears to be the "conduit" is actually due to the outside curvature of the bodyshell to fit in the loading gauge.
One of the consequences of squeezing in 2+3 seating in 24m bodyshells me thinks. That said when I travelled on one last week I didn’t think the conduit was too intrusive but I had no one sitting next to me.

Mind you many years ago I remember resting my foot on one in a 317 only to find the heater had melted the sole of my shoe when I went to get off!
 

47444

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Does this mean that 720101-720144 are going to be different in some way from 720501-720589?
 

samuelmorris

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In which case it seems odd to have two different number series, but what the h**l ....
There are more than 100 units! They could have used 7206xx if the /6 range hadn't already been allocated to c2c, but as it is, rather than renumber the c2c units again they've decided to use the range they were already allocated for the 10-car units, for the 5-cars instead. Probably involves the least paperwork of all the potential options.
 

Kite159

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There are more than 100 units! They could have used 7206xx if the /6 range hadn't already been allocated to c2c, but as it is, rather than renumber the c2c units again they've decided to use the range they were already allocated for the 10-car units, for the 5-cars instead. Probably involves the least paperwork of all the potential options.

You would think it would be more sensible to change the numbers of the C2C batch, considering they haven't been completed to allow GA to carry on into the 7206XX range.
 

jopsuk

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You would think it would be more sensible to change the numbers of the C2C batch, considering they haven't been completed to allow GA to carry on into the 7206XX range.
it would be neater, yes. But at an operational level it doesn't much matter
 

dk1

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Greater Anglia reporting online that the first unit has gone to Braintree in service this morning... 511 and 536 did the honours on 2F04 (0545 Shenfield to Braintree).
Two seperate diagrams out today. Looks like the 15:58 school train from Ingatestone-Colchester should be operated by them later.
 

Domh245

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Any news on the updated diagrams please?

Assuming that there's been no major changes to the diagrams since May, 2F04 goes on to form:

5F04 0501 Ilford - Shenfield
2F04 0545 Shenfield - Braintree
1F04 0640 Braintree - Liverpool St.
1K16 0757 Liverpool St. - Southend Victoria
2K43 0910 Southend Victoria - Liverpool St.
1K32 1038 Liverpool St. - Southend Victoria
1K59 1150 Southend Victoria - Liverpool St.
2K48 1313 Liverpool St. - Southend Victoria
1K75 1430 Southend Victoria - Liverpool St.
1F30 1548 Liverpool St. - Braintree
1F57 1700 Braintree - Liverpool St.
1K90 1818 Liverpool St. - Southend Victoria
5K90 Southend - Southend CS

Previously it'd lose 4 cars upon first arriving at Southend and would get them back for the 1430 departure - neither of the moves associated with that appear to have run, so I suspect that the trains worked hasn't changed
 

Railperf

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Assuming that there's been no major changes to the diagrams since May, 2F04 goes on to form:

5F04 0501 Ilford - Shenfield
2F04 0545 Shenfield - Braintree
1F04 0640 Braintree - Liverpool St.
1K16 0757 Liverpool St. - Southend Victoria
2K43 0910 Southend Victoria - Liverpool St.
1K32 1038 Liverpool St. - Southend Victoria
1K59 1150 Southend Victoria - Liverpool St.
2K48 1313 Liverpool St. - Southend Victoria
1K75 1430 Southend Victoria - Liverpool St.
1F30 1548 Liverpool St. - Braintree
1F57 1700 Braintree - Liverpool St.
1K90 1818 Liverpool St. - Southend Victoria
5K90 Southend - Southend CS

Previously it'd lose 4 cars upon first arriving at Southend and would get them back for the 1430 departure - neither of the moves associated with that appear to have run, so I suspect that the trains worked hasn't changed
thanks. There seems to be a second diagram too. I noted tiger reporting two lots of 10-car trains within an hour of each other.
 

seagull

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28 Feb 2011
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720558 at Stafford this evening, as 5Q31 sat in platform 6.
 

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TheHSRailFan

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16 Jun 2018
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243
Hello Its a few days ago now but a few days ago I finally tried a set from Liverpool Street to Romford.

On Saturday 12

IMG_20201212_155045(1).jpg

While I have not fully concreted my opinion, I will say they are most likely the Aventras in the family. The seats were really good and i really liked how things worked. Though sadly a technical fault occurred in which the screens said we were at Southend(when we were in fact not) and the whole geolocation of the screens stopped and just showed the time. Also, the gangways were smaller than expected. But still a pretty epic train.
 

robert west

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Joined
4 Apr 2013
Messages
207
720511 and 536 on 1548 liverpool st to braintree
also a test run operating today as well

2 x 720 on test run Colchester bound through Witham at 2037 hours tonight
not sure what units
 
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Fat Gaz

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25 Sep 2020
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Location
Sunny East Seax
Would anyone happen to know how the numbers are allocated to the trains when released in to service? It seems odd to me to have 511 and 536 running initially and not say 501 & 502 or 503 & 504 etc. Thanks Gaz
 

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