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

[Astro_Orbiter]

Driver training I understand is already a few weeks in on the west, training runs going to and from Stansted in the 4th stanex path that's not being used.
I would think they would start introducing them after a critical mass of drivers on West are trained, and likewise for the other areas as GA really need to start wholesale replacement of 317 and 321.
There's got to be a load of 720's sitting around somewhere ready to be sent to GA?

 

[Railperf]

I wonder how they might do this, the bridge over HS1 and Startford Intl isn't that far at all off the country end of 11&12 at Stratford. Must be a headache

Platform 11 is quite long - appx 230m - but terminating trains stop short of the platform end due there being a signal - and overlap onto the junction with the line serving platform 10a. What signalling adjustments can be made to allow the train to use the full length of the platform?

 

[DannyMich2018]

There's got to be a load of 720's sitting around somewhere ready to be sent to GA?

I believe the bulk of the built 720s are stored at Worksop with a few at Old Dalby. Due to the fact that there is a Covid reduced service and not a lot of other trains withdrawn there isn't much room for too many at Ilford. Even before Covid it's the problem that trains are built much quicker than they can enter service hence need to store many.

 

[Class 170101]

Platform 11 is quite long - appx 230m - but terminating trains stop short of the platform end due there being a signal - and overlap onto the junction with the line serving platform 10a. What signalling adjustments can be made to allow the train to use the full length of the platform?

None because if it was then Platform 11 / 12 become useless everytime a Freightliner standing at L295 fouls Stratford Central Jn with its rear end as the overlap would extend onto the Jn.

 

[Bald Rick]

Platform 11 is quite long - appx 230m - but terminating trains stop short of the platform end due there being a signal - and overlap onto the junction with the line serving platform 10a. What signalling adjustments can be made to allow the train to use the full length of the platform?

Well, you could move the signal, pushing the overlap onto the Up Temple Mills. However, in addition to the issue that @Class 170101 mentions, it would also mean that whenever a train was routed into P11 from Lea Bridge, nothing could use the Up Temple Mills line from any direction through Stratford including to Platform 10a. There would need to be a timing sequence to prove the train had stopped before the overlap could be declared free and thus a route could be set - so it would take at least 5 minutes from setting the route from the Lea Bridge direction to being able to have a route for a GEML or Freightliner train into P10A for example. This would be a problem in both peaks, and most of the day.

 

[Recessio]

Anyine else find the doors on these units a bit slow? Better than the Mk3 derived EMUs obviously, but I feel its noticeably slow compared to the 700s on Thameslink.

 

[TRAX]

Anyine else find the doors on these units a bit slow? Better than the Mk3 derived EMUs obviously, but I feel its noticeably slow compared to the 700s on Thameslink.

Plug doors will often be a bit slower than sliding pocket doors.

 

[Goldfish62]

Anyine else find the doors on these units a bit slow? Better than the Mk3 derived EMUs obviously, but I feel its noticeably slow compared to the 700s on Thameslink.

I've not been on these yet, but the doors on the 345s and 710s are speedy enough. Certainly the fastest sliding plug doors I've come across.

 

[samuelmorris]

As said above, plug doors will never match the speed of pocket doors. I would agree that these are probably the fastest I've seen, a little faster than those on Electostars and far faster than the Desiro UK.

 

[Goldfish62]

As said above, plug doors will never match the speed of pocket doors. I would agree that these are probably the fastest I've seen, a little faster than those on Electostars and far faster than the Desiro UK.

I really don't know how the Desiro UK doors got passed as acceptable.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I really don't know how the Desiro UK doors got passed as acceptable.

I don't know about SWR, but the south WCML has relatively few stations interspersed with long, relatively high-speed runs, so they don't make an awful lot of difference. They are a shortcoming, but the units are otherwise absolutely spot-on and well-liked so we can overlook that aspect.

I doubt the Aventras will make much difference if any to running times.

 

[Goldfish62]

I don't know about SWR, but the south WCML has relatively few stations interspersed with long, relatively high-speed runs, so they don't make an awful lot of difference. They are a shortcoming, but the units are otherwise absolutely spot-on and well-liked so we can overlook that aspect.

I doubt the Aventras will make much difference if any to running times.

It's an issue on the Hounslow loop with stops every 2-3 minutes!

 

[Taylorgb19]

I don’t know if they have them on the 720s but in the 710s they have sensitive lighting, going into Liverpool Street it gets brighter the interior and going out it dims downs

 

[samuelmorris]

Shouldn't that be the other way round?

 

[Domh245]

Shouldn't that be the other way round?

Shouldn't think so (unless there's been a sneaky edit to the post which has changed which way around they were?) - When going out (and into the sun) you use the natural light so dim the interior lights, and vice versa

 

[RealTrains07]

I really don't know how the Desiro UK doors got passed as acceptable.

Different mechanisms compared to anything out of bombardier land.

The 1 issue I have with the 720s is the doors are very loud and dont seem the best if quality

 

[Shunter_69]

720’s should be making their debut on Clacton and Colchester Town services on Tuesday

 

[Goldfish62]

Different mechanisms compared to anything out of bombardier land.

The 1 issue I have with the 720s is the doors are very loud and dont seem the best if quality

I know they're different mechanisms!

 

[Bringback309s]

Any dates yet for introduction on the Ipswich / Clacton / Walton / Harwich services?

 

[Shunter_69]

Any dates yet for introduction on the Ipswich / Clacton / Walton / Harwich services?

Tuesday

 

[adc82140]

Does this mean a few more have been accepted in to service?

 

[Railperf]

Does this mean a few more have been accepted in to service?

If so...they aren't in passenger service. Southend/Braintree services seem to be limited to a minimum 2 diagrams at the moment. Looks like only 1 pair out today. Tiger reporting a 10-car on the 1448 LST to BTR. Nothing else showing as 10-car.
EDIT: 1548 to Braintree also showing as 10-car. So 2-pairs out today

 

[Shunter_69]

As of 15/3 16 out of the 20 delivered have been accepted.

 

[Railperf]

Tuesday

Looks like a Clacton - LST - Ipswich - LST - Colchester - LST - Clacton - LST - Ipswich - LST - Colchester - ECS to Clacton diagram

As of 15/3 16 out of the 20 delivered have been accepted.

Only 6 units per day max in passenger service out of 16? Are more Southend diagrams planned to become 720 from this coming week too?

 

[Shunter_69]

No idea what’s happening elsewhere but would make sense to put more units out if they can.

Some units are being used for driver training which is limiting numbers a little bit.

 

[Chiltern006]

720*** and 561 were at Wembley yard this afternoon, I assume they'll be sent down soon

 

[Taylorgb19]

Can 720s detach and couple in passenger service at Colchester once accepted onto those services or they still not allowed?

 

[Shunter_69]

Not diagrammed to split/attach at present. Don’t know if there are restrictions but they aren’t doing it at the moment.

 

[47584Suffolk]

As of 15/3 16 out of the 20 delivered have been accepted.

I make it 18 delivered (720511, 515, 517, 522, 536 - 540, 543, 548, 550, 552, 553, 556, 558, 562 and 564). 720549 & 551 were at Ilford but returned to Wembley on 15/2 and have since been out on WCML test runs.
Of the 18 at IL, I believe that only 522 & 562 are awaiting GA acceptance, so that makes 16 theoretically available. However, at least four are on driver training duties (two at Orient Way for WAML and two at Parkeston for GEML). Any advance ....

 

[Shunter_69]

The 2 that went back must have been included in the 20 delivered announced internally.