Training has begun at Wimbledon depot after the first South Western Railway Class 701 Aventra arrived there on June 30.
Ten-car electric multiple unit 701004 is the second to be released by Bombardier for testing on the SWR network, after 701002 was moved to Eastleigh Works for main line testing earlier in June (RAIL 908).
The ‘701’ is the first of 90 that will be based at the depot. It will initially be used for driver and maintenance training and ‘dynamic’ testing which is due to start from August.
SWR confirmed that the ‘701s’ will replace the Class 455, ‘456’, ‘458’ and ‘707’ trains over a two-year period from when the first Aventra enters traffic. Only the ‘707s’ have a confirmed future, with a transfer to Southeastern.
- To read more on the Class 701s, read RAIL 908, out now.
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poopooweewee - 13/08/2020 07:38
Those trains are ugly
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Stuart Broadbent - 23/10/2021 08:58
Bombardier Class 701s? Bombardier became part of Alstom from 1st February, and the Bombardier name was retained by the Business Jets division so cannot be used by Alstom.
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Güntürk Üstün - 10/11/2022 22:40
SWR's Classes 455, 456 and 707 EMU fleets will be replaced by 30 five-car and 60 ten-car Class 701 EMUs built at Alstom's Derby Litchurch Lane Works, financed by ROSCO Rock Rail for £1 billion, for use on Reading, Windsor and London suburban services. They are able to reach a top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h). Dr. Güntürk Üstün
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