Source: Richard Jones - flickr.com
Also known as:
UIC / EVN numbering:
94 70 048994 70 048094 70 048194 70 048294 70 048394 70 048494 70 048594 70 048694 70 048794 70 0488Vehicle type:
Registration country:
Railway companies:
*Subclass 701/0
8x 250kW (335hp)*
*Subclass 701/5
*Subclass 701/0
2000kW (2682hp)*
*Subclass 701/5
rheostatic/regenerative
*Subclass 701/0
274x seats & 361x standees*
*Subclass 701/5
2017
Following this, in June 2017, SWR contracted Bombardier Transportation for the delivery of 90x Aventra DC electric multiple units (EMUs), comprising 60x ten-car and 30x five-car trains, with an introduction timeline set for mid-2019 at a total cost of £895 million. The contract also included an option to purchase an additional 5x ten-car units if necessary by October 2020.
The primary purpose of these new trains is to replace the existing suburban fleets of SWR, which at the time included Class 455, Class 456, Class 458 and Class 707. Financially, purchasing a new fleet was determined to be more economical than leasing existing trains.
The original rollout plan anticipated that the entire Class 701 fleet would be operational within two years after the first units entered service. The introduction of these new trains is expected to enhance peak capacity on suburban routes to London Waterloo by 46%, and will also feature several improvements over the current suburban trains, including air-conditioning, an open gangway design, and onboard toilets. Initially, the order was categorized into two separate classes, with five-car units assigned to Class 705 and ten-car units to Class 711. However, this classification was later revised, designating the ten-car units to Class 701 subclass /0 and the five-car units to subclass /5.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_701
2019
November
The first of Bombardier’s new £895 million Aventra Class 701 fleet for South Western Railway is unveiled at Derby Litchurch Lane.
The electric multiple units are contracted to start carrying passengers from next month; however, the first ‘701’ has not yet been delivered for testing. With thousands of testing miles required and hundreds of drivers needing training, entry into service is postponed to mid-2020.
The trains will operate on SWR’s suburban network from Waterloo across southwest London to Guildford, and on the Reading and Windsor lines in Berkshire.
90x trains, comprising 750x vehicles (60 ten-car and 30 five-car units), are to be completed over the following twelve months, instead of the original seventeen months program.
Sources: https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/south-western-railway-s-895-million-aventra-unveiled-but-entry-delayed-to-2020, https://railcolornews.com/2019/11/20/uk-expert-this-is-the-bombardier-aventra-for-south-western-railway/
2020
June
The first unit of the series is delivered in June 2020.
Following the delivery, during an event at Wimbledon depot on August 24th, 2020, South Western Railway has announced Arterio as its brand name for the fleet of 90x Class 701 electric multiple-units.
SWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said the the name Arterio reflects the importance of suburban rail services to the capital and Waterloo’s status as the network’s busiest station, with railways being "the arteries which feed it, taking people to work and school, to theatres, restaurants and bars and home again".
The first Arterio is expected to enter service on the Waterloo - Reading route later in the year, and will provide a significant improvement on the current ex-British Rail Class 455 and Class 456 suburban fleet. The walk-through coaches will feature 2+2 seating, wi-fi, at-seat charging points, screens showing real-time service information, air-conditioning and dedicated wheelchair spaces. They will provide fully-accessible toilets across the entire SWR suburban network for the first time.
Sources: https://www.railjournal.com/fleet/south-western-railway-receives-first-class-701-bombardier-aventra-emu/, https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/arterio-brand-name-for-south-western-railway-class-701-fleet/57214.article
2022
December
These high-capacity Arterio trains were initially scheduled to perform passenger services in December 2019. The delay is attributed to the impact of Covid-19; however, reports indicate that technical faults may have contributed to this postponement. The Class 701 units face several challenges related to software issues that remain unresolved, as noted by BBC South transport correspondent Paul Clifton. Other identified problems include malfunctions with the door obstacle detectors that have hindered acceptance for driver training, difficulties with the coupling process, and resistance in the cab doors when attempting to open them.
Alstom representative Andrew Boyle states that South Western Railway (SWR) has accepted 26x out of the 90x Aventra trains, suggesting that the issues have been addressed to the operator’s satisfaction. The Department for Transport (DfT) confirms that "mainline driver training is scheduled to commence in the new year". Boyle further notes that "Alstom acquired the trains' previous manufacturer Bombardier at the beginning of 2021 after the project's due completion date. Since then, Alstom has also delivered the same model of train to other customers, including the Elizabeth Line, London Overground, and Greater Anglia, which are operating successfully."
2023
October
2023
December
Sources: https://www.railmagazine.com/news/fleet/2024/01/05/soft-launch-planned-for-delayed-arterios
2024
January 9
Stuart Meek, SWR's chief operating officer, said: "We're very keen to get the full fleet into service as soon as possible, but we need to do that cautiously. It’s a really important step on the journey towards full fleet introduction of the 90 trains of the Arterio fleet, but it’s a really important step as well because as we learn from today the experience of putting this train into passenger service, we can learn the lessons and get the rest of the fleet in service as soon as possible."
Claire Mann, managing director of South Western Railway said: "Talking to customers on the train and they absolutely love it. It is a beautiful train. It’s an amazing moment for all of us here at South Western Railway as we see our first train in service."
Sources: https://www.railmagazine.com/news/fleet/2024/01/05/soft-launch-planned-for-delayed-arterios, https://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/articles/south-westerns-arterio-trains-finally-enter-service
2024
March 21
1 The last delivered unit from the current order book, Class 720 unit 720141 for Greater Anglia, left the factory on March 21st, 2024. With HS2 rolling stock deliveries delayed until mid-2026, Alstom warned of a 27-month production gap as early as May 2023. Since then, ten months of negotiations with Transport Secretary Mark Harper over short-term follow-on orders have yielded no clear outcome.
As a result, Alstom is shutting down production at Derby Litchurch Lane after 148 years. The factory houses over 500 design engineers—the only UK-based train design team among major manufacturers. A prolonged shutdown threatens this expertise, making the UK the only G7 nation unable to design and build trains.
However, three months later, in June 2024, the company receives a €430m (£370m) lifeline: a contract for 10x new nine-car Class 345 Aventra trains for Transport for London’s Elizabeth line, with maintenance secured until 2046—just enough to keep production alive.
Sources: https://www.railmagazine.com/news/2024/04/16/alstom-begins-redundancy-talks-as-derby-could-close-after-150-years, https://www.railmagazine.com/news/2024/06/17/alstom-and-dft-signs-deal-for-vital-aventra-order
2024
October
The extensive production and software issues, alongside the challenges posed by Covid and industry recovery, were not the only ones to contribute to the delays. The drivers' union Aslef raised concerns that wipers obstruct drivers' views, despite the Arterio trains featuring some of the largest windscreens of any UK train. Union reps raised objections claiming they were so big that they blocked drivers' views of the trackside signals used to tell trains when to stop and go. According to SWR sources, Aslef reportedly dropped its objections to the trains in exchange for a 15% pay rise negotiated with Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, earlier in 2024.
Acknowledging the flaws of the "major and complex project", SWR aims to activate 10x of the new trains within the next four months, pending further training for its drivers. It is estimated SWR will need to train 769 main line drivers on the Arterios with the training programme taking eight days for each driver.
Sources: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13917839/New-trains-sitting-storage-trade-union-row.html, https://www.railmagazine.com/news/fleet/2024/01/05/soft-launch-planned-for-delayed-arterios
2024
November 29
5x Arterios are already in service, serving the routes to Windsor & Eton Riverside and Shepperton, calling at some of SWR’s busiest stations including Earlsfield, Kingston, Richmond, Twickenham and Wimbledon.
Other units will rollout in the coming months. In the next six months, Stuart Meek, Interim Managing Director for South Western Railway, expects the Arterios fleet will call at 74 stations, operating 80 peak services every weekday, with customers along new routes including Dorking, Epsom, Guildford, Hampton Court and Reading able to enjoy extra capacity and comfort.
Sources: https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2024/11/south-western-railway-celebrates-rollout-aventra-fleet-uk, https://railway-news.com/uk-south-western-railway-launches-aventra-fleet/
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Latest update on the 16th of February 2025 at 18:27
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