SWR's new Class 701 trains

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

yep

[eightonedee]

There's something on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News website - see - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-67926688,

Paul Clifton was also on the early evening news on the subject (not repeated after the 10 o'clock news)

[IndustryInsider]

More a case of laughing stock than rolling stock at the moment.

Though I’m sure that’ll be largely forgotten in a couple of years.

[TaplowGreen]

Rail project delivered years behind schedule......in other news, bear seen heading for woods with roll of Andrex.......

[stuving]

And that's a whole week of one round trip per day with nothing going wrong - with either of the trains used. Next week ... two round trips per day! So it's the softest of soft starts, and barely counts as an introduction. I mean, they don't yet really add to the fleet so as to allow any old trains to be withdrawn or new permanently timetabled services to run.

[CyclingSid]

An "update" from Paul Clifton

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-68239657

I think I saw a clip of one running through Winchester recently, presumably from Eastleigh to Feltham?

[CyclingSid]

... and finally?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0en023712zo

[eightonedee]

With all the problems these have had, and those affecting the Elizabeth Line trains, I assume that Journey Check are uploading a new standard excuse for delays "This is due to a software fault on the train"

[stuving]

... and finally?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0en023712zo

An event to mark the rollout of long-delayed new trains for South Western Railway will be held later.

I think that should have read "later today". Probably around 10:30, Waterloo P19.

I'm mystified that all the comments I read on the 701 introduction assume that SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)'s objective was to get the fleet into service as soon as possible. That does not fit the observable facts. What does is that SWR have no objectives of their own, only what DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) decides for them. And that is for the programme to cost the absolute minimum, with a secondary objective that the new trains should replace the old ones before there are not enough of those still serviceable to run a service at all.

[Fourbee]

All 70 sets will be in service from tomorrow then? Fantastic. Oh wait...

[Timmer]

All 70 sets will be in service from tomorrow then? Fantastic. Oh wait...

Perhaps in a parallel universe but certainly not in the one that is operated by SWR^» (South Western Railway - about).

[stuving]

Today's attempt to sprinkle a bit of PR^▸ (Public Relations) sparkle on a poor unsuspecting 701 has been written up by SWR^» (South Western Railway - about).

Five 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.

Building on those destinations, it was also confirmed that the new fleet will serve stations including Dorking, Epsom, Guildford, Hampton Court and Reading over the next six months, moving SWR closer to its ultimate goal of transforming every journey on its suburban network.

And they do mean that quite literally - saying today was "to mark the Arterios being named and celebrate the next ten being rolled out". There is a list headed "The next Arterios will be rolled out as follows", with the existing five diagrams and ten more to start by next June. These are spread out over most of the planned network. No sign there of committing to bring the fleet into service by a specific date - maybe they've learned not to say things like that.

They have also updated the Arterios page that was there before.

[Fourbee]

All 70 sets will be in service from tomorrow then? Fantastic. Oh wait...

I didn't realise there were actually 90 sets... so 20 more than I thought doing nothing.