Introduction of class 701 EMUs to South Western Railway 20 January 2022

Introduction of Class 701 EMUs to South Western Railway

Speaker:         Neil Drury, Engineering Director SWR

Date:               20 January 2022

The good news – they (701s) are coming, and are in sight!  Some are being tested in the Bournemouth area, whilst others have recently been spotted in sidings or poking their cab faces out of Wimbledon depot.  On 20 January Neil Drury, manager in charge of this project, gave a comprehensive update to the story of the preparation and introduction of the latest type of electric multiple unit (EMU) trains being prepared for service on our local lines.

 

Neil began by explaining his own background.  He confessed that his original ambition to be a pilot was prevented by poor eyesight so he joined the railway industry and is now very happily and successfully playing an important part at the forefront of modern railway development.

It seems another age, but barely two years ago few people had heard of coronavirus.  Most will remember journeys back then on SWR (and on other TOCs’ services) to be overcrowded and uncomfortable, especially at rush hour: “we couldn’t get enough trains onto the Network and passengers were crammed cheek by jowl”, recalls Neil.  So around five years ago planning for these new electrics began but delays, mainly caused by the pandemic, have held up progress.  The new trains, designated 701s, form part of a design family known as Adventura or Arterio sets, and are similar to those trains now introduced on the new “Elizabeth” Crossrail line, (and also on Greater Anglia) which, notoriously, have themselves been subject to bitterly criticised delay.

SWR management felt that the task was not only to provide more, longer and better performance trains, but to achieve a more homogeneous fleet whose coaches have standardised layout arrangements, such as the positioning of the platform doors, toilets and disabled persons ramps.  Also to improve the ability of the train staff in regard to such vitally important timetable matters as limiting station “dwell” times, particularly at peak hours (think of Vauxhall and Clapham junction).  To help cut station waiting time to a minimum the new sets will be fitted with “ASBO” equipment which enables the driver to automate the braking and stopping of each train at platforms and in a correct pre-planned designated position with the aim of speeding up passenger dismounting and boarding, thus limiting station waiting time at most stations to thirty seconds (or 45 seconds in the case of the busiest such as Clapham Junction and Vauxhall).

So the order eventually agreed in 2020 was with Bombardier, (now Alstom) and Rock Rail, to build sixty ten-car and thirty five-car sets; and the stock has now been manufactured, assembled, cleaned and painted (with masses of spaghetti like - looking wiring inserted) at Litchurch Lane works, Derby.  And yes, there have been setbacks, not just due to the pandemic and the effect of staff working from home.  The original design of the drivers cab layout - the “cab desk”- was found to be in need of drastic alteration, in order to make them more driver friendly and safe to use.  Not only that, but servicing of the new sets at Wimbledon depot, where existing cramped arrangements would make servicing of the new longer ten-car sets difficult, required extension of some sidings to facilitate easy access to the maintenance facilities.  A consequence of this is the installation of sophisticated new types of coupling systems to make the splitting of ten car units into shorter five car sets easy.  Much work has been done at places like Feltham where new berthing sidings, laid on the site of the former freight marshalling yard, now have provision of state of the art gadgetry, described as “auto visual inspection” to check that the newly designed units and couplers are correctly fitted and in good order.  On the “Reading” line - the ex-Staines, Wokingham and Woking routes, preliminary work to set up the latest in-cab European Train Control System (ETCS) is going ahead.

 

But whether five car or ten car units, inside the coaches we are promised more standing and circulating space, wider doors and gangways, bang up to date travel information panels, air conditioning, WiFi to all seats, and on ALL trains - toilets.  Ah!  Those toilets.  Neil showed a video detailing the intricate system of recycling and reprocessing of human waste deposited (no, it won’t just be dropped back out on the tracks as previously).  We were even told that the end product of this recycling process produces a clean liquid rather like bath water.  “Oh, then we could use it in our coffee in the break here, then”, quipped someone.  ”Rather your coffee than mine, mate” was the rejoinder.

So, yes, with the recent relaxation of the Government Covid regulations, passengers are returning to the rails.  When will the 701s enter service?  “Don’t know yet” advises Neil as there are still training and other testing procedures to be gone through.  Where will they run? Potentially all over the third rail network, though the Reading line was, until recently, considered the favourite for their debut.  On SWR, the Class 458s continue to be refurbished, with the aim of final replacement of the Class 442 Wessex Electrics built by BR in the 1980s.  Indeed, The BREL York built two-car Class 456s have already bitten the dust, while the sleek (but to some eyes ugly and in your face 707s) are departing for pastures new on South Eastern.  What will Jo Public make of the glossy and quite dainty looking 701s?  And the really big question, what will those new seats be like - the “ironing boards” or “planks” inflicted upon us so often recently?  Those with long memories will remember settling in to the deep plush springy seats of a Reading bound 4-COR, or into those of Bulleid 4-SUBs or (it seems only yesterday!) the 4-VEPS, and not a few might exchange bioreactor loos for the blissful bouncy comfort of those fondly remembered seats of long ago!

Our thanks go to Neil Drury for his excellent presentation on the 701s.