SOUTH Western Railway’s Class 701 ‘Arterio’ electric multiple units are finally expected to be introduced into passenger service from the December 2023 timetable.
Drivers are preparing to receive training on the fleet which comprises a total of 90 trains (60 10-car sets, designated Class 701/0 and 30 Class 701/5 five-car sets), that will ultimately replace Class 455, 458 and Class 707 units on Reading, Windsor and West London suburban routes.
Issues
When the £1billion order was placed, the trains were expected to enter service over a two-year period from December 2019, beginning with their introduction on the Reading route, but software problems have caused setbacks. Drivers’ union ASLEF and audits by Alstom also identified issues with the sets and SWR agreed the temporary retention of 12 of the 30 Class 707 units due to move to Southeastern as it waited for rectifications.