Greater Anglia's new trains from Bombardier are undergoing the last of over 1,000 checks in preparation for them entering passenger service.
During the past two years, the Greater Anglia project team has been working with manufacturer Bombardier and the necessary bodies to make sure that the design, build and delivery are in one with requirements.
Engineers at Greater Anglia have been running through the updates and manuals that have been sent by Bombardier to check everything is to a satisfactory level.
This approach is to make sure that all Greater Anglia passengers benefit from the new trains.
David Glass, Greater Anglia's Fleet Engineering Manager, explains, “Before any train can be put into service, Bombardier has to provide us a full suite of manuals that include how the trains are maintained, a breakdown of how all the individual systems work, fault-finding guides and details of all the key elements involved in using the trains in a practical sense.”
“There are 1,220 checks and procedures for every new Bombardier train, and we have been working through these details over the past couple of years.”
“We're now at a point where out of the 1,220 checks, we've finished all but a final few on each train. In fact, we've completed over 95% of them – so it's been very good progress and we look forward to them coming into service later this year.”
Will Tanner, Director Communications, Bombardier Transportation said, “Testing is important for the introduction of any new train fleet, but is particularly important for a train as advanced as these new British-designed and built AVENTRA trains. We are working as a team with Greater Anglia to get everything ready so passenger service can start as soon as possible.”
Greater Anglia's new trains will be seen running into London Liverpool Street from Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridge and Ipswich.
The first of the new Bombardier trains are due to enter passenger service later this year.
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The greatest minus of these Class 720 trains are the density of seating. With the DoT pressing for more seating, they ended up with a 3+2 configuration leaving very little space for passengers to move around. There are even some foldable seats at the end some carriages. The car with accesible toilet, for example, has foldable seating right next to the toilet door. Any wheelchair trying to use the toilet would have to first ask all the nearby passengers to stand up or else they’ll have their knees clipped. Such is the density of seating.
Otherwise the reliability and technical built should be good. Afterall seating is the easiest thing to change in a train no ?
It’s a shame that they are too long for most of the platforms 🤔
Romford passengers will miss out as the 720s do not have 1st class!
With the 89 Class 720/5 5-Car and 22 Class 720/1 10-Car Aventra units to be built to replace the ageing Class 317 and Class 321 electric stocks and the Class 360 Desiro & Class 379 Electrostar units. The Class 720s will be ideal to run services that are mostly busy during rush hour. Including on London Liverpool St-Cambridge, Ipswich, Norwich, Colchester, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Braintree, Hertford East, Southend Victoria and Harwich Town.
And Class 720/6 10-Car units to be built for c2c to replace the Class 387/3 that will work on the Fenchurch St-Shoeburyness, Southend Central, Stanford-le-Hope, Tilbury Town, Basildon, Laindon & Leigh-on-sea services (including via Ockendon). That is scheduled for service from next year.
The Class 720 Aventras will be lot better and convenient than the Class 317 on the West Anglia and Hertford East lines and the Class 321 on the Great Eastern routes and branch lines. As Bombardier are still continuing on manufacturing 22 Class 720/1 10-Car and 89 Class 720/5 5-Car units.
And are to be fully air-conditioned and have easy walkthrough passageways without no slam doors on the Class 317 and Class 321 or sliding doors like on the Class 317, Class 360 and Class 379 units that is a pain especially when some person opens the door doesn’t close the door properly leaving a person next to the door to close it that is pure laziness.
Having new electric trains with walkthrough passageways makes it lot more easier to walk from one carriage to the other with ease. And the new Class 720 trains are also disabled friendly which is wonderful. I will be looking forward to seeing them on Greater Anglia with some already in passenger service I think.
Still won’t work , oh the railways have been nationalised