Train operator South Western Railway (SWR) has issued a statement apologising and explaining why the introduction of its new Arterio trains is taking longer than it had expected.
SWR announced the name of its new fleet back in 2020, and promised that the trains would start running later that year on the Reading line.
As the introduction of the fleet of new trains across SWR’s routes was delayed, SWR has been using refurbished trains as a stand-in.
SWR is blaming the delay on the need to rearrange its driver training arising from time-consuming changes to its infrastructure.
The operator is implementing a new method of work for drivers, known as ‘DODC operations’, in which they, rather than the guards, will be responsible for opening and closing the trains’ doors. To do this, the drivers need to make a judgement that it is safe for the train to depart, and for this they need effective CCTV cameras and in-cab displays, which show all the doors along the full length of the ten-car train.
The Arterio trains will serve ninety-eight stations, some of which date back to the Victorian era. The age of stations has created difficulties installing CCTV equipment that will provide accurate and clear images in all conditions.
The operator is still working on installing adequate equipment at its stations, and has decided to reschedule the drivers’ training programme. SWR will now start training its train crew in DOGC operation, in which the driver opens the doors but the guard closes them.
The training programme for DOGC is quicker than that for DODC, so the operator will be able to bring more Arterios into service as summer approaches, earlier than would have been the case if it had awaited full implementation of DODC operation.
SWR states that it is still committed to full operation of DODC at what it calls “the earliest viable opportunity”.
“While the further delay has been frustrating, we now have a way forward that will see increasing numbers of customers enjoying increased capacity and comfort of the Arterios through the rest of 2025 and beyond.”
South Western Railway
Responses
If they would keep guards on trains rather than try to cut costs to boost profits these trains could have been in service ages ago. They should hurry up now so they can release the class 458s onto the Portsmouth route as intended releasing many 450s to stregnthen other services.
Driver controlled operation is totally safe it is only luddite unions who object to it
Those seats do not look comfortable, are they Ryanair rejects
Why can’t South Western Railway just allow the rest of the Class 701 Arterio fleet that passengers want to see and ride on and the Class 455 to be removed and to be sent for scrap.
It’s been more than 5 years since the Class 701 Arterio came into service in 2019 before Coronavirus arrived in the UK in 2020.
And the Class 458 should continue operating on the outer-suburban services, Windsor & Eton Riverside, Reading, Weybridge and via Brentford & Strawberry Hill. And maybe start allowing the Class 458 on the Aldershot and Alton route.
I think 10 coach trains at Victorian era stations do really need Guards who can step out of the train and observe passengers alighting and getting into the train (and help any that are having trouble) before ensuring all activity has stopped, they can shut the doors and give the right away signal to the driver. Relying on the driver to do all this from his cab is, in my view, quite unsafe.
I agree with Chris that a guard who controls the doors and who can observe from the platform is a far safer and better system. Why are we introducing new trains which are unnecessarily complicated? Keep it simple.