UK: Two ten-car Class 701 Aventra trains came into service between London and Windsor.
Their launch had been scheduled for 2019 but was several times postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and technical problems.
Acquired by Alstom in 2021, Bombardier Transportation was ordered 60 ten-car Class 701/0 and 30 five-car Class 701/5 trains in 2017. The passenger operator South Western Railway expects them to go into public service within two years.
Inside the Aventra Arterio EMU by Alstom. Source: Richard Smith/X
The vehicles are assembled at the plant in Derby, UK. While Class 701/0 EMUs can fit 1,032 passengers, with 556 seats, Class 701/5 trains can accommodate 635 passengers, with 274 seats. The rolling stock can reach speeds of up to 160 km/h with a starting acceleration of 0.7 m/s2. The trains are fully walk-through, with several bays for wheelchairs and bikes as well as bioreactor toilets.
