You are right derek#2931. However I do believe at somepoint between mid-late 2023 or sometime 2024 running London- Surrey/West Surrey luckily I've seen a few on my Eastleigh visits so I don't need to worry too much for when they go to Surrey
If you have a lot of time on your hands, the whole saga can be followed at https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ins-for-south-western-railway.148717/page-179
I understand SWR are reluctant to accept them. Bombardier pretty much ditched quality control in their later days so the units have a lot of faults, with many stored sets needing substantial rectification works. If any enter service it will probably be the 5 cars which were built once Alstom had reinstated quality control. The 701s are not the only Bombardier failure - OBB rejected their first batch of Talent 3 units as the Austrian authorities would not approve them for operation in the state they were delivered in. They then cancelled the entire 300 unit order
Oh wow ok. Man. I liked Bombardier as well (because of the Electrostars and various trams they made).
Probably that they don't know the 380s gangways fold into each other during coupling and think they have normal gangways like Electrostars and the 385
Talent 3 Austria this is the ÖBB Baureihe 4758. Instead of that train ÖBB S-Bahn Voarlberg Tirol Wien Niederösterreich Salzburg got more ÖBB Baureihe 4744-4746 Siemens Desiro ML. Which is seen in train simulator classic provided you own Inselbahn Stralsund Sassnitz
The most recent issue of Railway Magazine says that the 701's are expected in service from the December timetable change.
I can confirm as of today's Eastleigh visit they are still sat in the works doing they're usual that is, surprise surprise, nothing.
From the latest issue of Modern Railways magazine. "42 units have been accepted by SWR. The first depot drivers have now been trained on the new fleet, which the operator says is a significant milestone. After depot drivers, training will switch to main-line drivers. SWR says it has 769 drivers to train, a programme that will take eight days per driver across two concurrent weeks. No specific entry into service date has yet been given for them."
Just found this on the BBC. https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampprojec...2351956&csi=0&referrer=https://www.google.com