Class 710 Delivery / Entry to Service

Yes. To be best of my knowledge only 6 710s have been dragged from Derby to Willesden so there aren't even 7 trains in London.

However not a single class 710 has been handed over from Bombardier to Arriva Rail London. It is unclear whether any of the three units actually seen out of NR metals is close to achieving the contractual "fault free" mileage which would permit handover. Their previous night time adventures on the WCML from Willesden to Crewe with short runs to Rugby have been curtailed with trains only allowed as far north as Milton Keynes. This is apparently due to Network Rail "concerns" - I can only assume they don't want a conked out 710 blocking Crewe or Rugby. The overnight testing has also been interrupted several times - presumably while identified faults or problems are investigated and resolved.

It also appears to be the case that no unit has been tested on DC traction supply on NR tracks so that's another issue requiring resolution at some point. While I appreciate there is a workaround to get the 710s out of Willesden depot and on to the GOBLIN avoiding use of DC power supplies in the low level central platform it is just another issue that may throw up further issues in the future requiring yet more software tweaks. In theory we have about a month to get some level of driver training achieved that might allow the odd 710 into service *if* Bombardier can get to the point of handing over a train within a few days.

I just cannot see how 7 trains and the required drivers could be rostered for full service by end December - it will take many more weeks to get to that position and that assumes the trains are reliable when the passengers and drivers are let loose on them. That is pretty unlikely as experience with just about every train fleet, 172s and 378s included, shows that there is a difficult initial period as further faults manifest themselves and drivers get accustomed to how the trains perform and learn how to diagnose faults / reset systems etc. In an ideal world you would be going through that period with the back up of the diesel trains still being around. Instead we're headed to an "all or nothing" scenario *unless* TfL are going to adopt a phased timetable build up as well - start with a threadbare 30 min headway requiring 3 trains then a 20 min headway with 4/5 and then up to 6 with the required 15 minute headway. I'm somewhat sceptical that TfL and Arriva would go through all this palaver - much more likely that we go to rail replacement buses with the line left free for test runs and driver training. That might allow some extra track time for mileage accumulation and driver training but at the cost of public outrage / reputational damage of the new trains running up and down empty while the passengers are consigned to buses.

Whilst it is promising to see another unit relocated to London, I don't think anyone should read too much into this.

Put simply the move may simply be due to pressure on space in Derby.

Meantime other rail forum sites have for some time been carrying unconfirmed reports of problems with the 710 testing. Given the level of detail which has appeared recently it suggests this is probably coming from a well informed source and fully justifies Network Rail's action to confine 710 testing to times and routes where a conked out 710 can be revived or rescued before it causes chaos.

Unless/until Bombardier can demonstrate to network rail they have resolved the rumoured pantograph issue, then regardless of how many units are physically sitting in sidings in London, none of them will be ready to hand over to Arriva Rail London to commence driver training on GOBLIN, let alone carry passengers on GOBLIN.

Don't disagree with any of that. There is also a suggestion that the sublease on the remaining 172s ends on 9 December (new timetable date). That is less than a week away and it is not known if TfL have succeeded or failed in securing an extension to the sublease. All that is known is that TfL are "in negotiations" with West Midlands Trains. While I can understand that WM Trains may not be in any great hurry to help TfL out and may be trying to extract a handsome fee for any extension we are bordering on yet another farce with the rolling stock situation on the GOBLIN. TfL must be delighted that no one is waiting in line for the 315s and 317s used on West Anglia routes or else they'd be in really deep trouble.

Time to start Goblin driver training with 315s, perhaps?

OK, far from ideal (especially if the service is also reduced to 20 minute intervals) but the trains are there and its better to have something than nothing!

Scrapping can wait!

Passengers will understand and be grudgingly thankful that at least they are still on a train.

As I understand it, it's not just a question of training drivers. The Goblin is set up for OPO using onboard cameras, which the 315s don't have. They use on-playform cameras, which the Goblin doesn't have. So you would need to retrofit the 315s, or adapt them to allow the doors to be operated by guards, or have despatchers on every platform.

If it was possible, I'm sure they would have thought of it by now.

The units continue to tread pastures new:



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Edit to add:

Our very own @juliang also managed to point their lens towards it:



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About 1600 I did a quick whiz from Euston to Harrow and back. On the way up nothing was lit up but on the way back there was a 710 at the north end of the Depot. Don’t know if it was coming or going tho.

I didn’t think SWR were expecting the new 701s quite yet and the 707s are fully deployed on SWR services

Oh right sorry about that... I read somewhere about them being surplus from 2019 and assumed the re-introduction of the 444’s had caused a re-shuffle and made them redundant. Bar the northern pacers, is there any appropriate stock that could be used (are there any 365’s left?)

Oops yes sorry got mixed up for a minute, I was thinking of the 5-WES.

Although unlikely, would using GN class 313s on the DC line be an option and transferring 378s to the Goblin be possible? I assume the DC line is the quietest route (in relative terms). I know the 313s used to run the DC line but apart from driver training would there be any other barriers now?

I assume 6 cars are too long for the platforms but 5 cars (with the panto car removed from one set) would work? [perhaps we’re into fantasy now! 😂]

Yes can you imagine the publicity!

The GN's 717s haven't yet entered service, so I doubt that it has any 313s to spare.