| British Rail Class 710 Aventra | |
|---|---|
 London Overground Class 710 atHackney Downs | |
 The interior of a Class 710 unit | |
| In service | 23 May 2019 – present |
| Manufacturer | Bombardier Transportation |
| Built at | Derby Litchurch Lane Works |
| Family name | Aventra |
| Replaced | |
| Constructed | 2017–2020 |
| Number built | 54 |
| Formation | |
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Capacity |
|
| Operators | London Overground |
| Depots | |
| Lines served | |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium |
| Train length |
|
| Car length |
|
| Width | 2,772 mm (9 ft 1 in) |
| Height | 3,760 mm (12 ft 4 in) |
| Doors |
|
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Weight |
|
| Electric system(s) |
|
| Current collector(s) |
|
| Bogies | Bombardier Flexx-Eco |
| Braking system(s) |
|
| Safety system(s) | |
| Coupling system | Dellner 12 |
| Multiple working |
|
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge |
| Notes/references | |
| Sourced from[1] unless otherwise noted. | |
TheBritish Rail Class 710Aventra is a class ofelectric multiple unit passenger trains built byBombardier Transportation for use on theLondon Overground network. The trains are part of Bombardier'sAventra family. The contract to provide 45 four-car trains was awarded in July 2015 and the trains were originally due to enter service in May 2018, although introduction was delayed until May 2019.[2]
In 2012,Transport for London announced its intention to procure a fleet of new, longer DMUs, as theClass 172 units then in service were unable to handle the passenger demand, causing overcrowding throughout the day. TfL issued a tender for manufacturers to supply eight three- or four-car trains.[3] However, this proposal was subsequently shelved when the Government announced in June 2013 that theGospel Oak to Barking line would be electrified,[4] with proposals instead to purchase a fleet of new EMUs.[5]
TfL invited expressions of interest for a total of 39 four-car EMUs in April 2014, with 30 required for the Lea Valley Lines, eight for the Gospel Oak to Barking line, and one for the Romford–Upminster line - all of which have replaced Class 315 and Class 317 trains dating from the 1980s, and Class 172 trains dating from 2010.[6] Since then the planned procurement was increased to 45 four-car EMUs, with the additional six units intended for theWatford DC Line. The intention is that the five-carClass 378 trains currently used on the Watford DC line will be cascaded back to the North London line and East London Lines to allow for strengthened services. TfL issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT) in early 2015.[5]
In July 2015, TfL announced that it had placed a £260m order for 45 four-car BombardierAventra EMUs, with an option for 24 more four-car units plus further options to extend some or all units including option units to five cars.[5] These are similar to theClass 345 andClass 720 trains that are currently used on theElizabeth line andGreater Anglia services.[7]
The units were delivered in two subclasses; an AC-only version – subclass /1 – for use on the Lea Valley lines and Romford–Upminster services, and a dual-voltage version – subclass /2 – for the Watford DC and Gospel Oak to Barking line services. These carrypantographs on their PMS(W) vehicles[1] and are maintained atWillesden TMD, while the subclass /1 units are maintained atIlford EMU Depot.[8][full citation needed] Both versions have all-longitudinal seating, after the plan to fit some transverse seats to the AC units was dropped.
In 2017, Transport for London put forward a proposal to procure nine additional Class 710 units for the purpose of capacity enhancement, using 42 of the 249 additional vehicles for which TfL held options. Of the nine units, three would be four-car units (one for the Watford DC line and two for the extension of the Gospel Oak – Barking line toBarking Riverside), while the other six would be five-car units for theNorth London line andWest London line, allowing a cascade of Class 378 units from those lines to theEast London line.[9] Following delivery, the six five-car units were renumbered from subclass /2 to subclass /3.[10]
In April 2018, theIslington Gazette reported that the trains would be introduced three months later than scheduled due to delays in their testing.[11]
In June 2018, theBarking & Dagenham Post reported that the trains would be in service by November 2018, "almost 18 months later than planned".[12]
In November 2018, TfL said that they hoped the units would be in service by December 2018;[13] however, further delays prevented this.[14]
In January 2019, TfL announced that threeClass 378 trains would temporarily be deployed on theGospel Oak to Barking line while continued problems with the Class 710 units were resolved,[15] since leases on the existingClass 172 stock running on this line would come to an end before the 710's likely introduction into passenger service. In April 2019, theOffice of Rail and Road approved the use of the Class 710, with restrictions.[16]
In May 2019, TfL announced that approval had been gained for the Class 710s to enter passenger service. The first two units entered service on theGospel Oak to Barking line on Thursday 23 May 2019[17] and the remaining six were in service by August 2019, with the first unit entering service on the Watford DC line on 9 September 2019.
The first units on theLea Valley lines entered service on 3 March 2020 after a first attempt on 24 February 2020.[18] The services on theRomford–Upminster line started on 5 October 2020.[19] The Class 710/3 five-car units are operating on the Watford DC line.[20]
On 12 October 2021, the driver and a passenger were injured when an eight-car Class 710 train, headed by unit 710124, ran through the buffers atEnfield Town.[21][22] Following a post-crash drugs test that allegedly revealed traces ofcocaine, the driver was arrested on suspicion of being unfit to work on a transport system through drink or drugs.[23][24] He was subsequently convicted of endangering the safety of the railway and sentenced to sixteen weeks' imprisonment.[25]
| Subclass | Operator | Qty. | Year built | Cars per unit | Unit nos. | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 710/1 | London Overground | 30 | 2017–2020 | 4 | 710101–710130 | AC-only units for theLea Valley lines and theRomford to Upminster line. |
| 710/2 | 18 | 710256–710273 | Dual-voltage units for theGospel Oak to Barking andWatford DC lines. | |||
| 710/3 | 6 | 5 | 710374–710379 | Dual-voltage units for theWatford DC andNorth London lines. |
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