South Western Railway’s (SWR) long-awaited Arterio fleet, meant to tackle overcrowding on commuter routes into London, remains parked at Clapham Junction while passengers continue to squeeze onto packed, outdated trains. The reason? SWR says its drivers still need to be trained to drive them.
The £1 billion fleet was originally supposed to enter service in 2019, but after years of delays due to manufacturing and software issues, the trains are now physically ready but can’t be used because SWR has not yet trained enough drivers. Commuters, who face daily struggles to board overcrowded trains at Putney and other stations going into Waterloo, are being told they’ll have to wait even longer while SWR works through the training process.
An SWR spokesperson refused to say exactly when the new trains would finally be introduced, stating only that the company “hopes to have the trains rolled out according to schedule” – without saying what that schedule was – and noting that SWR is committed to ensuring all necessary driver training is completed before introducing the new fleet.
The fact that SWR has been unable to train its drivers in time for the fleet’s arrival is being met with disbelief. After all, train drivers drive trains. That a fleet remains stuck in a depot after already being years behind schedule, will be seen by many as yet another example of Britain’s failing rail system.
Paying more, getting less
To make matters worse, the latest delay comes just weeks after passengers were hit with another fare increase. Rail fares across England and Wales rose by 4.6% this month, meaning commuters are now paying more for the same overcrowded and unreliable service. The cost of an annual season ticket from Putney to London Zones 1-6 is now £3,264.
A spokesperson for Wandsworth Liberal Democrats, Josh Hughes, expressed their frustration over the situation, saying:
“It’s absolutely astonishing that these brand-new trains are sitting in a depot while commuters are left crammed onto outdated, overcrowded carriages. After years of delays, passengers deserve answers – not more excuses. And to add insult to injury, they’ve just been hit with another rail fare increase while being denied the service improvements they were promised.”
The Arterio fleet, made up of 90 new Class 701 trains, was designed to replace SWR’s older carriages, offering increased capacity and modern facilities. The first units were delivered in June 2020, but by December 2023, only 50 had been accepted by SWR, with driver training still incomplete.
The new trains are 10 carriages long and allow commuters to walk the entire length of it, so people can spread out evenly at busy times. They are due to replace the smaller 8-carriage “red trains” that are regularly packed at peak times.
While passengers continue to battle for space on rush-hour trains, their brand-new replacements sit idle in a depot. With no clear launch date, commuters are left wondering how much longer they will have to put up with a system that seems incapable of delivering even the most basic improvements.
