TRAIN TEST LONDON OVERGROUND CLASS 710

Class 710 is the first variant of Bombardier’s ‘Aventra’ family to enter traffic. A £260 million contract to build 45 four-car trains was awarded in July 2015, with an option for 24 more four-car sets, plus a further option to extend some or all units to five cars. The trains were due to enter service on the newly electrified Gospel Oak to Barking (Goblin) route by November 2018.

However, it was early August before London Overground was able to turn all Goblin diagrams over to Class 710s, replacing temporarily shortened Class 378s and replacement buses which had to be introduced after Class 172 DMUs were transferred to the West Midlands.

As well as Goblin services, the fleet has been acquired to help enhance frequencies and increase capacity on the North London and West London Lines, the Euston to Watford Junction ‘DC Lines’, and to replace ex-BR Class 315s and 317s