Alstom Aventra
| Company type | Product line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Bombardier Electrostar |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Derby , United Kingdom |
| Products | Electric multiple unit trains (Aventra series) |
| Parent | Alstom (since 2021), formerly Bombardier Transportation |
The Alstom Aventra—previously known as the Bombardier Aventra until 2021—is a series of electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger trains manufactured at Derby Litchurch Lane Works in the United Kingdom. Originally produced by Bombardier Transportation and currently by Alstom, it serves as the successor to the widely utilized Bombardier Electrostar range. The Aventra integrates cutting-edge digital systems and complies with more rigorous regulatory and operator standards, resulting in improved efficiency and adaptability.
Initiated in 2009, the development of the Aventra was influenced by input from train operating companies alongside forthcoming regulatory demands. Engineered as a flexible platform, it caters to inter-regional, commuter, metro, and high-speed rail services. A bi-mode variant incorporating battery technology has been proposed to modernize fleets by replacing older diesel multiple units.
The Crossrail project awarded the first major contract for the Aventra in 2014. Since that time, prominent UK rail operators such as London Overground, Greater Anglia, South Western Railway, c2c, and West Midlands Trains have adopted this train family.
Description
Bombardier Transportation developed the Aventra to succeed their highly successful Electrostar EMU family, which ceased production in 2018 after nearly twenty years. Development commenced around 2009 and evolved substantially through feedback from train operators. Designed for versatility, the platform addresses needs across inter-regional, commuter, metro, and high-speed sectors. Bombardier invested in excess of £50 million into its creation.
In comparison with the Electrostar, the Aventra offers a lighter build, enhanced energy efficiency, and superior operational flexibility, comfort, and reliability. Notable design enhancements include broader gangways and doorways aimed at minimizing station dwell times and facilitating smoother passenger movement. The interior layout underwent a comprehensive redesign, providing a distinct visual differentiation from its predecessor.
The Aventra incorporates advanced digital features requested by operators, such as a train control management system and predictive maintenance capabilities that replace traditional prescriptive approaches. It produces substantially more diagnostic data and is compatible with the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).
From a structural perspective, the Aventra employs a lightweight body constructed from welded sections fastened together with bolts and utilizes the proven FlexxEco bogie design found on Bombardier Voyager and Turbostar trains. Unlike the Electrostar, it meets the 2017 Technical Standards of Interoperability (TSI).
In 2018, Bombardier introduced plans for a bi-mode Aventra capable of reaching speeds up to 125 mph with integrated battery power, intended to supplant ageing diesel multiple units like Turbostar and Voyager.
Production is concentrated at Bombardier’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works facility, fulfilling both domestic and international orders. Operators have options to tailor train length, propulsion configurations, and interior designs. Some clients, including London Overground, have opted to maintain design consistency with their existing Electrostar fleets.
In November 2021, Alstom entered into a memorandum of understanding with Eversholt Rail Group to develop ten three-car hydrogen multiple units based on the Aventra platform; however, these units were not subsequently commissioned.
Orders
By May 2024, a total of 2,651 vehicles have been manufactured for six different operators:
Elizabeth line
The initial Aventra contract, valued at £1 billion, was awarded in February 2014 for 65 nine-car Class 345 EMUs, with an option to add 17 more, as part of London’s Crossrail project. These trains, operated by MTR Crossrail under the Elizabeth line concession, replaced the Classes 315, 360, and 387 on services including Shenfield Metro, Heathrow, and Reading. The first unit commenced service in June 2017.
In July 2017, the order expanded to 70 trains, with the contract for the additional vehicles finalized in March 2018.
Concerns about the sustainability of the Derby Litchurch Lane manufacturing facility due to limited orders led to a follow-up order by April 2024 for ten extra trains—comprising five previously agreed and five new units—to accommodate growing passenger demand and planned service expansions related to the High Speed 2 interchange at Old Oak Common.
In June 2024, these ten additional nine-car Class 345 trains were officially contracted under a €430 million agreement that also includes maintenance services.
London Overground
London Overground placed an order for 54 four-car Class 710 trains in July 2015, with an option for an additional 15 units. These models are similar to those used on Crossrail and replaced Classes 315, 317, 172, and 378 across the Lea Valley, Gospel Oak, and Watford DC lines by 2019. Operated by concessionaire Arriva Rail London, Class 710 trains began operation in May 2019.
Greater Anglia
After securing the East Anglia franchise in August 2016, Greater Anglia ordered Class 720 units from Bombardier: initially comprising 22 ten-car and 89 five-car sets (totaling 665 carriages) intended to replace Classes 317, 321, 360, and 379. The order was later revised exclusively to five-car formations. These trains entered passenger service in November 2020.
South Western Railway
On June 20, 2017, Bombardier secured a contract to deliver 750 cars for South Western Railway (SWR), configured as Class 701 units in thirty five-car and sixty ten-car sets to supplant SWR’s suburban Class 455 fleet. Following over four years of delays, the inaugural Class 701 train entered revenue service on January 9, 2024.
West Midlands Trains
Bombardier was awarded a contract on October 17, 2017, to produce eighty-four Class 730 EMUs (324 carriages) for West Midlands Trains. This order includes forty-eight three-car and thirty-six five-car sets. The three-car Class 730 trains commenced operation on November 13, 2023.
c2c
In December 2017, c2c ordered six ten-car Aventra units initially scheduled for deployment in summer 2021 to replace six leased four-car Class 387 trains. The order was amended in 2020 to twelve five-car Class 720 units consistent with Greater Anglia’s revision. These entered service in September 2023.
Alstom Aventra variants
| Class | Operator | Introduced | Number | Power | Carriages | Carriage Length (m) | Door configuration | End gangways | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 345 | Elizabeth line | June 2017 | 70 | AC electric | 9 (7 from 2017) |
24 | Plug, six door sets per carriage | No | |
| Class 701 | South Western Railway | January 2024 | 30 | DC electric | 5 | 20 | Plug, four door sets per carriage | ||
| 60 | 10 | ||||||||
| Class 710 | London Overground | March 2020 | 31 | AC electric | 4 | 20 | |||
| May 2019 | 18 | Dual voltage | |||||||
| 6 | 5 | ||||||||
| Class 720 | c2c | September 2023 | 12 | AC electric | 5 | 24 | |||
| Greater Anglia | November 2020 | 133 | |||||||
| Class 730 | West Midlands Trains | November 2023 | 48 | AC electric | 3 | 24 | Yes | ||
| Expected in 2024 | 36 | 5 |