South West Trains Timetable Tweaks

wimbledonpete · 21 Feb 2015

Hi

SWT have announced tweaks to the two extra trains they put in the timetable last May from Raynes Park - the 07.21 and 09.22. For a month from Monday they will be running fast from Earlsfield to Waterloo - here's the text from SWT:

"We operate one of the busiest networks in Europe, with more than half a million passengers every day and we appreciate that means many passengers are travelling on trains which can be overcrowded, particularly at peak times. Therefore, we are always investigating how we can improve our train service for you. As part of this we have been reviewing our morning peak train services at key London stations.

This four week trial will help us to find out whether these changes to two of our services will improve the punctuality and reliability of our services and reduce overcrowding at busy stations.

We will monitor this continually throughout the 4 week trial and we will keep you fully informed.

We want to provide the fullest possible train service to you, but we also want to make sure that we are reliable and on time. This trial is part of our ongoing work to improve our train service to you."

These trains were slotted (some would say shoehorned) into the service to help reduce congestion - the 07.21 at least has attracted a loyal and grateful regular clientele (yes, including me!) and is noticeably less full than any other trains around that time. If they run fast from Earlsfield they will be a lot emptier and the point of running them will be lessened.

I guess we need to see how the trial goes but I fear the reduced loadings might encourage their removal as the trade-off between punctuality and capacity will be against them.

Whatever happens, a couple of odd trains running fast from Earlsfield to Waterloo is going to need a lot of flagging to regulars used to every train having the same stopping pattern.

RailUK Forums

HarleyDavidson · 21 Feb 2015

wimbledonpete said:
Hi

SWT have announced tweaks to the two extra trains they put in the timetable last May from Raynes Park - the 07.21 and 09.22. For a month from Monday they will be running fast from Earlsfield to Waterloo - here's the text from SWT:

"We operate one of the busiest networks in Europe, with more than half a million passengers every day and we appreciate that means many passengers are travelling on trains which can be overcrowded, particularly at peak times. Therefore, we are always investigating how we can improve our train service for you. As part of this we have been reviewing our morning peak train services at key London stations.

This four week trial will help us to find out whether these changes to two of our services will improve the punctuality and reliability of our services and reduce overcrowding at busy stations.

We will monitor this continually throughout the 4 week trial and we will keep you fully informed.

We want to provide the fullest possible train service to you, but we also want to make sure that we are reliable and on time. This trial is part of our ongoing work to improve our train service to you."

These trains were slotted (some would say shoehorned) into the service to help reduce congestion - the 07.21 at least has attracted a loyal and grateful regular clientele (yes, including me!) and is noticeably less full than any other trains around that time. If they run fast from Earlsfield they will be a lot emptier and the point of running them will be lessened.

I guess we need to see how the trial goes but I fear the reduced loadings might encourage their removal as the trade-off between punctuality and capacity will be against them.

Whatever happens, a couple of odd trains running fast from Earlsfield to Waterloo is going to need a lot of flagging to regulars used to every train having the same stopping pattern.

No they won't be any quicker, in fact it's a waste of time missing "The Junction" & Vauxhall, because you have a train just 3' in front of it that stops at those locations. So all they will do is sit on the signals protecting those stations and then crawl past the loaded platforms in front of passengers who want to go to Waterloo.

It only needs the slightest bit of disruption and both of them either get cancelled or run fast from either Raynes Park or Wimbledon into Waterloo.

These trains just clutter up an already overloaded system and cause more delays, they should be removed so that it frees up space and eases congestion. As for the passengers, they have alternatives at Wimbledon, its called LUL or TGSN.

phil281 · 22 Feb 2015

Surely it would be better to run fast the services that are one path ahead of the services that start at Raynes Park?

That way the space on board the two train would be more evenly spread and anyone on the train ahead of the xx:21 departures that wants Clapham or Vauxhall would simply alight at Wimbledon or Earlsfield, wait 3 mintues for the next one?

I guess they can't beacause some sad act will complain they have to wait 3 minutes and change.

Peter Mugridge · 22 Feb 2015

The ones ahead of the Raynes Park starters would then simply catch up on the ones in front of them.

wimbledonpete · 22 Feb 2015

I've caught the 0721 most days since it started in May and I think it's gone fast to Waterloo maybe half a dozen times. Ironically it seems that it's the preceding trains that often run late - the one that barrels through from the Cobham line can be a few minutes behind schedule and the 0718 from the Epsom line is quite often late, meaning that the 0721 is still sitting there when the 0724 from Chessington comes in.

Generally the 0721 will arrive at Waterloo about 3 minutes late, but because it's less heavily loaded it seems that it's able to get through loading/unloading at Earlsfield/Clapham/Vauxhall more quickly than the trains either side.

Ultimately I guess it comes down to capacity or punctuality - speaking selfishly I'd rather arrive at Waterloo three minutes late but seated than be on time but cheek by jowl all the way!

HarleyDavidson · 22 Feb 2015

wimbledonpete said:
I've caught the 0721 most days since it started in May and I think it's gone fast to Waterloo maybe half a dozen times. Ironically it seems that it's the preceding trains that often run late - the one that barrels through from the Cobham line can be a few minutes behind schedule and the 0718 from the Epsom line is quite often late, meaning that the 0721 is still sitting there when the 0724 from Chessington comes in.

Generally the 0721 will arrive at Waterloo about 3 minutes late, but because it's less heavily loaded it seems that it's able to get through loading/unloading at Earlsfield/Clapham/Vauxhall more quickly than the trains either side.

Ultimately I guess it comes down to capacity or punctuality - speaking selfishly I'd rather arrive at Waterloo three minutes late but seated than be on time but cheek by jowl all the way!

Yeah. But we get wee wee'd off following the minging trains off the Kingston loop all the time so we hold back, especially as them upstairs are getting petty about stopping out of course (basically at stations we're not booked to call at, even though we have a red signal!). So a lot of us have just taken to rolling along at about 30-35 mph, to keep our punters reasonably happy, after all they pay more than the Kingston loop lot.

wimbledonpete · 27 Feb 2015

First week's observations of the 07.21 are that on Monday there were signalling problems at Wimbledon but we only ended up 3 late at Waterloo. The other four days were bang on time at Waterloo so the timing seems to be working, but at the expense of capacity - it's an 8 car arriving at Waterloo with substantial space left free but I guess the two either side are slightly less rammed as a result.

South West Trains Timetable Tweaks

wimbledonpete

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RailUK Forums

HarleyDavidson

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phil281

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Peter Mugridge

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wimbledonpete

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HarleyDavidson

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wimbledonpete

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