PhilipW
Member
For months now the train companies have been telling us how much they are gearing up for the Olympics and yesterday on 'Super Saturday' ATOC put out a Press Release saying how half a million extra seats would be available.
Undoubtedly true as that was in many parts of the country, I am not sure the word has got down to South West Trains.
I travelled up to Waterloo yesterday. The upward journey was on the 11.38 from Southampton Parkway. In rolled an 8-car Class 450. What surburban stock is doing on their premiere main line service from Weymouth is a question in itself. However if a 10-car Calss 444 was not available, at least it should have been a 12-car Class 450. The service was full plus.
For the evening returns, SWT have decided that there is no need to run any extra services to Southampton and beyond. Just 2 services (00.05 and 01:05 deferred run 30 mins later). So if there is no need for extra services, presumably the logic would be then be that the existing services are to be strengthened. Not so, it would seem on the 23:05 to Poole which I was on last Wednesday and Saturday which remained a 5-car Class 444. On Wednesday everybody just fitted but on Saturday it was standing room only before we left Waterloo with stops still due at Clapham Junction and Wimbledon to pick up. It was standing only in my carriage all the way to Basingstoke.
Surely it does not need many brain cells to forecast that a train like the 23:05 will be overcrowded on the key Saturday night of the Athletics. If there are not enough 444s around (which I doubt) to make it a 10-car formation, why not add a 450 to make it a 9-car formation. SWT have done that before. Prediction to SWT - the service will be full again next Friday and Saturday. Are you ready ?
So what exactly are SWT doing for the Olympics ? No extra trains on their main line service from Waterloo and precious little signs of any train strengthing of obvious late night key services.
Undoubtedly true as that was in many parts of the country, I am not sure the word has got down to South West Trains.
I travelled up to Waterloo yesterday. The upward journey was on the 11.38 from Southampton Parkway. In rolled an 8-car Class 450. What surburban stock is doing on their premiere main line service from Weymouth is a question in itself. However if a 10-car Calss 444 was not available, at least it should have been a 12-car Class 450. The service was full plus.
For the evening returns, SWT have decided that there is no need to run any extra services to Southampton and beyond. Just 2 services (00.05 and 01:05 deferred run 30 mins later). So if there is no need for extra services, presumably the logic would be then be that the existing services are to be strengthened. Not so, it would seem on the 23:05 to Poole which I was on last Wednesday and Saturday which remained a 5-car Class 444. On Wednesday everybody just fitted but on Saturday it was standing room only before we left Waterloo with stops still due at Clapham Junction and Wimbledon to pick up. It was standing only in my carriage all the way to Basingstoke.
Surely it does not need many brain cells to forecast that a train like the 23:05 will be overcrowded on the key Saturday night of the Athletics. If there are not enough 444s around (which I doubt) to make it a 10-car formation, why not add a 450 to make it a 9-car formation. SWT have done that before. Prediction to SWT - the service will be full again next Friday and Saturday. Are you ready ?
So what exactly are SWT doing for the Olympics ? No extra trains on their main line service from Waterloo and precious little signs of any train strengthing of obvious late night key services.
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