Class 455 on Reading Waterloo Services

[RobShipway]

Can someone explain to me please how South West Trains can justify using class 455 trains on the Reading to London Waterloo service when the complete journey is about an hour and 10 minutes?

Is there not other units available that have toilets on board that they can use at all?

 

[causton]

The same way London Overground run services from Watford Junction to London, or Richmond to Stratford, with comparable journey times. And a lot of people do get on at e.g. Watford High Street, Bushey etc and ride all the way to Euston on it. If they are putting a 455 on it, I'm guessing it is a last resort, better than a cancelled train after all!

 

[MCR247]

Can someone explain to me please how South West Trains can justify using class 455 trains on the Reading to London Waterloo service when the complete journey is about an hour and 10 minutes?

Is there not other units available that have toilets on board that they can use at all?

Surely if they did have other options they would use them? A train with no toilet is better than no train

 

[RobShipway]

Surely if they did have other options they would use them? A train with no toilet is better than no train

True.

 

[Matt Taylor]

I don't believe there are any booked jobs for 455s on the Reading line but as has already been said it's better than no train at all.

 

[RobShipway]

I don't believe there are any booked jobs for 455s on the Reading line but as has already been said it's better than no train at all.

There was a couple of class 455 on the Reading route earlier today, so I presume that they where booked to run on the route?

 

[MCR247]

There was a couple of class 455 on the Reading route earlier today, so I presume that they where booked to run on the route?

No the workings are booked for 458/0s presumably, but 455s have to cover as there isnt enough serviceable 458/0s

 

[hassaanhc]

No the workings are booked for 458/0s presumably, but 455s have to cover as there isnt enough serviceable 458/0s

There is a short form as well. I'd much rather a full 8 car set of 455s than a single unit of 450 or 458.

 

[James Wake]

An 8 car is better than a 4 car, no matter how uncomfortable the 455s are, I still think that they could be improved with comfort, as some journeys in from Guildford area stations (like London Road) and Shepperton into London are nearly an hour's journey.

 

[RichardW]

Surely if they did have other options they would use them? A train with no toilet is better than no train

At times 2 x 458 are sent to Reading with no toilets working - and that can be distressing!

Richard

 

[Bishopstone]

Portsmouth to Brighton is 90 minutes-ish without a toilet, or over two hours if you're travelling on to Seaford on another 313, as I sometimes do.

 

[al.currie93]

455s work Victoria to Horsham which is 90 minutes, and have done for longer than I've been alive, I've personally never had a problem with that I don't think that Reading to Waterloo for a journey of that length of time is too bad.

 

[transmanche]

The same way London Overground run services from Watford Junction to London, or Richmond to Stratford, with comparable journey times. And a lot of people do get on at e.g. Watford High Street, Bushey etc and ride all the way to Euston on it.

Have there *ever* been trains with toilets on those routes? The 313s and 501s never had them.

 

[JonathanH]

An 8 car is better than a 4 car, no matter how uncomfortable the 455s are, I still think that they could be improved with comfort, as some journeys in from Guildford area stations (like London Road) and Shepperton into London are nearly an hour's journey.

...and yet South West Trains have been allowed to specify the 707s without a toilet as well perpetuating the toilet issue for another 50 years or so. The worst part of this is that Windsor (which don't forget is a tourist destination) has had toilet fitted trains for the last 11 years and will go back to not having them.

 

[Monty]

Can someone explain to me please how South West Trains can justify using class 455 trains on the Reading to London Waterloo service when the complete journey is about an hour and 10 minutes?

Is there not other units available that have toilets on board that they can use at all?

The justification is using that or cancelling the service I am afraid. It's not the first unit of choice when going down the Reading road, as you also pointed out there are no toilets, no first class (so renumeration normally has to be paid to 1st class ticket holders) and there are a number of speed restrictions that apply to 455s alone on that route that affect time keeping. No ideal but if there was anything else spare that was more suited to the route they would use it.

 

[RobShipway]

The justification is using that or cancelling the service I am afraid. It's not the first unit of choice when going down the Reading road, as you also pointed out there are no toilets, no first class (so renumeration normally has to be paid to 1st class ticket holders) and there are a number of speed restrictions that apply to 455s alone on that route that affect time keeping. No ideal but if there was anything else spare that was more suited to the route they would use it.

Thank you Monty for the explaining.

 

[Juniper Driver]

Prefer working Desiros to 455s down there.

 

[yorksrob]

Hmm. I can remember waiting at Waterloo one Saturday in the early naughties to get a train back to Reading. Expecting a VEP or a CIG, I made my way to find a 455 in the platform.

No worries, I thought, I'll wait for the next one. Another 455.

Third time lucky? No, another 455, at which point I gave up and caught it back.

I find it hard to believe that three successive EMU's failed, without suitable replacements!

 

[RobShipway]

Prefer working Desiros to 455s down there.

If anything, I prefer the 450 on the Reading route as I have stated a few times as I find them a) more comfortable than the 458 or 455 and they are a lot quieter as well especially when they are going over points at junctions.

 

[JonathanH]

Hmm. I can remember waiting at Waterloo one Saturday in the early naughties to get a train back to Reading. Expecting a VEP or a CIG, I made my way to find a 455 in the platform.

No worries, I thought, I'll wait for the next one. Another 455.

Third time lucky? No, another 455, at which point I gave up and caught it back.

I find it hard to believe that three successive EMU's failed, without suitable replacements!

Single 455s were the booked units on Saturdays to Reading in the early noughties. At that time Winnersh and Earley had short platforms so only 4-car 455s could be used. In the late 90s the 1837 from Waterloo to Reading on a weekday was booked 8-455 and ran fast to Reading from Wokingham. It later went to 8-VEP.

 

[yorksrob]

Single 455s were the booked units on Saturdays to Reading in the early noughties. At that time Winnersh and Earley had short platforms so only 4-car 455s could be used. In the late 90s the 1837 from Waterloo to Reading on a weekday was booked 8-455 and ran fast to Reading from Wokingham. It later went to 8-VEP.

Ah thanks for the explanation. Hopefully I'll be able to put it behind me now.

 

[5920]

Can someone explain to me please how South West Trains can justify using class 455 trains on the Reading to London Waterloo service when the complete journey is about an hour and 10 minutes?

Is there not other units available that have toilets on board that they can use at all?

From what I gather, there are two 458/0s more needed for diagrams than the actual real number of 458/0s that could be in service. Then you have exams (probably one stopped) and failures to potentially twist the knife some more

I'll leave you to do the maths.

 

[hassaanhc]

If anything, I prefer the 450 on the Reading route as I have stated a few times as I find them a) more comfortable than the 458 or 455 and they are a lot quieter as well especially when they are going over points at junctions.

450s have excellent sound-proofing, however if sitting over a bogie I find that at speed their ride is very lively on track that isn't 100% smooth. Do prefer the supportive 450 and 455 seats over the soggy 458 ones.
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The justification is using that or cancelling the service I am afraid. It's not the first unit of choice when going down the Reading road, as you also pointed out there are no toilets, no first class (so renumeration normally has to be paid to 1st class ticket holders) and there are a number of speed restrictions that apply to 455s alone on that route that affect time keeping. No ideal but if there was anything else spare that was more suited to the route they would use it.

Where would these restrictions be? When I did the full Waterloo to Reading run on a 455 last month, we crawled into and out of the platforms at Ascot, which I'm sure isn't normal? We were also slow over the S curve near the Thames bridge at Staines, but I remember there being a speed restriction in that area anyway

 

[Bigfoot]

Where would these restrictions be? When I did the full Waterloo to Reading run on a 455 last month, we crawled into and out of the platforms at Ascot, which I'm sure isn't normal? We were also slow over the S curve near the Thames bridge at Staines, but I remember there being a speed restriction in that area anyway

You've got the restrictions for 455/456 and if memory serves 158/9s too already...

 

[RobShipway]

450s have excellent sound-proofing, however if sitting over a bogie I find that at speed their ride is very lively on track that isn't 100% smooth. Do prefer the supportive 450 and 455 seats over the soggy 458 ones.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Where would these restrictions be? When I did the full Waterloo to Reading run on a 455 last month, we crawled into and out of the platforms at Ascot, which I'm sure isn't normal? We were also slow over the S curve near the Thames bridge at Staines, but I remember there being a speed restriction in that area anyway

I do prefer the 450 and 455 seats over the soggy 458 ones. Lot more comfortable to sit on and travel.

 

[Juniper Driver]

Single 455s were the booked units on Saturdays to Reading in the early noughties. At that time Winnersh and Earley had short platforms so only 4-car 455s could be used. In the late 90s the 1837 from Waterloo to Reading on a weekday was booked 8-455 and ran fast to Reading from Wokingham. It later went to 8-VEP.

I worked an 8 car 455 down there in that time (or possibly later between 2003 and 2007) and got a special not to stop order.

Where would these restrictions be? When I did the full Waterloo to Reading run on a 455 last month, we crawled into and out of the platforms at Ascot, which I'm sure isn't normal? We were also slow over the S curve near the Thames bridge at Staines, but I remember there being a speed restriction in that area anyway

10mph speed restriction on down line into Ascot platform.Also 20mph down line into Staines platform for 455's.

 

[JonathanH]

I worked an 8 car 455 down there in that time (or possibly later between 2003 and 2007) and got a special not to stop order.

Probably in the pre-2002 era since the platforms at Earley and Winnersh were extended in time for the 2002 introduction of the 458s.

 

[Juniper Driver]

Probably in the pre-2002 era since the platforms at Earley and Winnersh were extended in time for the 2002 introduction of the 458s.

Yup I knew they had just couldn't remember the exact date.
I thought the 458's where when the slammers went or 2003.How time warps my mind.

 

[RichardW]

Surely if they did have other options they would use them? A train with no toilet is better than no train

Hmm. I can remember waiting at Waterloo one Saturday in the early naughties to get a train back to Reading. Expecting a VEP or a CIG, I made my way to find a 455 in the platform.

No worries, I thought, I'll wait for the next one. Another 455.

Third time lucky? No, another 455, at which point I gave up and caught it back.

I find it hard to believe that three successive EMU's failed, without suitable replacements!

At that time that was the diagrammed stock - I think was before the 458 fleet was taken in hand and so the 455s were more reliable.

 

[yorksrob]

At that time that was the diagrammed stock - I think was before the 458 fleet was taken in hand and so the 455s were more reliable.

VEP's and CIG's were the norm for Reading in my day (mercifully). This was 2001-2