Blockade to allow Waterloo upgrade to take place, resulting in timetable changes

[Dstock7080]

Timetable is mainly out and very interesting - diverting some mainline trains via Wimbledon Park/Wandsworth Town. I'm sure TFL are very worried about that!

District Line, modified Wimbledon branch peak service to enable South West Trains diversions.;
7-11 August
14-18 August
21-25 August
Timetable Notice 75/17 refers.

 

[Helvellyn]

Friday 25th August is the day to avoid - only 25% of normal trains running due to an expanded closure. Hopefully the fact it is leading into the Bank Holiday weekend will help suppress demand even further.

 

[rj90]

As a diversion from timetables, I noticed today that Google Earth (but not Google maps) has an updated view of the Waterloo station area, and it appears to show the new track towards P20-24 all in place, apart from a relatively short length of the approach to P24. (However, comparing with the diagram on "Opentraintimes", that may be a siding, so not a missing length at all?)

Earlier photos showed that the diamond crossovers between the P20-21 roads were in place a while ago (they're under the roof and in place in January), so I think that gives a reasonable clue that the track work is on the downhill stretch.

Does anyone know if the P22-23 crossover has been fitted, I'd assume it must have been?

Track has been complete since first week of Feb in the station, and the last bit of plain line to international junction was 7 weeks ago. Signalling final commissioning this weekend and test trains from Monday

Platform 10 apparently also out of use during the August blockade.

To be confirmed, but it's whats needed

Friday 25th August is the day to avoid - only 25% of normal trains running due to an expanded closure. Hopefully the fact it is leading into the Bank Holiday weekend will help suppress demand even further.

Friday-Monday in fact. Needed for signalling works as the up main relief will now feed into platform 7 - so required interlocking changes need to happen!

 

[infobleep]

They won't understand that the temporary service pattern can only work because so many long distance trains have been removed completely, and certain branches, such as Chessington, have no service at all? I think people are a bit cleverer than that.

They might be if they actually read up on the subject I like attempt to do but I'm not sure they would bother.

I am basing my opinion on the stuff I read on Twitter from time to time and I'm only referring to South West Trains here, who are generally quite good. Hash tags such as #delayedagain #seasonticketripoff etc. etc. I'm not saying everyone would not understand but I certainly think some won't.

 

[Malcolmffc]

They might be if they actually read up on the subject I like attempt to do but I'm not sure they would bother.

I am basing my opinion on the stuff I read on Twitter from time to time and I'm only referring to South West Trains here, who are generally quite good. Hash tags such as #delayedagain #seasonticketripoff etc. etc. I'm not saying everyone would not understand but I certainly think some won't.

People are perfectly entitled to comping about the service they've paid for being unreliable and expensive. What a patronising attitude.

 

[Feathers44]

People are perfectly entitled to comping about the service they've paid for being unreliable and expensive. What a patronising attitude.

Which isn't the point being made at all so comes across as patronising in it's own way.


On the wider topic, I agree. The interested laymen like some here will have more clue as to what's required to make all of this work and may make allowances but the majority won't have any interest and will be surprised or even 'shocked' (a vastly overused and misused word) at the severity of the changes for the duration.

To be honest, I don't see any way around it. You can't force perople to take such a level of interest, nor should they have to. Passengers want the railway to get them from A to B and the fact that it now can't for a period (as easily) will be the over-riding concern, not the reasons why. They might be 'clever enough' to understand but I just don't think it will matter to them.

 

[MatthewRead]

What SWT services will run to Point Pleasant Junction via the District line?

 

[swt_passenger]

What SWT services will run to Point Pleasant Junction via the District line?

Please follow the link in post #18

 

[swt_passenger]

Track has been complete since first week of Feb in the station, and the last bit of plain line to international junction was 7 weeks ago. Signalling final commissioning this weekend and test trains from Monday

Thanks for confirming the status inside the international shed. My main aim in mentioning the Google 'outside' view was to suggest that despite all the negative press a lot had already been done.

I saw a photo this week suggesting the ramped concourse access is almost usable. A lot of change can appear day by day on the sort of civils job going on at the buffers end...

20170626_183256m by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

[3141]

They might be if they actually read up on the subject I like attempt to do but I'm not sure they would bother.... I'm not saying everyone would not understand but I certainly think some won't.

I think you're right. I remember 10 or more years ago there was big shut-down of the southern end of the WCML over an August bank holiday weekend for major engineering works. BBC News showed passengers having to detrain at Milton Keynes and transfer to buses. Some were complaining. The reporter said to one such passenger: "They've been giving publicity about this weekend's works for at least two months." "I haven't heard anything about it," replied the passenger, in a tone that suggested nothing at all had been done to provide advance warning. SWT have been warning about the August blockade for months, at stations, on their website and in other ways, but some people won't have noticed.

I can understand that in the case of infrequent rail travellers, but there is an argument for saying that people should have an awareness of what's happening in the world around them, and if they don't notice publicity that's been going on for months it's not anyone else's fault.

 

[pompeyfan]

I've even heard adverts about it on Capital South Coast radio, I'd assume Heart South and other Global stations are also airing it too.

 

[MatthewRead]

Please follow the link in post #18

There don't seem to be any Salisbury or Exeter trains taking the route I know they are cleared to run.

 

[TEW]

There don't seem to be any Salisbury or Exeter trains taking the route I know they are cleared to run.

The vast majority of Salisbury and Exeter services are worked by Salisbury based crews, who don't sign the route via East Putney.

 

[swt_passenger]

There don't seem to be any Salisbury or Exeter trains taking the route I know they are cleared to run.

It's only 12 extra trains going that way (spread over the whole day) compared to the normal timetable, (i.e. 34 rather than 22) and a lot of them are ECS as normal, so I'd have thought it highly unlikely that they'd add unnecessary complexity by diverting Salisbury trains and crews.

Their intention will be to divert the minimum they can get away with. Diversions via East Putney are a bit of a sideshow in the overall scheme of things.

 

[MatthewRead]

The vast majority of Salisbury and Exeter services are worked by Salisbury based crews, who don't sign the route via East Putney.

I was told by my old boss that they do all SWT stock has to be cleared to run along that section.

 

[swt_passenger]

I was told by my old boss that they do all SWT stock has to be cleared to run along that section.

SA shows 158/159 having a 10 mph restriction through Wimbledon Park in the down direction. I expect that would be enough to only send 158/159 that way in dire emergency.

 

[MatthewRead]

SA shows 158/159 having a 10 mph restriction through Wimbledon Park in the down direction. I expect that would be enough to only send 158/159 that way in dire emergency.

So will DMU's run into Waterloo during this period or will they just run as far as Basingstoke.

 

[swt_passenger]

So will DMU's run into Waterloo during this period or will they just run as far as Basingstoke.

Waterloo hourly. All you have to do is check realtimetrains, or even SWT's website.

 

[infobleep]

People are perfectly entitled to comping about the service they've paid for being unreliable and expensive. What a patronising attitude.

Is it really that bad? Yes I do find peak trains are often slightly delayed but I
Dont find them as delayed as say Southern and that is on a day when Southern drivers are doing overtime. I don't know if South West Trains rip people off but I have read they are more expensive that others so maybe they do. I don't know.

 

[infobleep]

Which isn't the point being made at all so comes across as patronising in it's own way.


On the wider topic, I agree. The interested laymen like some here will have more clue as to what's required to make all of this work and may make allowances but the majority won't have any interest and will be surprised or even 'shocked' (a vastly overused and misused word) at the severity of the changes for the duration.

To be honest, I don't see any way around it. You can't force perople to take such a level of interest, nor should they have to. Passengers want the railway to get them from A to B and the fact that it now can't for a period (as easily) will be the over-riding concern, not the reasons why. They might be 'clever enough' to understand but I just don't think it will matter to them.

I think the works are very useful and fully support them. The fact I might have the opportunity to have a faster journey during the works compared to usual isn't the reason why I support them. That's just a lucky bonus that surprised me.

I support them because I want the railways to be able to cope with more people. I want a popular railway.

 

[pompeyfan]

Is it really that bad? Yes I do find peak trains are often slightly delayed but I
Dont find them as delayed as say Southern and that is on a day when Southern drivers are doing overtime. I don't know if South West Trains rip people off but I have read they are more expensive that others so maybe they do. I don't know.

Tickets routed via AP/Via Guildford/Via Woking are more expensive than tickets routed Via Barnham/Three bridges. I've said it before and I'll say it again, everyone thinks they have the worst service, bus companies, train companies, ferry operators etc. SWT are far from perfect, but they do an awful lot of things right, most issues aren't directly SWTs fault, but the way they recover the service is a weak point.

Regarding diesel services, a small pool of driver managers and guards managers have learnt the road from Basingstoke to Reading, and will pilot the Salisbury local services.

 

[swt_passenger]

Regarding diesel services, a small pool of driver managers and guards managers have learnt the road from Basingstoke to Reading, and will pilot the Salisbury local services.

There seem to be fewer DMU services to Reading than when they first appeared a few weeks back, I distinctly remember an up service from Honiton, but that seems to have gone now.

I'm not sure about the general aim of MatthewRead's questions about DMUs and diversions, and I'm wondering if he thinks there should be more traction variety on diversionary routes, and that should perhaps take priority over other less important matters...

 

[pompeyfan]

There seem to be fewer DMU services to Reading than when they first appeared a few weeks back, I distinctly remember an up service from Honiton, but that seems to have gone now.

I'm not sure about the general aim of MatthewRead's questions about DMUs and diversions, and I'm wondering if he thinks there should be more traction variety on diversionary routes, and that should perhaps take priority over other less important matters...

Of course, and while they're at it, the WoE services should have been diverted by Romsey/Fareham/Haslemere/Cobham obviously......

 

[HarleyDavidson]

People are perfectly entitled to comping about the service they've paid for being unreliable and expensive. What a patronising attitude.

Well TBQH that's ultimately of their own making as trains are prepared and checked daily and things like doors generally don't jam themselves, it's because some buffoon holds/forces them and where air con is provided it will work provided the public don't interfere with the internal doors and use the little green buttons so the doors stay open because they're so lazy to put their fingers on the door open button.

Also MoP are told if you're not feeling well don't get on the train, so what do they do? Get on the train and then pull the passcom and cause significant delays to 1000's of others, which is just plain selfish.

Oh Yes the traction system which is like your cars engine can breakdown once in a while too, just like your cars engine can and when you consider the punishment it gets on a daily basis, it's not surprising.

So basically if you & they don't like the service that's on offer you & they should seek an alternative of which there are quite a few if you live in Surbiton upwards.

 

[Malcolmffc]

Well TBQH that's ultimately of their own making as trains are prepared and checked daily and things like doors generally don't jam themselves, it's because some buffoon holds/forces them and where air con is provided it will work provided the public don't interfere with the internal doors and use the little green buttons so the doors stay open because they're so lazy to put their fingers on the door open button.

Also MoP are told if you're not feeling well don't get on the train, so what do they do? Get on the train and then pull the passcom and cause significant delays to 1000's of others, which is just plain selfish.

Oh Yes the traction system which is like your cars engine can breakdown once in a while too, just like your cars engine can and when you consider the punishment it gets on a daily basis, it's not surprising.

So basically if you & they don't like the service that's on offer you & they should seek an alternative of which there are quite a few if you live in Surbiton upwards.

TL;DR: The railway would run much better if these irritating passengers didn't insist on boarding our lovely trains

 

[Dr_Paul]

There's a banner at Richmond station: 'Improvements at Waterloo will mean significantly fewer trains.'

I think that this could have been worded a little better.

 

[Busaholic]

There's a banner at Richmond station: 'Improvements at Waterloo will mean significantly fewer trains.'

I think that this could have been worded a little better.

'Better means worse'?

 

[MatthewRead]

There seem to be fewer DMU services to Reading than when they first appeared a few weeks back, I distinctly remember an up service from Honiton, but that seems to have gone now.

I'm not sure about the general aim of MatthewRead's questions about DMUs and diversions, and I'm wondering if he thinks there should be more traction variety on diversionary routes, and that should perhaps take priority over other less important matters...

I was hoping to traverse the LU tracks on any SWT train it doesn't have to be a DMU

 

[swt_passenger]

I was hoping to traverse the LU tracks on any SWT train it doesn't have to be a DMU

You can do the track any day without needing a blockade. Just at an unsociable time...

 

[HarleyDavidson]

TL;DR: The railway would run much better if these irritating passengers didn't insist on boarding our lovely trains

All I'm saying is if people behaved themselves and didn't tamper with doors and things that they're not meant to you wouldn't have the problems you do.

Basically passengers & MoP are their own worst enemy. Leave doors and things that aren't meant to be fiddled with alone and you won't get the delays. Simples!