Indeed. We shall have to wait and see.
I imagine by then the DfT were getting pretty fed up with Bombardier due to their failure to fulfil deliveries prior to Covid. However, the decision had unforseen consequences....
I'm pretty sure there's a miscommunication there for next month as it's overly ambitious and doesn't match the pretty detailed plan in the SWR press release. I wouldn't be surprised if a carefully crafted line like "We've announcing our plan for 10 more units to be introduced starting next month" was prepared and somewhere along the chain the starting got missed.
At that rate they'll be finished rolling out in a decade..
They will need them all in service by then so they can start withdrawing the early ones for mid life overhaul.
That was a nickname sometimes applied to Stuart Broad during his playing career, being a variant on "nightwatchman", a lower order player who moves to bat higher up the order if a wicket falls near close of play.
| Train # | EIS date | Key areas served | Peak and key services |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | 23 September - 25 November | Windsor Shepperton Surbiton | 38 x Windsor services 10 x Shepperton services 1 x Surbiton service |
| 6 | December 2024 | Shepperton Strawberry Hill Windsor & Eton Riverside | 0543 Teddington - Waterloo 0642 Waterloo - Shepperton 0741 Shepperton - Waterloo 0842 Waterloo - Shepperton 1642 Waterloo - Shepperton 1741 Shepperton - Waterloo 1842 Waterloo - Shepperton |
| 7 | February 2025 | Kingston Shepperton | 0640 Kingston - Waterloo 0711 Shepperton - Waterloo 0812 Waterloo - Shepperton 0911 Shepperton - Waterloo 1612 Waterloo - Shepperton 1711 Shepperton - Waterloo 1812 Waterloo - Shepperton |
| 8 | February 2025 | Shepperton Hounslow Loop | 0615 Waterloo - Shepperton 0730 Shepperton - Waterloo 0845 Waterloo - Waterloo via Hounslow 1707 Waterloo - Waterloo via Richmond 1843 Waterloo - Shepperton |
| 9 | March 2025 - first trains to/from Epsom and Guildford | Epsom Hampton Court Guildford | 0617 Epsom – Waterloo 0706 Waterloo – Hampton Court 0753 Hampton Court – Waterloo 0854 Waterloo – Guildford via Epsom 1706 Waterloo – Hampton Court 1754 Hampton Court – Waterloo 1854 Waterloo – Guildford via Epsom |
| 10 | March 2025 - first trains to/from Dorking | Dorking Epsom Hampton Court Guildford | 0659 Dorking – Waterloo 0806 Waterloo – Hampton Court 0853 Hampton Court – Waterloo 1625 Guildford – Waterloo via Epsom 1806 Waterloo – Hampton Court 1854 Hampton Court- Waterloo |
| 11 | March 2025 | Hounslow Loop Kingston Loop | 0530 Waterloo – Waterloo via Richmond 0657 Waterloo – Waterloo via Kingston 0830 Waterloo – Waterloo via Richmond 1730 Waterloo – Waterloo via Richmond 1857 Waterloo – Waterloo via Kingston |
| 12 | April 2025 | Staines Shepperton Strawberry Hill | 0453 Staines – Waterloo 0557 Waterloo – Shepperton 0700 Shepperton – Waterloo 0813 Waterloo – Strawberry Hill via Twickenham 1801 Strawberry Hill – Waterloo via Twickenham 1845 Waterloo – Hounslow |
| 13 | May 2025 - first trains to/from Chessington South | Dorking Hampton Court Chessington South | 0624 Waterloo – Dorking 0730 Dorking – Waterloo 0836 Waterloo – Hampton Court 0923 Hampton Court – Waterloo 1636 Waterloo – Hampton Court 1724 Hampton Court – Waterloo 1809 Waterloo – Guildford via Epsom 2300 Waterloo – Chessington South 2342 Chessington South - Waterloo |
| 14 | June 2025 | Hounslow Loop Kingston Loop | 0600 Waterloo – Waterloo via Richmond 0727 Waterloo – Waterloo via Kingston 0900 Waterloo – Waterloo via Richmond 1627 Waterloo – Waterloo via Kingston 1800 Waterloo – Waterloo via Richmond |
| 15 | June 2025 - first trains to/from Reading | Reading Ascot | 0526 Waterloo – Reading 0709 Reading – Waterloo 1607 Waterloo - Waterloo via Hounslow 1750 Waterloo – Reading |
The ones built before COVID were just as bad as the ones during and after. Quality has never been above last place on the agenda.
That’s a big relief, but something they should really clarify..
Yes I got the same impression. The effort was high from all parties involved and the atmosphere was nice.
(see video linked below)
x.com
I hope they will be able to keep this plan.
I know I've quoted this before, but the prophecy was true
If the media reaction is anything to go by - the overwhelming majority of news outlets make no mention of the glitz and grandeur of the event at Waterloo today, but instead continue to focus on the ineptitude of the overall programme. Sure, it may be a nice occasion for those attending in person but overall this has been a spectacular own goal to invite the media to scrutinise and ridicule South Western Railway once again. Why cant the company just shut up and get on with the rollout, without generating future bad press when they once again fail to deliver on fanciful rollout schedules? This event moreover seems to be the mechanism for the mobilisation team and executives to give themselves a delusionary pat on the back, before they one again return back to their desks flapping at bulging risk registers and red RAG rated programme schedules.
www.bbc.co.uk
Then I transferred to a 458 at Staines, which was announced as Vauxhall. Par for the course.
Many of them are quite literally falling to pieces so it wouldn't be a surprise if their priority was to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
Funny enough I was just thinking that earlier too. Madness. Has any other fleet had 3 launch celebrations in its history?
Apparentky it's a sporting theme
x.com
Excellent report by Clifton, Hendy turning a blind eye to the last 5 years entirely.
