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Fast Pompey services in the 70s/80s

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when he was alive my Dad regularly complained that modern day services on his line to Portsmouth were 14 minutes slower than BR days...... as I have quoted this a couple of times I wondered if this was actually so - I have no old BR timetable to refer to.......
Thanks
SM Chobham International
 
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jfollows

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When the line was electrified in 1937 there were fast services using 4-COR and similar units which (according to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth_Direct_line and my memory) only stopped at Guildford and Haslemere. Headcode "8" or possibly later "80". Wikipedia also says that the service pattern remained until 1971, which is when the rolling stock was replaced with 4-CIG and the like.

When I moved to Portsmouth in 1984 the fastest services were headcode "81" and called at Havant, Petersfield and Woking in addition. Now they stop at Fratton and often at Godalming as well. So your Dad is almost certainly right, the "headline" end-to-end journey time has been sacrificed to serve more stations. My "local" station was Petersfield for a while so I, for one, was glad that the fastest trains stopped there.
 

30907

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The fasts offpeak take 94 and 98 minutes to PMH on a quick sample
The fasts in SR days from memory took 94 minutes.
Possibly the odd summer Saturday nonstop was faster, but nowhere near 14 minutes.
 

flymo

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Geordie back from exile.
The '84 TT shows the fastest fasts took 90 minutes (calls at Woking, Guildford, Haslemere, Fratton, Portsmouth & Southsea), back in '75 they took around 92/93 minutes (calls at same as above except some omit Woking).
 

hexagon789

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79 minutes is the fastest I can find but that's 1990s.

1980s the fastest I can find is 84 mins, but it was usually 90.
 
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