Reliability of existing class 483 stock on IoW railway

The big story today is that a two-train service has finally resumed, presumably marking the long awaited return of 007 from it's lengthy overhaul?

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/island...tWQq4qq1CHxR_urPtbRz1nq_Kh9Bk9ffKx5o-UWiS9u6E

Island Line is back to running 2 trains an hour following repair works by fleet engineers.

The 81-year-old trains are really showing their age and on 18th September technical issues forced the rail operator to pull one out of service, leading to an hourly timetable between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin.

Following hard work by the team at the train care depot at Ryde St John’s, the second train is now back in action enabling a normal timetabled service from the start of today (Monday).

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It's good to hear that normal service is being resumed. Have they said what the specific problem(s) were that caused the unit to be taken out of use?

Went on this for the first time last week. All I can say is it's amazing they still go at all. Makes Pacers seem like the lap of luxury!

RichT54 said:

It's good to hear that normal service is being resumed. Have they said what the specific problem(s) were that caused the unit to be taken out of use?

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I gather 004 was due an exam but there was nothing available to replace it - a meeting of the local bus users group suggested issues with the bogies, traction motors or springs perhaps?

After numerous shunts around the yard in recent weeks they were working on the bogies under 007 so it looks like they've cobbled something together.

Also rode the line on Wednesday and given the state of the track between Brading and Sandown the trains are getting a real hammering (NR would have a speed on the mainland) which cant be any good for the stresses on the bogies. Just as well these trains still have proper seats that can soak up the bumps otherwise i reckon there would be a few claims for damaged backs! Trains up from the pier were well loaded given the time of the year with a few people at all intermediate stations so can only get better with the new loop giving an even interval service.

Nicholas Lewis said:

Also rode the line on Wednesday and given the state of the track between Brading and Sandown the trains are getting a real hammering (NR would have a speed on the mainland) which cant be any good for the stresses on the bogies. Just as well these trains still have proper seats that can soak up the bumps otherwise i reckon there would be a few claims for damaged backs! Trains up from the pier were well loaded given the time of the year with a few people at all intermediate stations so can only get better with the new loop giving an even interval service.

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The track does not have to be very bad to give poor ride quality, that's not saying that it isn't.

Unlike virtually everything else on rails these trains have no air suspension and because they are closer to the ground than other trains very little room for conventional suspension either.

So now with 007 & 008 in service do we know the status of the other units?
006 was dumped in the platform when I was there the other week, 004 I guess needs exam work.

Is that all the available units? What happened to 009?
Any help would be great!

Thanks in advance.

Yandell01 said:

So now with 007 & 008 in service do we know the status of the other units?
006 was dumped in the platform when I was there the other week, 004 I guess needs exam work.

Is that all the available units? What happened to 009?
Any help would be great!

Thanks in advance.

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Wiki reckons 009 is used for spare parts only. I’m not in a position to confirm but it sounds reasonably likely.

I went on these for the first time a couple of years ago and it's fair to say that the the stock/track made for a very interesting ride, though I'm surprised I a) didn't hit my head on the roof as it bumped along or b) was sick. Don't imagine carrying a cup of coffee is very wise...

Yandell01 said:

So now with 007 & 008 in service do we know the status of the other units?
006 was dumped in the platform when I was there the other week, 004 I guess needs exam work.

Is that all the available units? What happened to 009?
Any help would be great!

Thanks in advance.

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Somewhat surprisingly it's 006 which has come back into service.

Oh dear, so much for that! After knackering both units on consecutive days it's now a no-train service......

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/trains-suspended-until-further-notice-following-electrical-fault/

At around 11:45, a train entering Ryde Esplanade station ground to a halt on an incline between Ryde Tunnel and the station. A sole passenger on board had to be evacuated by means of being escorted up the line to the nearby platform...

...The service was already running a reduced timetable owing to a fault with 1 of just 2 trains operating on Island Line. Now, the sole remaining train has gone out of service.

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The Island Echo story above has been updated - no trains tomorrow either:

UPDATE @ 16:30 – It has been confirmed that the service is expected to remain suspended until the end of the day tomorrow (Thursday), meaning it is unlikely any trains will run before Friday morning.

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Tickets were being accepted on Routes 2 and 3 - but there's some good news...

UPDATE @ 18:20 – In an unexpected turn, South Western Railway have confirmed that a 1-train service has now resumed.

Trains are running to the revised timetable, with the first train having left Ryde Pier Head at 17:49.

Services are running at XX:49 from Ryde Pier Head and XX:18 from Shanklin. This is expected to continue until Friday.

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swt_passenger said:

Wiki reckons 009 is used for spare parts only. I’m not in a position to confirm but it sounds reasonably likely.

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Which unit was scrapped, just out of interest?

Doomotron said:

Which unit was scrapped, just out of interest?

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4/6/8 are the working units, all out at the moment.

7 has been on the mend, slowly, but still nowhere near ready for service.

As for 9, good luck.

trainophile said:

if that doesn’t enforce the message about needing new trains then perhaps the cost of replacement buses will.

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Although the report stating that there was only "a sole passenger" on board at the time doesn't exactly present the line as being a vital infrastructure depended on by hundreds each day...!

cjohnson said:

Although the report stating that there was only "a sole passenger" on board at the time doesn't exactly present the line as being a vital infrastructure depended on by hundreds each day...!

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On that note, it doesn't also state that he was the sole passenger of the day - and who's to say there wasn't 50 people waiting to board at the Ryde station on the other side of the tunnel.


Thinking in the air for a moment: maybe it also has a lack of use due to the risk of unreliability that will hopefully be mitigated when the service is refreshed.

Is 002 still in existence?

The services that connect with the ferries can be quite busy... or is that all of them?

tom1649 said:

Is 002 still in existence?

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Yes, it was outside Ryde St Johns depot out of use when I last visited in April, only identified by the RAPTOR names at the ends.

More problems today (Friday)

https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/18024426.isle-wight-train-service-suspended/

ISLAND Line services have reportedly been suspended again today (Friday) — after several problems earlier in the week.

Due to a train fault this morning, South Western Railway had been running an hourly service between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin, but further disruption has now been reported.

One County Press reader arrived at Ryde St John's station to travel towards Shanklin but was told the train was stuck in Sandown on its way into Ryde.

The cause of the fault is unknown.

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cjohnson said:

Although the report stating that there was only "a sole passenger" on board at the time doesn't exactly present the line as being a vital infrastructure depended on by hundreds each day...!

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Most passengers are travelling to and from work or school this time of year so late morning will always be quiet, especially in such awful weather. The service being unusually 'erratic' doesn't help mind...

I think this is the first time the line has really suffered due to train reliability?

Island Line services have been suspended this afternoon (Monday) as a result of a fault with the only train running on the network.
South Western Railway has confirmed that no trains are currently operating between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin. Disruption is expected to last for the rest of the day.

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https://www.islandecho.co.uk/island-line-suspended-again-as-ageing-train-fails/

I popped over to the IoW to take a spin on the old trains as I doubt I’ll have many more opportunities to do it before the finish running.

Outward journey from Ryde Pier to Shanklin was 12 minutes late. All passengers were asked to sit in the front car only due to a problem with the doors.

On the return I intended getting the 15:18 from Shanklin. No train turned up. Shanklin station unmanned (other than workmen refurbishing the toilets). No running time either at the station or available online.

Rumours amongst fellow passengers that the service was cancelled for the rest of the day. I used the station help point and was eventually connected to what appeared to be an overseas call centre. Operator told me trains were running hourly and the next one was at 16:18. I asked what happened to the 15:18 and was told it operated!!! Asked to speak to a supervisor, got put on hold and then got cut off.

Found a number for SWR customer services on the info poster outside the station. Took 20 minutes to get through but managed to speak to someone knowledgeable who told me trains were suspended until further notice due to a power supply issue.

I asked for advice on how to make my journey to Stevenage. Was told to get the bus to Ryde. I asked if ticket acceptance was in place but the person didn’t know. The bus driver told me there was no acceptance in place so I purchased a single to Ryde costing £4.50.

Some observations:

Many locals rely on the train service. I counted around 20 people who came and went during the hour I was at the station.

SWR need to do a far better job of letting passengers know what is going on during this appalling period of reliability. I know there isn’t any real time info available but I’m sure they could come up with a way of cascading info when there is serious disruption. I suggest a dedicated phone number, prominently posted on the platform that could give recorded info about the current state of the service. Would take seconds for someone to make a recording.

Bus ticket acceptance needs to be in place quickly. There was a sense of resignation among fellow passengers that this happens but the locals deserve better.

The walk from the bus station to the Pier Head is not particularly nice in November. Not a problem for me but I do wonder how someone infirm or unable to walk that distance would be expected to manage.

To add insult to injury there were multiple ferry cancellations this evening as well!

I do seriously wonder how long the 483s can soldier on for. I suspect things are going to get worse before they get better. The industry has known about this for years, I really don't understand why it's taken so long to come up with a solution.

Hadders said:

I popped over to the IoW to take a spin on the old trains as I doubt I’ll have many more opportunities to do it before the finish running.

Outward journey from Ryde Pier to Shanklin was 12 minutes late. All passengers were asked to sit in the front car only due to a problem with the doors.

On the return I intended getting the 15:18 from Shanklin. No train turned up. Shanklin station unmanned (other than workmen refurbishing the toilets). No running time either at the station or available online.

Rumours amongst fellow passengers that the service was cancelled for the rest of the day. I used the station help point and was eventually connected to what appeared to be an overseas call centre. Operator told me trains were running hourly and the next one was at 16:18. I asked what happened to the 15:18 and was told it operated!!! Asked to speak to a supervisor, got put on hold and then got cut off.

Found a number for SWR customer services on the info poster outside the station. Took 20 minutes to get through but managed to speak to someone knowledgeable who told me trains were suspended until further notice due to a power supply issue.

I asked for advice on how to make my journey to Stevenage. Was told to get the bus to Ryde. I asked if ticket acceptance was in place but the person didn’t know. The bus driver told me there was no acceptance in place so I purchased a single to Ryde costing £4.50.

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Perhaps this might seem a bit harsh but this is my SWR experience in a nutshell. When things go well you may not notice, but when things go wrong, nobody seems to give a <choose your expletive>,

They've got one working again.. for now.

Hadders said:

Some observations:

Many locals rely on the train service. I counted around 20 people who came and went during the hour I was at the station.

SWR need to do a far better job of letting passengers know what is going on during this appalling period of reliability. I know there isn’t any real time info available but I’m sure they could come up with a way of cascading info when there is serious disruption. I suggest a dedicated phone number, prominently posted on the platform that could give recorded info about the current state of the service. Would take seconds for someone to make a recording.

Bus ticket acceptance needs to be in place quickly. There was a sense of resignation among fellow passengers that this happens but the locals deserve better.

The walk from the bus station to the Pier Head is not particularly nice in November. Not a problem for me but I do wonder how someone infirm or unable to walk that distance would be expected to manage.

To add insult to injury there were multiple ferry cancellations this evening as well!

I do seriously wonder how long the 483s can soldier on for. I suspect things are going to get worse before they get better. The industry has known about this for years, I really don't understand why it's taken so long to come up with a solution.

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As a local resident and a regular user of Island Line can I endorse all these observations. It does seem to be pot luck at the moment as to whether any trains are running, and SWR need to do much better at arranging up to date information, and bus ticket acceptance (and, I would argue, taxis up and down the pier at least for the less able-bodied or those with luggage). Even where staff are on hand at a station they don’t seem to know very much.

I’m not sure why the SWR source said the issue was with the ‘power supply’; as I understand it, it’s an onboard problem. It needs to be properly resolved, as we still apparently have about 18 months before the new stock finally takes over.

All this is very disappointing, as until this problem emerged Island Line could take pride in being by far the most reliable TOC in the country.

Hadders said:

The walk from the bus station to the Pier Head is not particularly nice in November. Not a problem for me but I do wonder how someone infirm or unable to walk that distance would be expected to manage.

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There is car parking at the peir head, so presumably it would be possible to use a taxi. Certainly not a great situation though.

plugwash said:

There is car parking at the peir head, so presumably it would be possible to use a taxi. Certainly not a great situation though.

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Correct, and taxis are available. There have been occasions in the past, when the line was closed for planned engineering works, when the replacement bus from Shanklin was met at Esplanade by a fleet of taxis to take people up the pier free of charge. The arrangement was supposed to work the other way as well, but was not well publicised - presumably because there would be little to stop the taxis being commandeered for a free ride down the pier by people who had no intention of travelling on by replacement bus.